Urban and community forestry assistance

The Congress finds that— The purposes of this section are to— expand existing research and educational efforts intended to improve understanding of— The Secretary is authorized to provide financial, technical, and related assistance to State foresters or equivalent State officials for the purpose of encouraging States to provide information and technical assistance to units of local government and others that will encourage cooperative efforts to plan urban forestry programs and to plant, protect, and maintain, and utilize wood from, trees in open spaces, greenbelts, roadside screens, parks, woodlands, curb areas, and residential developments in urban areas. In providing such assistance, the Secretary is authorized to cooperate with interested members of the public, including nonprofit private organizations. The Secretary is also authorized to cooperate directly with units of local government and others in implementing this section whenever the Secretary and the affected State forester or equivalent State official agree that direct cooperation would better achieve the purposes of this section. The Secretary, in cooperation with State foresters and State extension directors or equivalent State officials and interested members of the public, including nonprofit private organizations, shall implement a program of education and technical assistance for urban and community forest resources. The program shall be designed to— improve education and technical support in— The Secretary, in cooperation with State foresters or equivalent State officials, shall assist in identifying sources of plant materials and may procure or otherwise obtain such plant materials from public or private sources and may make such plant materials available to urban areas and communities for the purpose of reforesting open spaces, replacing dead and dying urban trees, promoting energy conservation, and providing other environmental benefits through expanding tree cover in urban areas and communities. The Secretary shall establish an urban and community forestry challenge cost-share program. Funds or other support shall be provided under such program to eligible communities and organizations, on a competitive basis, for urban and community forestry projects. The Secretary shall annually make awards under the program in accordance with criteria developed in consultation with, and after consideration of recommendations received from, the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council established under subsection (g). Each State forester or equivalent State official may make recommendations to the Secretary for awards under the program for project proposals in their State which meet such criteria. Awards shall be consistent with the cost-share requirements of this section. The Federal share of support for a project provided under this subsection may not exceed 50 percent of the support for that project and shall be provided on a matching basis. The non-Federal share of such support may be in the form of cash, services, or in-kind contributions. The Secretary shall establish a National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council (hereafter in this section referred to as the “Council”) for the purpose of— The Council shall be composed of 15 members appointed by the Secretary, as follows: A vacancy in the Council shall be filled in the manner in which the original appointment was made. The Secretary shall select 1 member, from members appointed to the Council, who is not an officer or employee of the United States nor any State, county, city, or town government, who shall serve as the chairperson of the Council. Except as provided in clauses (ii) and (iii) of this paragraph, members shall be appointed for terms of 3 years, and no member may serve more than 2 consecutive terms on the Council. Of the members first appointed— Any member appointed to fill a vacancy occurring before the expiration of the term of the member’s predecessor shall be appointed only for the remainder of such term. A member may serve after the expiration of the member’s term until the member’s successor has taken office. Except as provided in clause (ii), members of the Council shall serve without pay, but may be reimbursed for reasonable costs incurred while in the actual performance of duties vested in the Council. Members of the Council who are full-time officers or employees of the United States shall receive no additional pay, allowances, or benefits by reason of their service on the Council. The Secretary shall provide financial and administrative support for the Council. Within 1 year after November 28, 1990, and every 10 years thereafter, the Council shall prepare a National Urban and Community Forestry Action Plan. The plan shall include (but not be limited to) the following: A review of urban and community forestry research, including— The plan may be amended by a majority of the Council members. Such amendments shall be incorporated into the Council’s annual review of the plan submitted to the Secretary pursuant to paragraph (5) of this subsection. The Council shall submit the plan to the Secretary and the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate upon its completion. Beginning no later than one year after the plan is submitted and annually thereafter, the Council shall submit a review of the plan to the Secretary no later than December 31. The review shall consist of— Upon request of the Council, the Secretary is authorized to detail, on a reimbursable basis, any of the personnel of the Department of Agriculture to the Council to assist the Council in carrying out its duties under this chapter. For the purposes of this section— There are hereby authorized to be appropriated $30,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 1991 through 1995, and such sums as may be necessary for each fiscal year thereafter, for the implementation of this section.