White Oak Restoration Initiative Coalition

(a) In general The White Oak Restoration Initiative Coalition shall be established— (1) as a voluntary collaborative group of Federal, State, Tribal, and local governments and private and non-governmental organizations to carry out the duties described in subsection (b); and (2) in accordance with the charter titled White Oak Initiative Coalition Charter adopted by the White Oak Initiative Board of Directors on March 21, 2023 (or a successor charter). (b) Duties In addition to the duties specified in the charter described in subsection (a)(2), the duties of the White Oak Restoration Initiative Coalition are— (1) to coordinate Federal, State, Tribal, local, private, and non-governmental restoration of white oak in the United States; and (2) to make program and policy recommendations, consistent with applicable forest management plans, with respect to— (A) changes necessary to address Federal and State policies that impede activities to improve the health, resiliency, and natural regeneration of white oak; (B) adopting or modifying Federal and State policies to increase the pace and scale of white oak regeneration and resiliency of white oak; (C) options to enhance communication, coordination, and collaboration between forest land owners, particularly for cross-boundary projects, to improve the health, resiliency, and natural regeneration of white oak; (D) research gaps that should be addressed to improve the best available science on white oak; (E) outreach to forest landowners with white oak or white oak regeneration potential; and (F) options and policies necessary to improve the quality and quantity of white oak in tree nurseries. (c) Administrative support, technical services, and staff support The Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture shall make such personnel available to the White Oak Restoration Initiative Coalition for administrative support, technical services, and development and dissemination of educational materials as the Secretaries determine necessary to carry out this section. (d) Private funding of white oak restoration projects Subject to the availability of appropriations made in advance for such purpose, the Secretary of Agriculture may make funds available to the White Oak Restoration Initiative Coalition to carry out this section from the account established pursuant to section 1241(f) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3841(f)).