,,ii #aahth ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 #aii ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,february #a1 #bjbc,mr4 ,daines 7for himself and ,mrs4 ,feinstein7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,energy and ,natural ,resources ,a ,,bill ,to codify the authority of the ,secretary of ,agriculture and the ,secretary of the ,interior to conduct certain landscape-scale forest restoration projects1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,root and ,stem ,project ,authorization ,act of #bjbc4 #b4 ,root and ,stem projects 7a7 ,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7 ,collaborative process ,the term collaborative process means a process that-- 7,a7 includes multiple interested persons representing diverse interests2 and 7,b7 7i7 is transparent and nonexclusive2 or 7ii7 meets the requirements for a resource advisory committee under subsections 7c7 through 7f7 of section #bje of the ,secure ,rural ,schools and ,community ,self-,determination ,act of #bjjj 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #gabe74 7#b7 ,federal land ,the term ,federal land means-- 7,a7 land of the ,national ,forest ,system 7as defined in section #aa7;a7 of the ,forest and ,rangeland ,renewable ,resources ,planning ,act of #aigd 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #afji7;a7772 and 7,b7 public lands 7as defined in section #ajc of the ,federal ,land ,policy and ,management ,act of #aigf 7#dc ,u4,s4,c4 #agjb774 7#c7 ,secretary concerned ,the term ,secretary concerned means1 as applicable-- 7,a7 the ,secretary of ,agriculture1 acting through the ,chief of the ,forest ,service2 or 7,b7 the ,secretary of the ,interior1 acting through the ,director of the ,bureau of ,land ,management4 7b7 ,list of contractors ,the ,secretary concerned shall-- 7#a7 maintain a list of non-,federal1 third-party contractors that the ,secretary concerned can hire in each ,state to complete the analysis described in subsection 7c77#a72 and 7#b7 not later than #ahj days after the date of enactment of this ,act1 and every #c years thereafter1 submit to the ,committee on ,energy and ,natural ,resources of the ,senate and the ,committee on ,natural ,resources of the ,house of ,representatives a copy of the list described in paragraph 7#a74 7c7 ,agreements ,if a person submits to the ,secretary concerned a proposal for a project on ,federal land that was developed through a collaborative process and that meets local and rural community needs1 the ,secretary concerned may enter into an agreement with the person1 under which-- 7#a7 the person initially provides to the ,secretary concerned all1 or a portion of1 the funding necessary to complete any analysis that the ,secretary concerned determines to be necessary under ,federal law1 including the ,national ,environmental ,policy ,act of #aifi 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #dcba et seq47 and the ,endangered ,species ,act of #aigc 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #aeca et seq471 for the consideration of the proposed project2 7#b7 the ,secretary concerned uses the funding provided under paragraph 7#a7 to pay a contractor included on the list maintained under subsection 7b77#a7 to conduct the analysis described in paragraph 7#a72 7#c7 on completion of the analysis described in paragraph 7#a71 if the ,secretary concerned makes a decision to proceed with the project1 the ,secretary concerned-- 7,a7 solicits bids to carry out the project2 and 7,b7 enters into a contract or agreement under section #fjd of the ,healthy ,forests ,restoration ,act of #bjjc 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #feia;c7 to carry out the project2 and 7#d7 using any receipts described in subsection 7d77#a71 the ,secretary concerned1 to the maximum extent practicable1 repays to the person the funding initially provided under paragraph 7#a74 7d7 ,additional related authorities 7#a7 ,use of receipts ,any receipts that are generated by a project described in subsection 7c7 that are normally deposited in the ,general ,fund of the ,treasury shall be available for expenditure by the ,secretary concerned1 without further appropriation or fiscal year limitation1 for the use described in subsection 7c77#d74 7#b7 ,contractors ,the ,secretary concerned may noncompetitively hire a contractor included on the list maintained under subsection 7b77#a7 to conduct the analysis described in subsection 7c77#a74 7e7 ,savings clauses 7#a7 ,authority of the ,secretary concerned ,the ,secretary concerned shall-- 7,a7 determine the sufficiency of any documents prepared by a contractor under subsection 7c77#b72 and 7,b7 retain responsibility for any authorizing decision relating to a proposed project described in subsection 7c74 7#b7 ,review and approval of independent third parties ,the ,secretary concerned shall verify that there is no conflict of interest between-- 7,a7 a person that submits a proposal under subsection 7c72 and 7,b7 a contractor that the ,secretary concerned hires under paragraph 7#b7 of that subsection to carry out an analysis with respect to that proposal4 7#c7 ,administrative costs ,the ,secretary concerned-- 7,a7 shall only use the funding provided to the ,secretary concerned under subsection 7c77#a7 to pay a contractor pursuant to subsection 7c77#b72 and 7,b7 shall not use any portion of the funding provided to the ,secretary concerned under subsection 7c77#a7 to cover any other expense or cost incurred by the ,secretary concerned1 including administrative costs4 7#d7 ,limitations on reimbursements ,if insufficient receipts are generated by a project described in subsection 7c7 to reimburse the person that provided funding under paragraph 7#a7 of that subsection1 the ,secretary concerned shall not provide additional funding to the person4 7f7 ,promotion ,not later than #fj days after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary concerned shall provide guidance to each local field office of the ,secretary concerned for-- 7#a7 making stakeholders aware of the authority under this ,act2 and 7#b7 encouraging use of that authority to meet land management goals4 7g7 ,treatment of collaborative members ,for purposes of a civil action relating to a project described in subsection 7c71 any person that participated in the collaborative process to develop the proposal for the project shall be-- 7#a7 entitled to intervene1 as of right1 in any subsequent civil action2 and 7#b7 considered to be a full participant in any settlement negotiation relating to the project4 7h7 ,sunset ,the requirements described in subsection 7b7 and the authority to enter into an agreement under subsection 7c7 shall expire on ,january #a1 #bjcc4