Text of Senate Amendment 6039

Quick facts

Record: Senate Floor
Section type: Amendments
Chamber: Senate
Date: June 24, 2026
Congress: 119th Congress
Why this source matters: This section came from the Senate floor portion of the record.

Readable version of the official text

SA 6039. Mr. PADILLA submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 4784, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2027 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

At the end of title X, add the following:

Subtitle H—Save Our Sequoias Act

SEC. 1094. SHORT TITLE.

This subtitle may be cited as the “Save Our Sequoias

Act”.

SEC. 1094A. DEFINITIONS.

In this subtitle:

(1) Assessment.—The term “Assessment” means the Giant

Sequoia Health and Resiliency Assessment required by section

1094D.

(2) Coalition.—The term “Coalition” means the Giant

Sequoia Lands Coalition codified under section 1094C(a).

(3) Collaborative process.—The term “collaborative

process” means a collaborative process as described in

section 4003(b)(2) of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act

of 2009 (16 U.S.C. 7303(b)(2)).

(4) Covered national forest system lands.—The term

“covered National Forest System lands” means the proclaimed

National Forest System lands reserved or withdrawn from the

public domain of the United States covering the Sequoia

National Forest and Giant Sequoia National Monument, Sierra

National Forest, and Tahoe National Forest.

(5) Covered public lands.—The term “covered public

lands” means—

(A) the Case Mountain Extensive Recreation Management Area

in California managed by the Bureau of Land Management; and

(B) Kings Canyon National Park, Sequoia National Park, and

Yosemite National Park in California managed by the National

Park Service.

(6) Giant sequoia.—The term “giant sequoia” means a tree

of the species Sequoiadendron giganteum.

(7) Protection project.—The term “Protection Project”

means a Giant Sequoia Protection Project carried out under

section 1094E.

(8) Reforestation.—The term “reforestation” means the

act of renewing tree cover, taking into consideration species

composition and resilience, by establishing young trees

through—

(A) natural regeneration;

(B) natural regeneration with site preparation and

vegetation competition control; or

(9) Rehabilitation.—The term “rehabilitation” means any

action taken during the 5-year period beginning on the last

day of a wildland fire to repair or improve fire-impacted

lands which are unlikely to recover to management-approved

conditions.

(10) Relevant congressional committees.—The term

“relevant Congressional Committees” means—

(A) the Committees on Natural Resources, Agriculture, and

Appropriations of the House of Representatives; and

(B) the Committees on Energy and Natural Resources,

Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, and Appropriations of

the Senate.

(11) Responsible official.—The term “responsible

official” means an employee of the Department of the

Interior or Forest Service who has the authority to make and

implement a decision on a proposed action.

(12) Secretary.—The term “Secretary” means the Secretary

of the Interior.

(13) Secretary concerned.—The term “Secretary concerned”

means—

(A) the Secretary of Agriculture, with respect to covered

National Forest System lands, or their designee; and

(B) the Secretary of the Interior, with respect to covered

public lands, or their designee.

(14) Strategy.—The term “Strategy” means the Giant

Sequoia Reforestation and Rehabilitation Strategy established

under section 1094F.

(15) Strike team.—The term “Strike Team” means a Giant

Sequoia Strike Team established under section 1094G.

(16) Tribe.—The term “Tribe” means the Tule River Indian

Tribe of the Tule River Reservation, California.

SEC. 1094B. SHARED STEWARDSHIP AGREEMENT FOR GIANT SEQUOIAS.

(a) In General.—Not later than 90 days after receiving a

request from the Governor of the State of California or the

Tribe, the Secretary shall enter into or expand an existing

shared stewardship agreement or enter into a similar

agreement with the Secretary of Agriculture, the Governor of

the State of California, and the Tribe to jointly carry out

the short-term and long-term management and conservation of

giant sequoias.

(b) Participation.—

(1) In general.—If the Secretary has not received a

request from the Governor of the State of California or the

Tribe under subsection (a) before the date that is 90 days

after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall

enter into the agreement under subsection (a) and jointly

implement such agreement with the Secretary of Agriculture.

