Emergency Mountain Pine Beetle Response and Coordination Act

This bill would require the U.S. Forest Service to set up a competitive grant program to pay for projects that respond to mountain pine beetle outbreaks on National Forest System land. Eligible applicants include state and local governments, Indian Tribes, water districts and utilities, and electric utilities. Projects could include removing and processing dead or infested trees, thinning forests, replanting, and protecting watersheds. Priority would go to projects that protect water supplies and critical infrastructure, reduce wildfire risk near communities, or address areas with high tree deaths. The bill would also let the Forest Service enter cooperative agreements with governors, Tribes, and local governments on beetle detection and treatment, with technical help on monitoring, workforce, and wood processing.

Full text and official record on Congress.gov

Sponsors

• Michael F. Bennet Democrat sponsor
• 1 cosponsors