,,ii #aafth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 #dfjc ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,september #af1 #bjbj,ms4 ,mc,sally introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,energy and ,natural ,resources ,a ,,bill ,to promote the use of forest restoration residue harvested on ,national ,forest ,system land for renewable energy1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,forest ,health and ,biomass ,energy ,act of #bjbj4 #b4 ,findings ,congress finds that-- 7#a7 the current forest health crisis is due in part to overstocked forests that are unable to withstand the effects of a changing climate1 drought1 insect outbreaks1 and disease2 7#b7 removing small1 dead1 and dying trees as part of an ecological restoration prescription improves forest health and resilience and reduces the risk of unnatural wildfire2 7#c7 in many regions of the ,united ,states1 the rate of harvesting dead and dying trees is not keeping pace with mortality of those trees2 7#d7 there is an urgent need to establish industry capacity in the removal of timber residue and biomass material from small trees that are at high risk of catastrophic wildfire2 7#e7 wood biomass energy is a renewable source of energy that can generally reduce carbon emissions and other pollutants from a wildfire1 open-burning fire1 or prescribed fire1 if biomass material is removed from forest land that is at high risk of catastrophic wildfire2 7#f7 comprehensive data on the forest biomass potential of fire-prone ,federal land is needed from the ,department of ,energy and the ,department of ,agriculture2 7#g7 using forest thinning and slash as fuel for biomass power plants reduces carbon impacts and greatly reduces the emissions of carbon and other pollutants compared to wildfire1 open-burning fire1 and prescribed fire2 and 7#h7 removing concentrations of dead and fire-prone trees reduces the risk to the public1 firefighters1 and private and public employees who work in forest land and of high-intensity burns once the trees begin to break and fall down4 #c4 ,definition of high hazard area ,in this ,act1 the term high hazard area means-- 7#a7 an area of ,federal land or non-,federal land located in an area in which-- 7,a7 a project is carried out under-- 7i7 the ,collaborative ,forest ,landscape ,restoration ,program established under section #djjc of the ,omnibus ,public ,land ,management ,act of #bjji 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #gcjc72 or 7ii7 a good neighbor agreement entered into under section #hbjf of the ,agricultural ,act of #bjad 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #baac;a72 and 7,b7 drought1 tree mortality1 insect outbreaks1 or disease pose an imminent wildfire risk to a community1 public infrastructure1 health1 or safety2 and 7#b7 any area of ,national ,forest ,system land located west of the #ajjth meridian4 #d4 ,designation of high hazard areas 7a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary of ,agriculture shall-- 7#a7 as necessary1 designate high hazard areas of ,national ,forest ,system land2 and 7#b7 maintain on a website an updated list of high hazard areas designated under paragraph 7#a74 7b7 ,duration ,land designated as a high hazard area under subsection 7a7 shall retain that designation for a period of not less than #ae years1 unless the ,secretary of ,agriculture1 after consultation with the ,governor of the ,state in which the high hazard area is located1 determines that the designation is no longer warranted4 #e4 ,classification of timber residue in high hazard areas as no-value ,for the removal of timber located within a high hazard area that is covered by the ,collaborative ,forest ,landscape ,restoration ,program established under section #djjc of the ,omnibus ,public ,land ,management ,act of #bjji 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #gcjc7 or a good neighbor agreement entered into under section #hbjf of the ,agricultural ,act of #bjad 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #baac;a71 the ,secretary of ,agriculture shall not charge a stumpage rate or assign any value to-- 7#a7 a tree that is-- 7,a7 less than #ab inches in diameter at breast height2 and 7,b7 cut to reduce a fire hazard and make stands more fire resilient2 7#b7 any forest processing residue or byproduct of forest restoration1 such as the top or a branch of a tree harvested for higher-valued wood products2 or 7#c7 a large dead tree that is not suitable for higher-valued wood products because of decay4 #f4 ,assessment of ,federal land for wood biomass energy potential 7a7 ,assessment 7#a7 ,in general ,not later than #a year after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,energy 7referred to in this section as the ,secretary71 in coordination with the ,secretary of the ,interior and the ,secretary of ,agriculture1 shall produce a comprehensive assessment 7referred to in this section as the assessment7 of the potential to produce biomass energy from land under the administrative jurisdiction of the ,secretary of the ,interior and the ,secretary of ,agriculture1 subject to paragraph 7#b74 7#b7 ,exempted land ,the