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16 USC § 2109a - State and private forest landscape-scale restoration program

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t16/s2109a"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_prima_facie"
title: "16 USC § 2109a - State and private forest landscape-scale restoration program"
title_number: 16
title_name: "CONSERVATION"
section_number: "2109a"
section_name: "State and private forest landscape-scale restoration program"
chapter_number: 41
chapter_name: "COOPERATIVE FORESTRY ASSISTANCE"
positive_law: false
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Pub. L. 95–313, § 13A, as added Pub. L. 110–234, title VIII, § 8007, May 22, 2008, 122 Stat. 1285, and Pub. L. 110–246, § 4(a), title VIII, § 8007, June 18, 2008, 122 Stat. 1664, 2047; amended Pub. L. 115–334, title VIII, § 8102(a), Dec. 20, 2018, 132 Stat. 4837.)"
---

# § 2109a. State and private forest landscape-scale restoration program

**(a)** **Purpose** The purpose of this section is to encourage collaborative, science-based restoration of priority forest landscapes.

**(b)** **Definitions** In this section:

**(1)** **Indian tribe** section 5304 of title 25

The term “Indian tribe” has the meaning given the term in .

**(2)** **Nonindustrial private forest land** The term “nonindustrial private forest land” means land that—

**(A)** is rural, as determined by the Secretary;

**(B)** has existing tree cover or is suitable for growing trees; and

**(C)** is owned by any private individual, group, association, corporation, Indian tribe, or other private legal entity.

**(3)** **State forest land** The term “State forest land” means land that—

**(A)** is rural, as determined by the Secretary; and

**(B)** is under State or local governmental ownership and considered to be non-Federal forest land.

**(c)** **Establishment** The Secretary, in consultation with State foresters or appropriate State agencies, shall establish a competitive grant program to provide financial and technical assistance to encourage collaborative, science-based restoration of priority forest landscapes.

**(d)** **Eligibility** To be eligible to receive a grant under this section, an applicant shall submit to the Secretary, through the State forester or appropriate State agency, a State and private forest landscape-scale restoration proposal based on a restoration strategy that—

**(1)** is complete or substantially complete;

**(2)** is for a multiyear period;

**(3)** covers nonindustrial private forest land or State forest land;

**(4)** is accessible by wood-processing infrastructure; and

**(5)** is based on the best available science.

**(e)** **Plan criteria** A State and private forest landscape-scale restoration proposal submitted under this section shall include plans—

**(1)** to reduce the risk of uncharacteristic wildfires;

**(2)** to improve fish and wildlife habitats, including the habitats of threatened and endangered species;

**(3)** to maintain or improve water quality and watershed function;

**(4)** to mitigate invasive species, insect infestation, and disease;

**(5)** to improve important forest ecosystems;

**(6)** to measure ecological and economic benefits, including air quality and soil quality and productivity; and

**(7)** to take other relevant actions, as determined by the Secretary.

**(f)** **Priorities** In making grants under this section, the Secretary shall give priority to plans that—

**(1)** further a statewide forest assessment and resource strategy;

**(2)** promote cross boundary landscape collaboration; and

**(3)** leverage public and private resources.

**(g)** **Collaboration and consultation** The Chief of the Forest Service, the Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and relevant stakeholders shall collaborate and consult on an ongoing basis regarding—

**(1)** administration of the program established under this section; and

**(2)** identification of other applicable resources for landscape-scale restoration.

**(h)** **Matching funds required** As a condition of receiving a grant under this section, the Secretary shall require the recipient of the grant to provide funds or in-kind support from non-Federal sources in an amount that is at least equal to the amount of Federal funds.

**(i)** **Coordination and proximity encouraged** In making grants under this section, the Secretary may consider coordination with and proximity to other landscape-scale projects on other land under the jurisdiction of the Secretary, the Secretary of the Interior, or a Governor of a State, including under—

**(1)** the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program established under section 7303 of this title;

**(2)** landscape areas designated for insect and disease treatments under section 6591a of this title;

**1** good neighbor authority under section 2113 [^1]section 2113a of this title of this title;

So in original. See

.

**(4)** stewardship end result contracting projects authorized under section 6591c of this title;

**(5)** appropriate State-level programs; and

**(6)** other relevant programs, as determined by the Secretary.

**(j)** **Regulations** The Secretary shall promulgate such regulations as the Secretary determines necessary to carry out this section.

**(k)** **Report** Not later than 3 years after December 20, 2018, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report on—

**(1)** the status of development, execution, and administration of selected projects;

**(2)** the accounting of program funding expenditures; and

**(3)** specific accomplishments that have resulted from landscape-scale projects.

**(l)** **Fund**

**(1)** **In general** There is established in the Treasury a fund, to be known as the “State and Private Forest Landscape-Scale Restoration Fund” (referred to in this subsection as the “Fund”), to be used by the Secretary to make grants under this section.

**(2)** **Contents** The Fund shall consist of such amounts as are appropriated to the Fund under paragraph (3).

**(3)** **Authorization of appropriations** December 20, 2018

There is authorized to be appropriated to the Fund $20,000,000 for each fiscal year beginning with the first full fiscal year after , through fiscal year 2023, to remain available until expended.

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**Source Credit**: (Pub. L. 95–313, § 13A, as added Pub. L. 110–234, title VIII, § 8007, May 22, 2008, 122 Stat. 1285, and Pub. L. 110–246, § 4(a), title VIII, § 8007, June 18, 2008, 122 Stat. 1664, 2047; amended Pub. L. 115–334, title VIII, § 8102(a), Dec. 20, 2018, 132 Stat. 4837.)

## Editorial Notes

### Codification

and  enacted identical sections.  was repealed by .

### Amendments

2018— amended section generally. Prior to amendment, section related to competitive allocation of funds to State foresters or equivalent State officials.

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date

Enactment of this section and repeal of  by  effective , the date of enactment of , see , set out as a note under , Agriculture.