Bill > S816

This bill, titled the Stewardship End Result Contracting Project Act, amends the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 to establish and govern "stewardship end result contracting projects." These projects allow the Chief of the Forest Service and the Director of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to enter into agreements or contracts with private individuals or entities to perform services that achieve land management goals on eligible lands, which are defined as National Forest System or BLM lands west of the 100th meridian, and that also meet local and rural community needs. The land management goals can include activities like road and trail maintenance, soil productivity improvements, prescribed burning, vegetation removal for forest health and fire hazard reduction, watershed restoration, wildlife and fish habitat restoration, and controlling invasive weeds while reestablishing native plants. Contracts for these projects can be awarded on a "best-value basis," meaning the decision considers factors beyond just the lowest price. The value of timber or other forest products removed from the land can be used to offset the cost of the services provided under the contract, with specific appraisal methods outlined. These contracts can have a term of up to 10 years, and any money collected from them can be retained and used at the project site or other sites without further appropriation. The bill also establishes a multiparty monitoring and evaluation process involving government agencies, tribal governments, and other interested groups, and requires annual reporting to Congress on the progress and accomplishments of these projects.