Purpose

The purpose of this title is to increase the pace and scale of forest restoration and land management projects across the National Forest System by— (1) authorizing a pilot program with conservation finance agreement authority to leverage other Federal and non-Federal investment (in addition to funds appropriated to the Forest Service) in landscape-scale, multistakeholder land management activities and related natural and built infrastructure and associated local employment opportunities; (2) encouraging project planning and analysis that effectively scale up to the landscape level of 100,000 acres or more; (3) supporting projects that emphasize— (A) the reintroduction of characteristic fire, based on forest ecology and reference conditions, through the use of prescribed fire, wildfire managed for resource benefits, or both; (B) restoring terrestrial and aquatic areas that lack ecological integrity; or (C) reducing the risk of uncharacteristic wildfire and improving forest resiliency; (4) requiring ecological standards and collaboration for landscape-scale projects; and (5) coordinating with Federal, State, local, and Tribal entities to support the pilot program described in paragraph (1) by taking full advantage of existing interagency agreements and authorities.