(2) Future participation.—If the Secretary receives a

request from the Governor of the State of California or the

Tribe any time after entering into the agreement with the

Secretary of Agriculture under paragraph (1), the Secretary

shall accept the Governor of the State of California or the

Tribe as a party to such agreement.

SEC. 1094C. GIANT SEQUOIA LANDS COALITION.

(a) Codification.—The Coalition is the entity established

under the charter titled “Giant Sequoia Lands Coalition

Charter” (or successor charter) signed during the period

beginning June 2, 2022, and ending August 2, 2022, by each of

the following:

(1) The National Park Service, representing Sequoia and

Kings Canyon National Parks.

(2) The National Park Service, representing Yosemite

National Park.

(3) The Forest Service, representing Sequoia National

Forest and Giant Sequoia National Monument.

(4) The Forest Service, representing Sierra National

Forest.

(5) The Forest Service, representing Tahoe National Forest.

(6) The Bureau of Land Management, representing Case

Mountain Extensive Recreation Management Area.

(7) The Tribe, representing the Tule River Indian

Reservation.

(8) The State of California, representing Calaveras Big

Trees State Park.

(9) The State of California, representing Mountain Home

Demonstration State Forest.

(10) The University of California, Berkeley, representing

Whitaker's Research Forest.

(11) The County of Tulare, California, representing Balch

Park.

(b) Duties.—In addition to the duties specified in the

charter referenced in subsection (a), the Coalition shall—

(1) produce the Assessment under section 1094D;

(2) observe implementation, and provide policy

recommendations to the Secretary concerned, with respect to—

(A) Protection Projects carried out under section 1094E;

and

(B) the Strategy established under section 1094F;

(3) facilitate collaboration and coordination on Protection

Projects, particularly projects that cross jurisdictional

boundaries;

(4) facilitate information sharing, including best

available science as described in section 1094D(d) and

mapping resources; and

(5) support the development and dissemination of

educational materials and programs that inform the public

about the threats to the health and resiliency of giant

sequoia groves and actions being taken to reduce the risk to

such groves from high-severity wildfire, insects, and

drought.

Support.—The Secretary shall make personnel of the

Department of the Interior available to the Coalition for

administrative support, technical services, development and

dissemination of educational materials, and staff support

that the Secretary determines necessary to carry out this

section.

(d) Public Meeting Requirement.—

(1) In general.—Except as provided in paragraph (2), the

Coalition shall provide for public observation at no less

than one meeting annually.

(2) Closed sessions.—The Coalition may close portions of a

meeting as provided in paragraph (1) to the public only when

discussion will involve—

(A) sensitive law enforcement, security, or emergency

response matters, the public disclosure of which would

compromise public safety; or

(B) confidential commercial information, private property

information, or landowner information.

SEC. 1094D. GIANT SEQUOIA HEALTH AND RESILIENCY ASSESSMENT.

(a) In General.—Not later than 6 months after the date of

the enactment of this Act, the Coalition shall submit to the

relevant Congressional Committees a Giant Sequoia Health and

Resiliency Assessment that, based on the best available

science—

(1) identifies—

(A) each giant sequoia grove that has experienced a—

(i) stand-replacing disturbance; or

(ii) disturbance but continues to have living giant

sequoias within the grove, including identifying the tree

mortality and regeneration of giant sequoias within such

grove;

(B) each giant sequoia grove that is at high risk of

experiencing a stand-replacing disturbance;

(i) contiguous or adjacent to giant sequoia groves that are

at risk of experiencing high-severity wildfires that could

adversely impact such giant sequoia groves; or

(ii) in which the placement of fuel breaks could reduce the

risk of high-severity wildfires that could adversely impact

giant sequoia groves; and

(D) each giant sequoia grove that has experienced a

disturbance and is unlikely to naturally regenerate and is in

need of reforestation;

(2) analyzes the resiliency of each giant sequoia grove to

threats, such as—

(A) high-severity wildfire;

(B) insects, including beetle kill; and

(3) examines how historical, Tribal, or current approaches

to wildland fire suppression and forest management activities

across various jurisdictions have impacted the health and

resiliency of giant sequoia groves with respect to—

(A) high-severity wildfires;

(B) insects, including beetle kill; and

(4) includes program and policy recommendations that

address—

(A) options to enhance communication, coordination, and

collaboration, particularly for cross-boundary projects, to

improve the health and resiliency of giant sequoias; and

(B) research gaps that should be addressed to improve the

best available science on the giant sequoias.