assessment shall not apply to land-- 7,a7 that is a component of the ,national ,wilderness ,preservation ,system2 7,b7 on which the removal of vegetation is prohibited or restricted by an ,act of ,congress or a ,presidential proclamation2 or 7,c7 that is a wilderness study area4 7b7 ,supply inventory 7#a7 ,in general ,the assessment shall include an inventory of forest biomass supplies located on ,federal land that are suitable for energy use4 7#b7 ,classification ,the supply inventory described in paragraph 7#a7 shall distinguish between forest biomass supplies that-- 7,a7 are live trees2 7,b7 are dead or salvage trees2 7,c7 are prone to drought1 insect outbreak1 or disease2 7,d7 are mill residue2 and 7,e7 may potentially be harvested4 7c7 ,evaluation of potential sources ,the assessment shall evaluate whether the forest biomass supplies listed in the supply inventory described in subsection 7b7 are potential wood biomass sources1 such as-- 7#a7 logging waste1 such as tops of trees that otherwise produce commercial sawlogs2 7#b7 trees that are too small to meet saw timber merchantability specifications2 7#c7 trees and ladder fuels that are likely to be removed as part of forest management prescriptions to restore forest health and resiliency2 7#d7 dead trees that are unsuitable for manufacture of sawlogs due to decay1 staining1 or insect damage2 7#e7 portions of harvested trees that cannot be made into solid wood products2 7#f7 unutilized slash2 7#g7 mill residues2 and 7#h7 other wood products suitable for energy use4 7d7 ,infrastructure distribution and capacity ,the assessment shall take into consideration-- 7#a7 the availability1 potential1 and distribution of the forest biomass supplies listed in the supply inventory described in subsection 7b72 7#b7 the infrastructure that supports existing wood products and biomass energy production on the land covered by the assessment2 and 7#c7 existing and projected forest biomass energy consumption in the ,united ,states4 7e7 ,estimates ,based on the supply inventory described in subsection 7b71 the ,secretary shall develop-- 7#a7 a #e- and #aj-year estimate of biomass energy that may be produced from supplies listed in the inventory2 and 7#b7 estimates for the associated costs of transporting and processing those supplies for use as energy4 7f7 ,report ,not later than #a year after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary shall submit to the ,committee on ,energy and ,natural ,resources of the ,senate and the ,committee on ,natural ,resources of the ,house of ,representatives a report describing-- 7#a7 the assessment2 and 7#b7 the estimates developed under subsection 7e74 #g4 ,wood biomass targets ,the ,president shall include in the annual submission of the budget of the ,united ,states ,government under section #aaje of title #ca1 ,united ,states ,code1 an annual performance metric1 which shall be established by the ,secretary of ,agriculture1 for the harvest of wood biomass material in green tons made available for bioenergy markets4 #h4 ,high ,hazard ,area ,wood ,biomass ,fund 7a7 ,establishment ,there is established in the ,treasury of the ,united ,states a fund1 to be known as the ,high ,hazard ,area ,wood ,biomass ,fund 7referred to in this section as the ,fund74 7b7 ,deposits 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary of ,agriculture 7referred to in this section as the ,secretary7 may transfer such percentage as the ,secretary determines to be appropriate of the revenue generated from base stumpage rates of timber sales that occur on ,national ,forest ,system land 7other than revenue described in paragraph 7#b77 to the ,secretary of the ,treasury for deposit in the ,fund4 7#b7 ,exclusions ,revenue generated from sales described in paragraph 7#a7 may not be transferred under that paragraph if the revenue would1 in the absence of that paragraph1 be-- 7,a7 deposited in the special fund established under section #c of the ,act of ,june #i1 #aicj 7commonly known as the ,knutson-,vandenberg ,act7 7#df ,stat4 #ebg1 chapter #daf2 #af ,u4,s4,c4 #egf;b72 7,b7 paid to a ,state1 county1 or territory under the ,act of ,may #bc1 #aijh 7#ce ,stat4 #bfj1 chapter #aib2 #af ,u4,s4,c4 #ejj72 or 7,c7 paid to a county under the ,act of ,may #bd1 #aici 7#ec ,stat4 #gec1 chapter #add2 #dc ,u4,s4,c4 #bfba et seq474 7c7 ,use of funds ,amounts in the ,fund shall be used by the ,secretary to assist timber operators and biomass energy producers with the collection1 harvest1 storage1 and transportation 7including by rail7 of biomass material1 such as byproducts of forest health treatments and hazardous fuels reduction projects1 removed from ,national ,forest ,system land in high hazard areas4 7d7 ,priority ,in providing assistance under subsection 7c71 the ,secretary shall give priority to an electricity generating unit that is fired at least #hj percent by coal and that converts to a majority of biomass power operations4 7e7 ,effect ,nothing in this section affects the amount of a county payment under the ,secure ,rural ,schools and ,community ,self-,determination ,act of #bjjj 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #gaja et seq474