,,ii  #aaith ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #bbba  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,july #i1 #bjbe
 ,mr4 ,merkley 7for himself and ,mr4    
,sheehy7 introduced the following bill2 
which was read twice and referred to the
 ,committee on ,agriculture1 ,nutrition1
 and ,forestry  ,a ,,bill  ,to establish
 requirements under which the ,secretary
 of ,agriculture and the ,secretary of  
the ,interior shall carry out the       
,timber ,production ,expansion          
,guaranteed ,loan ,program4  #a4  ,short
 title  ,this ,act may be cited as the  
,supporting ,american ,wood and ,mill   
,infrastructure with ,loans for         
,longevity ,act or the ,,sawmill ,act4  
#b4  ,timber ,production ,expansion     
,guaranteed ,loan ,program  7a7         
,definitions  ,in this section3 7#a7    
,eligible entity ,the term eligible     
entity means an individual or entity    
that owns or operates a sawmill or other
 wood-processing facility located in a  
rural area 7as defined in section       

#cdc7;a7 of the ,consolidated ,farm and 
,rural ,development ,act 7#g ,u4,s4,c4  
#aiia7;a777 of the ,united ,states4     
7#b7  ,eligible ,federal land  ,the term
 eligible ,federal land means any unit  
of ,federal land1 including ,indian     
forest land or rangeland1 that has been 
identified by the ,secretary1 in        
coordination with the ,secretary of the 
,interior1 as high or very high priority
 for ecological restoration involving   
vegetation removal under subsection 7b74
  7#c7  ,program  ,the term ,program    
means the ,timber ,production ,expansion
 ,guaranteed ,loan ,program of the      
,department of ,agriculture4  7#d7      
,secretary  ,the term ,secretary means  
the ,secretary of ,agriculture4  7b7    
,identification of eligible ,federal    
land ,not later than #a year after the  
date of enactment of this ,act1 and not 
less frequently than once every #e years
 thereafter1 the ,secretary1 in         
coordination with the ,secretary of the 
,interior1 shall--  7#a7 review ,federal

 land under the jurisdiction of the     
,secretary or the ,secretary of the     
,interior2 and  7#b7 identify units of  
,federal land that1 as determined by the
 ,secretaries1 are high or very high    
priority for ecological restoration     
involving vegetation removal4  7c7      
,loan guarantees  7#a7  ,in general     
,the ,secretary1 in coordination with   
the ,secretary of the ,interior1 shall  
provide loan guarantees under the       
,program to eligible entities seeking to
 establish1 reopen1 retrofit1 expand1 or
 improve a sawmill or other             
wood-processing facility located within 
a #bej-mile radius of1 a unit of        
eligible ,federal land1 if the presence 
of a sawmill or other wood-processing   
facility would1 or does1 substantially  
decrease the cost of conducting         
ecological restoration projects         
involving vegetation removal on the     
eligible ,federal land1 as determined by
 the ,secretary1 in coordination with   
the ,secretary of the ,interior4  7#b7  

,conditions  ,a loan guarantee under the
 ,program shall be provided in          
accordance with such conditions as the  
,secretary determines to be necessary4  
7#c7  ,maximum amount  ,the ,secretary  
may provide a total of not more than    
#bbj1jjj1jjj in loan guarantees under   
the ,program4