Bill > S670

This bill establishes the Outdoor and Watershed Restoration Fund, a $60 billion program aimed at improving ecological health and resilience across federal and non-federal lands in the United States. The fund will be administered by the Secretary of Agriculture and guided by a newly created Restoration Fund Advisory Council, which includes representatives from various industries, government agencies, conservation groups, and expert fields. The bill creates two main funding mechanisms: a restoration and resilience grant program ($20 billion) and a Restoration and Resilience Partnership Program ($40 billion), both designed to support projects that improve forest conditions, rangeland health, watershed function, and wildlife habitat. Priority will be given to projects that create jobs, involve collaborative stakeholder processes, address shared priorities, utilize watershed data analytics, and support underserved communities. The bill specifically targets areas with high wildfire potential, focusing on activities like reintroducing low-intensity fire, reducing hazardous fuels, protecting large trees, improving wildlife habitat, and mitigating wildfire risks in wildland-urban interfaces. Importantly, the funding is intended to complement, not replace, existing conservation programs, and includes provisions to ensure transparency, interagency cooperation, and ongoing oversight through annual reports to Congress.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/670/all-info