(b) Annual Updates.—Not later than 1 year after the

submission of the Assessment under subsection (a), and

annually thereafter, the Coalition shall submit an updated

Assessment to the relevant Congressional Committees that—

(1) includes any new data, information, or best available

science that has changed or

become available since the previous Assessment was submitted;

(2) with respect to Protection Projects—

(A) includes information on the number of Protection

Projects initiated the previous year and the estimated

timeline for completing those projects;

(B) includes information on the number of Protection

Projects planned in the upcoming year and the estimated

timeline for completing those projects;

reports on giant sequoia groves after the completion of

Protection Projects; and

(D) if the Secretary concerned failed to reduce hazardous

fuels in at least 3 giant sequoia groves in the previous

year, a written explanation that includes—

(i) a detailed explanation of what impediments resulted in

failing to reduce hazardous fuels in at least 3 giant sequoia

groves; and

(ii) a detailed explanation of what actions the Secretary

concerned is taking to ensure that hazardous fuels are

reduced in at least 3 giant sequoia groves the following

year; and

(3) with respect to reforestation and rehabilitation of

giant sequoias—

(A) contains updates on the implementation of the Strategy

under section 1094F, including grove-level data on

reforestation and rehabilitation activities; and

(B) provides status updates and monitoring reports on giant

sequoia groves that have experienced reforestation or

rehabilitation as part of the Strategy under section 1094F.

(1) Requirement to maintain.—The Coalition shall create

and maintain a website that—

(A) publishes the Assessment, annual updates to the

Assessment, and other educational materials developed by the

Coalition;

(B) contains searchable information about individual giant

sequoia groves, including the—

(i) resiliency of such groves to threats described in

paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (a);

(ii) Protection Projects that have been proposed,

initiated, or completed in such groves; and

(iii) reforestation and rehabilitation activities that have

been proposed, initiated, or completed in such groves; and

(i) the status of Federal environmental reviews and

authorizations for specific Protection Projects and

reforestation and rehabilitation activities; and

(ii) the projected cost of Protection Projects and

reforestation and rehabilitation activities.

(2) Searchable database.—The Coalition shall include

information on the status of Protection Projects in the

searchable database created under paragraph (1)(C),

including—

(A) a comprehensive permitting timetable;

(B) the status of the compliance of each lead agency,

cooperating agency, and participating agency with the

permitting timetable;

under subparagraph (A), including an explanation as to why

the permitting timetable was modified; and

(D) information about project-related public meetings,

public hearings, and public comment periods, which shall be

presented in English and the predominant language of the

community or communities most affected by the project, as

that information becomes available.

(d) Best Available Science.—In utilizing the best

available science for the Assessment, the Coalition shall

include—

(1) data and peer-reviewed research from academic

institutions with a demonstrated history of studying giant

sequoias and with experience analyzing distinct management

strategies to improve giant sequoia resiliency;

(2) traditional ecological knowledge from the Tribe related

to improving the health and resiliency of giant sequoia

groves; and

(3) data from Federal, State, Tribal, and local governments

or agencies, and other interested stakeholders with a

demonstrated history of studying giant sequoias and with

experience analyzing distinct management strategies to

improve giant sequoia resiliency.

(e) Technology Improvements.—In carrying out this section,

the Secretary may enter into memorandums of understanding or

agreements with other Federal agencies or departments, State

or local governments, Tribal governments, private entities,

or academic institutions to improve, with respect to the

Assessment, the use and integration of—

(1) advanced remote sensing and geospatial technologies;

(2) statistical modeling and analysis; or

(3) any other technology the Secretary determines will

benefit the quality of information used in the Assessment.

(f) Planning.—The Coalition shall make information from

this Assessment available to the Secretary concerned and

State of California to integrate into the—

(1) State of California's Wildfire and Forest Resilience

Action Plan;

(2) Forest Service's 10-year Wildfire Crisis Strategy (or

successor plan); and

(3) Department of the Interior's Wildfire Risk Five-Year

Monitoring, Maintenance, and Treatment Plan (or successor

plan).

