[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2709 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2709
To improve the health and resiliency of giant sequoias, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 8, 2025
Mr. Fong (for himself, Mr. Peters, Mr. Costa, Mr. Westerman, Mr.
Webster of Florida, Mr. Panetta, Mr. Newhouse, Mr. Garamendi, Mr.
Valadao, Mr. Bishop, Mr. LaMalfa, Mr. Correa, Mrs. Kim, Mr. Rutherford,
Mr. Harder of California, Mr. Obernolte, Mr. Golden of Maine, Mr.
McClintock, Mr. Vargas, Mr. Kiley of California, Mr. Bera, Mr. Calvert,
Mr. Horsford, Mr. Issa, Mr. Bentz, Mr. Fulcher, Mr. Moore of Utah, and
Ms. Lee of Nevada) introduced the following bill; which was referred to
the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on
Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker,
in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the
jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To improve the health and resiliency of giant sequoias, and for other
purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.
(a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Save Our Sequoias
Act''.
(b) Table of Contents.--
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Definitions.
Sec. 3. Shared stewardship agreement for giant sequoias.
Sec. 4. Giant sequoia lands coalition.
Sec. 5. Giant sequoia health and resiliency assessment.
Sec. 6. Giant sequoia emergency response.
Sec. 7. Giant sequoia reforestation and rehabilitation strategy.
Sec. 8. Giant sequoia strike teams.
Sec. 9. Giant sequoia collaborative restoration grants.
Sec. 10. Good neighbor authority for giant sequoias.
Sec. 11. Stewardship contracting for giant sequoias.
Sec. 12. Giant Sequoia Emergency Protection Program and Fund.
Sec. 13. Authorization of appropriations.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Assessment.--The term ``Assessment'' means the Giant
Sequoia Health and Resiliency Assessment required by section 5.
(2) Coalition.--The term ``Coalition'' means the Giant
Sequoia Lands Coalition codified under section 4(a).
(3) Collaborative process.--The term ``collaborative
process'' means a process relating to the management of covered
National Forest system lands or covered public lands by which a
project or forest management activity is developed and
implemented by the Secretary concerned through collaboration
with multiple interested persons representing diverse
interests.
(4) Covered national forest system lands.--The term
``covered National Forest System lands'' means the proclaimed
National Forest System lands reserved or withdrawn from the
public domain of the United States covering the Sequoia
National Forest and Giant Sequoia National Monument, Sierra
National Forest, and Tahoe National Forest.
(5) Covered public lands.--The term ``covered public
lands'' means--
(A) the Case Mountain Extensive Recreation
Management Area in California managed by the Bureau of
Land Management; and
(B) Kings Canyon National Park, Sequoia National
Park, and Yosemite National Park in California managed
by the National Park Service.
(6) Giant sequoia.--The term ``giant sequoia'' means a tree
of the species Sequoiadendron giganteum.
(7) Grove-specific hazardous fuels reduction plan.--The
term ``grove-specific hazardous fuels reduction plan'' means a
plan developed by the applicable land management agency prior
to conducting an analysis under the National Environmental
Policy Act (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) to address hazardous fuels
in 1 or more giant sequoia groves.
(8) Protection project.--The term ``Protection Project''
means a Giant Sequoia Protection Project carried out under
section 6.
(9) Reforestation.--The term ``reforestation'' means the
act of renewing tree cover, taking into consideration species
composition and resilience, by establishing young trees through
natural regeneration, artificial or natural regeneration with
site preparation, planting or direct seeding, or vegetation
competition control following artificial or natural
regeneration.
(10) Rehabilitation.--The term ``rehabilitation'' means any
action taken during the 5-year period beginning on the last day
of a wildland fire to repair or improve fire-impacted lands
which are unlikely to recover to management-approved
conditions.
(11) Relevant congressional committees.--The term
``relevant Congressional Committees'' means--
(A) the Committees on Natural Resources,
Agriculture, and Appropriations of the House of
Representatives; and
(B) the Committees on Energy and Natural Resources,
Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, and
Appropriations of the Senate.
(12) Responsible official.--The term ``responsible
official'' means an employee of the Department of the Interior
or Forest Service who has the authority to make and implement a
decision on a proposed action.
(13) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of the Interior.
(14) Secretary concerned.--The term ``Secretary concerned''
means--
(A) the Secretary of Agriculture, with respect to
covered National Forest System lands, or their
designee; and
(B) the Secretary of the Interior, with respect to
covered public lands, or their designee.
