,,ii #aaith ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 #ddjc ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,april #bg1 #bjbf,mr4 ,booker 7for himself1 ,mrs4 ,gillibrand1 ,mr4 ,kim1 ,ms4 ,duckworth1 and ,mr4 ,markey7 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 provide ,states and communities with additional assistance to plant and maintain trees1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,neighborhood ,tree ,act of #bjbf4 #b4 ,findings ,congress finds that-- 7#a7 the presence of a healthy and well-maintained urban forest can-- 7,a7 support-- 7i7 the physical and mental health of community residents2 7ii7 the regulation of air quality2 7iii7 the mitigation of the urban heat island effect2 7iv7 the reduction of energy demand2 and 7v7 stormwater management2 and 7,b7 provide other benefits2 7#b7 according to research of the ,forest ,service1 the estimated value of benefits described in paragraph 7#a7 exceeds #ah1jjj1jjj1jjj2 7#c7 the maintenance and management of an urban forest offers additional opportunities relating to workforce development1 job creation1 and enhancement of property values2 7#d7 urban forest canopy cover is inequitably distributed among racial groups and income levels1 exacerbating disparities in exposure1 for example1 to the urban heat island effect and in related health risks or financial burdens relating to cooling2 7#e7 the effects of historical discriminatory policies1 such as redlining1 continue to have effects on urban environments2 7#f7 a recent analysis shows that-- 7,a7 urbanized neighborhoods with mostly people of color have #cc percent less tree canopy on average than majority white neighborhoods2 and 7,b7 low-income neighborhoods have #da percent less tree cover than neighborhoods with low rates of poverty2 7#g7 additional analyses of cities in the ,united ,states found that-- 7,a7 communities primarily inhabited by ,united ,states-born1 white populations contain more than twice the urban forest canopy cover of communities primarily inhabited by racial and ethnic minorities2 and 7,b7 there were elevated land temperatures in formerly redlined areas compared to their nonredlined counterparts1 by an average #b4f degrees ,celsius and up to #g degrees ,celsius2 and 7#h7 to reduce disparities in the enjoyment of the social1 environmental1 and economic benefits of healthy and well-maintained urban forests and manage risks relating to heat exposure and other urban stressors1 the ,federal ,government should accelerate actions to enhance the health and resilience of urban forests1 with investment in priority communities4 #c4 ,neighborhood ,tree ,fund ,section #i of the ,cooperative ,forestry ,assistance ,act of #aigh 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #baje7 is amended-- 7#a7 by redesignating subsections 7h7 and 7i7 as subsections 7i7 and 7j71 respectively2 and 7#b7 by inserting after subsection 7g7 the following3 7h7 ,neighborhood ,tree ,fund 7#a7 ,in general ,consistent with the purposes described in subsection 7b71 the ,secretary shall establish the ,neighborhood ,tree ,fund 7referred to in this subsection as the ,fund74 7#b7 ,assistance ,the ,secretary shall use amounts from the ,fund to provide assistance to eligible entities described in paragraph 7#c7 to increase and improve the overall health of the tree canopy in a community4 7#c7 ,eligibility ,an entity that is eligible to receive assistance under paragraph 7#b7 is-- 7,a7 a ,state2 7,b7 an ,indian ,tribe2 and 7,c7 a local unit of government1 approved organization1 or local community tree volunteer group described in subsection 7b77#d74 7#d7 ,requirements ,the ,secretary1 in consultation with the ,secretary of ,housing and ,urban ,development1 shall establish requirements for the receipt of assistance under paragraph 7#b71 including requirements with respect to-- 7,a7 engagement with communities and stakeholders2 7,b7 the conduct of a tree canopy assessment2 7,c7 the use of climate change science in the design of a project using the assistance2 7,d7 the conduct of site preparation and tree species selection2 and 7,e7 the conduct of monitoring and maintenance to ensure the successful establishment of the tree canopy4 7#e7 ,priority ,the ,secretary shall give priority to the provision of assistance under paragraph 7#b7 to eligible entities that propose projects that-- 7,a7 include and prioritize tree planting and tree maintenance in-- 7i7 a census tract with a poverty rate of not less than #bj percent1 as measured by the #e-year data series available from the ,american ,community ,survey of the ,bureau of the ,census for the period of #bjad through #bjah1 including such a census tract that includes an area that was designated as hazardous or definitely declining in maps drawn by the ,home ,owners' ,loan ,corporation2 or 7ii7 a community or neighborhood with lower tree canopy and higher maximum daytime summer temperatures compared to surrounding communities or neighborhoods1 as determined by the ,secretary1 based on publicly available information2 7,b7 optimize outcomes for climate mitigation and resilience for the purpose of public health1 as determined by the ,secretary2 or 7,c7 advance community-led urban agroforestry or tree-based local food production to increase green infrastructure1 reduce urban heat1 and improve environmental and public health outcomes4 7#f7 ,limitations on use of amounts for community tree assessments ,not more than #aj percent of the amount made available under paragraph 7#g7 for a fiscal year may be used for the development of community tree assessments4 7#g7 ,authorization of appropriations ,there are authorized to be appropriated for deposit into the ,fund1 for use by the ,secretary to carry out this subsection1 not less than-- 7,a7 #ajj1jjj1jjj for fiscal year #bjbg2 7,b7 #bjj1jjj1jjj for fiscal year #bjbh2 7,c7 #djj1jjj1jjj for fiscal year #bjbi2 7,d7 #fjj1jjj1jjj for fiscal year #bjcj2 and 7,e7 #gjj1jjj1jjj for fiscal year #bjca4 4 #d4 ,national ,urban and ,community ,forestry ,advisory ,council composition ,section #i7;g77#b77;,a7 of the ,cooperative ,forestry ,assistance ,act of #aigh 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #baje7;g77#b77;,a77 is amended-- 7#a7 in the matter preceding clause 7i71 by striking #ae and inserting #af2 7#b7 in each of clauses 7i7 through 7viii71 by striking the comma at the end and inserting a period2 7#c7 in clause 7ix71 by striking 1 and at the end and inserting a period2 and 7#d7 by striking clause 7x7 and inserting the following3 7x7 #c members who are not officers or employees of any governmental body and who have expertise and have been active in urban and community forestry1 of whom-- 7,i7 #a is a resident of a community with a population of less than #ej1jjj as of the most recent census2 and 7,,ii7 #a is a resident of a low-income community1 as determined by the ,secretary4 4