(g) Relation to the National Environmental Policy Act of

1969.—The development and submission of the Assessment under

subsection (a) shall not be subject to the National

Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.).

SEC. 1094E. GIANT SEQUOIA EMERGENCY RESPONSE.

(a) Emergency Response To Protect Giant Sequoias.—

(1) In general.—

(A) Emergency determination.—Congress determines that—

(i) an emergency exists on covered public lands and covered

National Forest System lands that makes it necessary to carry

out Protection Projects that take needed actions to respond

to the threat of wildfires, insects, and drought to giant

sequoias; and

(ii) Protection Projects are necessary to control the

immediate impacts of the emergency described in clause (i)

and are needed to mitigate harm to life, property, or

important natural or cultural resources on covered public

lands and covered National Forest System lands.

(B) Application.—The emergency determination established

under subparagraph (A) shall apply to all covered public

lands and covered National Forest System lands.

under subparagraph (A) shall expire on the date that is 7

years after the date of the enactment of this Act.

(2) Implementation.—While the emergency determination

established under paragraph (1) is in effect, the following

shall apply:

(A) The Secretary concerned, acting through a responsible

official, shall carry out Protection Projects on covered

public lands and covered National Forest System lands in

accordance with this section, all applicable land management

plans, and the laws (including regulations) applicable to the

Secretary concerned.

(B) A responsible official shall carry out Protection

Projects in accordance with the following, as applicable:

(i) Section 220.4(b) of title 36, Code of Federal

Regulations (as in effect July 21, 2022), with respect to

covered National Forest System lands.

(ii) Section 46.150 of title 43, Code of Federal

Regulations (as in effect October 12, 2022), with respect to

covered public lands.

(iii) Section 402.05 of title 50, Code of Federal

Regulations (as in effect July 21, 2022), with respect to

covered National Forest System lands and covered public

lands.

(iv) Section 800.12 of title 36, Code of Federal

Regulations (as in effect July 21, 2022), with respect to

covered National Forest System lands and covered public

lands.

section 40807 of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act

(16 U.S.C. 6592c(d), (e)) shall apply with respect to

Protection Projects by substituting “Protection Projects”

for “authorized emergency action under this section” each

place it appears in such subsections.

(D) Protection Projects shall be subject to the

requirements of section 106 of the Healthy Forests

Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6516).

(3) Protection projects.—The responsible official shall

carry out the following forest management activities as

Protection Projects under the emergency determination under

this section:

(A) Conducting hazardous fuels management, including

mechanical thinning, mastication, and prescribed burning.

(B) Removing hazard trees, dead trees, or dying trees, as

determined by the responsible official.

forest stand, consistent with the appropriate basal area of

the forest stand and the best available science, as

determined by the responsible official.

(D) Activities to address insects, disease, invasive

species, and vegetative encroachment of a giant sequoia

grove.

(E) Any combination of activities described in this

paragraph.

(4) Requirements.—

(A) In general.—Protection Projects carried out under

paragraph (3) and reforestation and rehabilitation activities

carried out under this subtitle that are described by

subparagraph (C) are categorically excluded from the

preparation of an environmental assessment or an

environmental impact statement under section 102 of the

National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332).

(B) Availability.—The Secretary concerned shall use the

categorical exclusion established under subparagraph (A) in

accordance with this section.

rehabilitation activity is described by this subparagraph if

such Protection Project or reforestation or rehabilitation

activity—

(i) covers an area of no more than—

(I) 2,000 acres within giant sequoia groves; and

(II) 3,000 acres on lands identified under section

1094D(a)(1)(C); and

(ii) occurs on Federal land or non-Federal land with the

consent of the non-Federal landowner.

(D) Extraordinary circumstances.—The extraordinary

circumstances procedures under provisions (e) through (g) of

section 1b.3 of title 7, Code of Federal Regulations, shall

apply to a Protection Project or reforestation or

rehabilitation activity that is categorically excluded under

subparagraph (A).