(15) Strategy.--The term ``Strategy'' means the Giant
Sequoia Reforestation and Rehabilitation Strategy established
under section 7.
(16) Strike team.--The term ``Strike Team'' means a Giant
Sequoia Strike Team established under section 8.
(17) Tribe.--The term ``Tribe'' means the Tule River Indian
Tribe of the Tule River Reservation, California.
SEC. 3. SHARED STEWARDSHIP AGREEMENT FOR GIANT SEQUOIAS.
(a) In General.--Not later than 90 days after receiving a request
from the Governor of the State of California or the Tribe, the
Secretary shall enter into or expand an existing shared stewardship
agreement or enter into a similar agreement with the Secretary of
Agriculture, the Governor of the State of California, and the Tribe to
jointly carry out the short-term and long-term management and
conservation of giant sequoias.
(b) Participation.--
(1) In general.--If the Secretary has not received a
request from the Governor of the State of California or the
Tribe under subsection (a) before the date that is 90 days
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall
enter into the agreement under subsection (a) and jointly
implement such agreement with the Secretary of Agriculture.
(2) Future participation.--If the Secretary receives a
request from the Governor of the State of California or the
Tribe any time after entering into the agreement with the
Secretary of Agriculture under paragraph (1), the Secretary
shall accept the Governor of the State of California or the
Tribe as a party to such agreement.
SEC. 4. GIANT SEQUOIA LANDS COALITION.
(a) Codification.--The Coalition is the entity established under
the charter titled ``Giant Sequoia Lands Coalition Charter'' (or
successor charter) signed during the period beginning June 2, 2022 and
ending August 2, 2022 by each of the following:
(1) The National Park Service, representing Sequoia and
Kings Canyon National Parks.
(2) The National Park Service, representing Yosemite
National Park.
(3) The Forest Service, representing Sequoia National
Forest and Giant Sequoia National Monument.
(4) The Forest Service, representing Sierra National
Forest.
(5) The Forest Service, representing Tahoe National Forest.
(6) The Bureau of Land Management, representing Case
Mountain Extensive Recreation Management Area.
(7) The Tribe, representing the Tule River Indian
Reservation.
(8) The State of California, representing Calaveras Big
Trees State Park.
(9) The State of California, representing Mountain Home
Demonstration State Forest.
(10) The University of California, Berkeley, representing
Whitaker's Research Forest.
(11) The County of Tulare, California, representing Balch
Park.
(b) Duties.--In addition to the duties specified in the charter
referenced in subsection (a), the Coalition shall--
(1) produce the Assessment under section 5;
(2) observe implementation, and provide policy
recommendations to the Secretary concerned, with respect to--
(A) Protection Projects carried out under section
6; and
(B) the Strategy established under section 7;
(3) facilitate collaboration and coordination on Protection
Projects, particularly projects that cross jurisdictional
boundaries;
(4) facilitate information sharing, including best
available science as described in section 5(c) and mapping
resources; and
(5) support the development and dissemination of
educational materials and programs that inform the public about
the threats to the health and resiliency of giant sequoia
groves and actions being taken to reduce the risk to such
groves from high-severity wildfire, insects, and drought.
(c) Administrative Support, Technical Services, and Staff
Support.--The Secretary shall make personnel of the Department of the
Interior available to the Coalition for administrative support,
technical services, development and dissemination of educational
materials, and staff support that the Secretary determines necessary to
carry out this section.
SEC. 5. GIANT SEQUOIA HEALTH AND RESILIENCY ASSESSMENT.
