,,ii  #aaith ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #beff  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,july #ca1     
#bjbe,mr4 ,padilla 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 amend the ,cooperative ,forestry    
,assistance ,act of #aigh to authorize  
,states to approve certain organizations
 to acquire1 hold1 and manage           
conservation easements under the ,forest
 ,legacy ,program1 and for other        
purposes4  #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  7a7 ,state    
authorization ,section #g of the        
,cooperative ,forestry ,assistance ,act 
of #aigh 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #bajc;c7 is     
amended-- 7#a7 in subsection 7l7-- 7,a7 

in paragraph 7#b77;,a71 by striking     
subsection 7m7 and inserting subsection 
7n72 and  7,b7 in paragraph 7#c7-- 7i7  
in subparagraph 7,a71 by striking the   
,state of ,vermont and inserting any    
,state2 and  7ii7 in subparagraph       
7,b77ii71 in the matter preceding       
subclause 7,i71 by striking ,state of   
,vermont and inserting applicable       
,state2  7#b7 by redesignating          
subsection 7m7 as subsection 7n72 and   
7#c7 by inserting after subsection 7l7  
the following3  7m7 ,third-,party       
conservation easements  7#a7 ,definition
 of qualified organization ,in this     
subsection1 the term qualified          
organization means an organization      
that-- 7,a7 is a qualified organization 
7as defined in section #agj7;h77#c7 of  
the ,internal ,revenue ,code of #aihf72 
7,b7 is organized for1 and at all times 
since the formation of the organization 
has been operated principally for1 one  
or more conservation purposes 7as       
defined in section #agj7;h77#d77;,a7 of 

that ,code72  7,c7 has not been the     
subject of any criminal or civil        
enforcement action taken by the         
,attorney ,general or the ,commissioner 
of the ,internal ,revenue ,service      
pertaining to the charitable donation of
 conservation easements under that      
,code2 and  7,d7 has been awarded1 and  
at all times thereafter has maintained1 
accredited status by the ,land ,trust   
,accreditation ,commission1 or if that  
,commission ceases to exist1 a successor
 organization that offers substantially 
similar accreditation and is approved by
 the ,secretary for purposes of this    
section4  7#b7 ,authorization ,at the   
request of a ,state1 the ,secretary     
shall authorize the ,state to approve   
eligible qualified organizations to     
acquire1 hold1 and manage conservation  
easements to carry out activities under 
the ,forest ,legacy ,program4  7#c7     
,eligibility ,to be eligible to acquire1
 hold1 and manage a conservation        
easement under this subsection1 a       

qualified organization shall demonstrate
 to the ,secretary the abilities        
necessary to acquire1 monitor1 and      
enforce interests in forestland-- 7,a7  
consistent with the ,forest ,legacy     
,program2 and  7,b7 in accordance with  
the applicable assessment of need       
submitted to the ,secretary by the      
,state in which the conservation        
easement is located4  7#d7 ,reversion   
,if the ,secretary or a ,state          
determines a condition described in     
paragraph 7#e7 is met with respect to a 
conservation easement-- 7,a7 all right1 
title1 and interest of the qualified    
organization in and to the conservation 
easement shall terminate2 and  7,b7 all 
right1 title1 and interest in and to the
 conservation easement shall revert to  
the ,state or1 if approved by the       
,state1 another qualified organization  
determined eligible by the ,secretary   
under paragraph 7#c74  7#e7 ,conditions 
for reversion ,a condition referred to  
in paragraph 7#d7 is1 with respect to a 

conservation easement acquired1 held1   
and managed by a qualified organization 
under this subsection1 any of the       
following3 7,a7 ,the qualified          
organization is unable to carry out the 
responsibilities of the qualified       
organization under the ,forest ,legacy  
,program with respect to the            
conservation easement4  7,b7 ,the       
conservation easement has been modified 
in a way that is inconsistent with the  
purposes of the ,forest ,legacy ,program
 or the applicable assessment of need   
described in paragraph 7#c77;,b74  7,c7 
,the conservation easement has been     
conveyed to another person 7other than a
 qualified organization determined      
eligible by the ,secretary under        
paragraph 7#c7 and approved by the      
,state74  4  7b7 ,technical corrections 
,section #g of the ,cooperative         
,forestry ,assistance ,act of #aigh 7#af
 ,u4,s4,c4 #bajc;c7 is amended-- 7#a7 in
 subsection 7i71 in the first sentence1 
by striking subsection 7b7 and inserting

 subsection 7c72  7#b7 in subsection    
7l77#c77;,b77i77,,ii71 by adding and    
after the semicolon at the end2 and     
7#c7 in subsection 7n7 7as redesignated 
by subsection 7a77#b771 in the          
subsection heading1 by striking         
,appropriation and inserting            
,authorization of appropriations4