,i  #aacth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #deea  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,may #a1 #bjad ,mr4  
,gibson 7for himself and ,mr4           
,garamendi7 introduced the following    
bill2 which was referred to the         
,committee on ,agriculture  ,a ,,bill   
,to amend the ,forest ,legacy ,program  
of the ,cooperative ,forestry           
,assistance ,act of #aigh to authorize  
,states to allow certain entities to    
acquire1 hold1 and manage conservation  
easements under the program4  #a4 ,short
 title ,this ,act may be cited as the   
,forest ,legacy ,management ,flexibility
 ,act4  #b4 ,authority of ,states to    
allow qualified organizations to        
acquire1 hold1 and manage conservation  
easements under the ,forest ,legacy     
,program ,section #g7l7 of the          
,cooperative ,forestry ,assistance ,act 
of #aigh 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #bajc;c7 is     
amended by adding at the end the        
following new paragraph3  7#d7 ,state   
authorization  7,a7 ,in general ,at the 

request of a ,state acting through the  
,state ,lead ,agency1 the ,secretary    
shall authorize the ,state to allow     
qualified organizations1 as defined in  
section #agj7;h77#c7 of the ,internal   
,revenue ,code of #aihf1 and organized  
for one or more of the purposes         
described in section #agj7;h77#d77;,a7  
of that ,code1 to acquire1 hold1 and    
manage conservation easements1 using    
funds granted to the ,state under this  
subsection1 for purposes of the ,forest 
,legacy ,program in the ,state4  7,b7   
,eligibility ,to be eligible to acquire 
and manage conservation easements under 
this paragraph1 a qualified organization
 described in subparagraph 7,a7 must    
demonstrate to the ,secretary the       
abilities necessary to acquire1 monitor1
 and enforce interests in forestland    
consistent with the ,forest ,legacy     
,program and the assessment of need for 
the ,state4  7,c7 ,reversion ,if the    
,secretary1 or a ,state acting through  
the ,state ,lead ,agency1 makes any of  

the determinations described in         
subparagraph 7,d7 with respect to a     
conservation easement acquired by a     
qualified organization under the        
authority of subparagraph 7,a7--  7i7   
all right1 title1 and interest of the   
qualified organization in and to the    
conservation easement shall terminate2  
and  7ii7 all right1 title1 and interest
 in and to the conservation easement    
shall revert to the ,state or other     
qualified designee as approved by the   
,state4  7,d7 ,determinations ,the      
determinations required for operation of
 the reversionary interest retained in  
subparagraph 7,c7 are that--  7i7 the   
qualified organization is unable to     
carry out its responsibilities under the
 ,forest ,legacy ,program in the ,state 
with respect to the conservation        
easement2  7ii7 the conservation        
easement has been modified in a way that
 is inconsistent with the purposes of   
the ,forest ,legacy ,program or the     
assessment of need for the ,state2 or   

7iii7 the conservation easement has been
 conveyed to another person 7other than 
a qualified organization approved by the
 ,state and the ,secretary74  4