(a) In General.--Not later than 6 months after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Coalition shall submit to the relevant
Congressional Committees a Giant Sequoia Health and Resiliency
Assessment that, based on the best available science--
(1) identifies--
(A) each giant sequoia grove that has experienced
a--
(i) stand-replacing disturbance; or
(ii) disturbance but continues to have
living giant sequoias within the grove,
including identifying the tree mortality and
regeneration of giant sequoias within such
grove;
(B) each giant sequoia grove that is at high risk
of experiencing a stand-replacing disturbance;
(C) lands located near giant sequoia groves that
are at risk of experiencing high-severity wildfires
that could adversely impact such giant sequoia groves;
and
(D) each giant sequoia grove that has experienced a
disturbance and is unlikely to naturally regenerate and
is in need of reforestation;
(2) analyzes the resiliency of each giant sequoia grove to
threats, such as--
(A) high-severity wildfire;
(B) insects, including beetle kill; and
(C) drought;
(3) with respect to Protection Projects, proposes a list of
highest priority Protection Projects to be carried out under
section 6, giving priority to projects located on lands
identified under subparagraphs (B) and (C) of subsection
(a)(1);
(4) examines how historical, Tribal, or current approaches
to wildland fire suppression and forest management activities
across various jurisdictions have impacted the health and
resiliency of giant sequoia groves with respect to--
(A) high-severity wildfires;
(B) insects, including beetle kill; and
(C) drought; and
(5) includes program and policy recommendations that
address--
(A) Federal and State policies that impede
activities to improve the health and resiliency of
giant sequoias and proposed policy changes to address
such impediments;
(B) new Federal and State policies necessary to
increase the pace and scale of treatments that improve
the health and resiliency of giant sequoias;
(C) options to enhance communication, coordination,
and collaboration, particularly for cross-boundary
projects, to improve the health and resiliency of giant
sequoias; and
(D) research gaps that should be addressed to
improve the best available science on the giant
sequoias.
(b) Annual Updates.--Not later than 1 year after the submission of
the Assessment under subsection (a), and annually thereafter, the
Coalition shall submit an updated Assessment to the relevant
Congressional Committees that--
(1) includes any new data, information, or best available
science that has changed or become available since the previous
Assessment was submitted;
(2) with respect to Protection Projects--
(A) includes information on the number of
Protection Projects initiated the previous year and the
estimated timeline for completing those projects;
(B) includes information on the number of
Protection Projects planned in the upcoming year and
the estimated timeline for completing those projects;
(C) provides status updates and long-term
monitoring reports on giant sequoia groves after the
completion of Protection Projects; and
(D) if the Secretary concerned failed to reduce
hazardous fuels in at least 3 giant sequoia groves in
the previous year, a written explanation that
includes--
(i) a detailed explanation of what
impediments resulted in failing to reduce
hazardous fuels in at least 3 giant sequoia
groves;
(ii) a detailed explanation of what actions
the Secretary concerned is taking to ensure
that hazardous fuels are reduced in at least 3
giant sequoia groves the following year; and
(iii) recommendations to Congress on any
policies that need to be changed to assist the
Secretary concerned in reducing hazardous fuels
in giant sequoia groves; and
(3) with respect to reforestation and rehabilitation of
giant sequoias--
(A) contains updates on the implementation of the
Strategy under section 7, including grove-level data on
reforestation and rehabilitation activities; and
(B) provides status updates and monitoring reports
on giant sequoia groves that have experienced natural
or artificial regeneration as part of the Strategy
under section 7.
(c) Dashboard.--
(1) Requirement to maintain.--The Coalition shall create
and maintain a website that--
(A) publishes the Assessment, annual updates to the
Assessment, and other educational materials developed
by the Coalition;
(B) contains searchable information about
individual giant sequoia groves, including the--
(i) resiliency of such groves to threats
described in paragraphs (1) and (2) of
subsection (a);
(ii) Protection Projects that have been
proposed, initiated, or completed in such
groves; and
(iii) reforestation and rehabilitation
activities that have been proposed, initiated,
or completed in such groves; and
(C) maintains a searchable database to track--
(i) the status of Federal environmental
reviews and authorizations for specific
Protection Projects and reforestation and
rehabilitation activities; and
(ii) the projected cost of Protection
Projects and reforestation and rehabilitation
activities.
(2) Searchable database.--The Coalition shall include
information on the status of Protection Projects in the
searchable database created under paragraph (1)(C), including--
(A) a comprehensive permitting timetable;
(B) the status of the compliance of each lead
agency, cooperating agency, and participating agency
with the permitting timetable;
(C) any modifications of the permitting timetable
required under subparagraph (A), including an
explanation as to why the permitting timetable was
modified; and
(D) information about project-related public
meetings, public hearings, and public comment periods,
which shall be presented in English and the predominant
language of the community or communities most affected
by the project, as that information becomes available.
(d) Best Available Science.--In utilizing the best available
science for the Assessment, the Coalition shall include--
(1) data and peer-reviewed research from academic
institutions with a demonstrated history of studying giant
sequoias and with experience analyzing distinct management
strategies to improve giant sequoia resiliency;
(2) traditional ecological knowledge from the Tribe related
to improving the health