(E) Use of other authorities.—To the maximum extent

practicable, the Secretary concerned shall use the

authorities provided under this section in combination with

other authorities to carry out Protection Projects,

including—

(i) good neighbor agreements entered into under section

8206 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (16 U.S.C. 2113a); and

(ii) stewardship contracting projects entered into under

section 604 of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003

(16 U.S.C. 6591c).

(F) Savings clause.—With respect to joint Protection

Projects and reforestation and rehabilitation activities

involving the Tribe, nothing in this section shall be

construed to add any additional regulatory requirements onto

the Tribe.

(b) Implementation.—To the maximum extent practicable, the

Secretary concerned shall reduce hazardous fuels in no fewer

than 3 giant sequoia groves each year.

notice of each Protection Project on a publicly available

website maintained by the Secretary concerned.

SEC. 1094F. GIANT SEQUOIA REFORESTATION AND REHABILITATION

STRATEGY.

(a) Reforestation and Rehabilitation Strategy.—

(1) In general.—Not later than 6 months after the date of

the enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in consultation

with the Coalition, shall develop and implement a strategy,

to be known as the Giant Sequoia Reforestation and

Rehabilitation Strategy, to enhance the reforestation and

rehabilitation of giant sequoia groves that—

(A) identifies giant sequoia groves in need of

reforestation or rehabilitation, giving highest priority to

groves identified under section 1094D(a)(1)(A)(i);

(B) creates a priority list of reforestation and

rehabilitation activities;

(i) barriers to reforestation or rehabilitation,

including—

(I) regulatory and funding barriers;

(II) seedling shortages or related nursery infrastructure

capacity constraints;

(III) labor and workforce shortages;

(IV) technology and science gaps; and

(V) site preparation challenges;

(ii) potential public-private partnership opportunities to

complete high-priority reforestation or rehabilitation

projects;

(iii) a timeline for addressing the backlog of

reforestation for giant sequoias in the 10-year period after

the agreement is entered into under section 1094B; and

(iv) strategies to ensure genetic diversity across giant

sequoia groves; and

(D) includes program and policy recommendations needed to

improve the efficiency or effectiveness of the Strategy.

(2) Assessment.—The Secretary may incorporate the Strategy

into the Assessment under section 1094D.

(b) Priority Reforestation Projects Amendment.—Section

3(e)(4)(C)(ii)(I) of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable

Resources Planning Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C.

1601(e)(4)(C)(ii)(I)) is amended—

(1) in item (bb), by striking “and”;

(2) in item (cc), by striking the period and inserting “;

and”; and

(3) by adding at the end the following:

“(dd) shall include reforestation and rehabilitation

activities conducted under section 1094F of the Save Our

Sequoias Act.”.

SEC. 1094G. GIANT SEQUOIA STRIKE TEAMS.

(a) Giant Sequoia Strike Teams.—

(1) Establishment.—The Secretary concerned shall each

establish a Giant Sequoia Strike Team to assist the Secretary

concerned with the implementation of—

(A) primarily, section 1094E; and

(B) secondarily, section 1094F.

(2) Duties.—Each Strike Team shall—

(A) assist the Secretary concerned with any reviews,

including analysis under the National Environmental Policy

Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), consultations under

division A of subtitle III of title 54, United States Code

(commonly referred to as the “National Historic Preservation

Act”), and consultations under the Endangered Species Act of

1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.);

(B) implement any necessary site preparation work in

advance of or as part of a Protection Project or

reforestation or rehabilitation activity;

(D) implement reforestation or rehabilitation activities

under section 1094F.

(3) Members.—The Secretary concerned may appoint no more

than 10 individuals each to serve on a Strike Team comprised

of—

(A) employees of the Department of the Interior;

(B) employees of the Forest Service;

State government, Tribal Government, local government,

academic institution, or private organization; and

(D) volunteers from any nonprofit organization, State

government, Tribal Government, local government, academic

institution, or private organization.

SEC. 1094H. GIANT SEQUOIA COLLABORATIVE RESTORATION GRANTS.

(a) In General.—The Secretary, in consultation with the

parties to the agreement under section 1094B, shall establish

a program or expand an existing program to award grants to

eligible entities to advance, facilitate, or improve giant

sequoia health and resiliency.

(b) Eligible Entity.—The Secretary may award grants under

this section to any nonprofit organization, