Sec. 8501. Urban and Community Forestry
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Section 9 of the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978 ( 16 U.S.C. 2105 ) is amended— in subsection (a)— by redesignating paragraphs (3), (4), (5), and
(6)as subparagraphs (A), (D), (E), and (F), respectively, and indenting appropriately; in paragraph (2)— in the matter preceding subparagraph
(A)(as so redesignated), by striking residents and inserting residents because— ; by inserting after subparagraph
(A)(as so redesignated) the following: the maintenance and management of an urban forest offers additional opportunities relating to workforce development and job creation; the presence of a healthy and well-maintained urban forest can support stormwater management; ; in subparagraph
(E)(as so redesignated)— by inserting improving air quality, after heat island effect, ; and by adding and after the semicolon at the end; and in subparagraph
(F)(as so redesignated), by striking ; and and inserting , including by improving the physical and mental health of community residents; ; in paragraph (7), by striking communities. and inserting communities; ; by redesignating paragraph
(7)as paragraph (3); and by adding at the end the following: according to research by the Forest Service, the estimated value of benefits described in paragraph
(2)exceeds $18,000,000,000; urban forest canopy cover is inequitably distributed among racial groups and income levels, exacerbating disparities in exposure, for example, to the urban heat island effect, and increasing related health risks and financial burdens relating to cooling; the effects of historical discriminatory policies, such as redlining, continue to have effects on urban environments; a recent analysis shows that— urbanized neighborhoods with mostly people of color have 33 percent less tree canopy on average than majority white neighborhoods; and low-income neighborhoods have 41 percent less tree cover than neighborhoods with low rates of poverty; additional analyses of cities in the United States found that— communities primarily inhabited by United States-born, White populations contain more than twice the urban forest canopy cover of communities primarily inhabited by racial and ethnic minorities; and there were elevated land temperatures in formerly redlined areas compared to their nonredlined counterparts, by an average 2.6 degrees Celsius and up to 7 degrees Celsius; and to reduce disparities in the enjoyment of the social, environmental, and economic benefits of healthy and well-maintained urban forests and to manage risks relating to heat exposure and other urban stressors, the Federal Government should accelerate actions to enhance the health and resilience of urban forests, with investment in priority communities. ; in subsection (c)— in the first sentence, by striking The Secretary and inserting the following: The Secretary ; in paragraph
(1)(as so designated)— in subparagraph
(A)(as so designated), in the second sentence, by striking In providing such assistance and inserting the following: In providing assistance under subparagraph
(A); and in subparagraph
(B)(as so designated), by striking organizations. The Secretary and inserting the following: “organizations and institutions of higher education. The Secretary ; and by adding at the end the following: The Secretary shall establish in the Forest Service an Office of Urban and Community Forestry. The Chief of the Forest Service shall appoint a senior official to serve as the Director of the Office of Urban and Community Forestry, which shall not be required to be a Senior Executive Service position (as defined in section 3132(a) of title 5, United States Code). The mission of the Office of Urban and Community Forestry shall be to promote the purposes described in subsection (b), including administering the programs and requirements described in this section. The Director of the Office of Urban and Community Forestry shall be responsible for carrying out the mission described in subparagraph (C), including by— managing urban and community forest programs, including programs for State and local tree planting and maintenance; engaging in stakeholder relations and developing external partnerships in support of urban and community forest programs; identifying common State and municipal best practices for navigating local policies for urban and community forestry; coordinating the nationwide networks of urban and community forest programs; providing strategic guidance for workforce development for urban and community forest programs and longevity of urban forests; administering awards provided under this section; advising the Chief of the Forest Service on urban and community forestry; and coordinating with agencies and officials of the Department of Agriculture and the Forest Service to administer or update urban and community forest programs. ; in subsection (d)— in the matter preceding paragraph (1), in the first sentence, by striking organizations, and inserting organizations and institutions of higher education, ; in paragraph (1)— by striking and determining and inserting determining ; and by inserting , and measuring and monitoring the atmospheric impacts of urban and community forests before the semicolon at the end; in paragraph (4), by striking and at the end; in paragraph (5), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and ; and by adding at the end the following: in connection with the Forest and Inventory Analysis program, analyze data regarding the carbon emissions, sequestration, storage, and related atmospheric impacts of urban and community forests. ; in subsection (g)— in paragraph (2)(A)— in the matter preceding clause (i), by striking 15 and inserting 16 ; in each of clauses
(i)through (viii), by striking the comma at the end and inserting a period; in clause (ix), by striking , and at the end and inserting a period; and by striking clause
(x)and inserting the following: 3 members who are not officers or employees of any governmental body and who have expertise and have been active in urban and community forestry, of whom— 1 is a resident of a community with a population of less than 50,000 as of the most recent census; and 1 is a resident of an underserved community, as determined by the Secretary, with a population of greater than 50,000 as of the most recent census. ; and by adding at the end the following: The Council shall meet not less frequently than annually. ; by striking subsection (i); by redesignating subsection
(h)as subsection (j); by inserting after subsection
(g)the following: Of the amount made available under subsection
(k)for each fiscal year, not less than $150,000, but not more than 1 percent, shall be awarded for projects that establish microforests and used for other expenses necessary to support those microforests, as determined by the Secretary. In selecting projects under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall give preference to eligible parcels that— are underutilized, degraded, deindustrialized, barren, or fractional; are located in an area where green space is lacking; provide ecological benefits, including storm water management, heat reduction, and wildlife habitat; and are geographically, economically, and ecologically diverse. Any non-Federal cost-share requirement otherwise applicable to projects carried out under this section may be waived at the discretion of the Secretary. In providing waivers under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall give priority to a project carried out by a nonprofit organization or an Indian Tribe (as defined in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act ( 25 U.S.C. 5304 )) that benefits an underserved community. ; and by adding at the end the following: There is appropriated, out of amounts in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, $100,000,000 for fiscal year 2025 to carry out this section, to remain available until expended. There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $80,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2029. . Nothing in the amendments made by subsection
(a)affects the availability of funds made available for the program under section 9(c) of the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978 ( 16 U.S.C. 2105(c) ) before the date of enactment of this Act. Section 13(d) of the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978 ( 16 U.S.C. 2109(d) ) is amended— by redesignating paragraphs (1), (2), and
(3)as paragraphs (3), (1), and (4), respectively; and by inserting after paragraph
(1)(as so redesignated) the following: The term microforest means a dense planting of diverse, native trees and related shrubs and vegetative ground covering that— is no greater than 1 acre; is suitable for local conditions; and provides ecological benefits. .
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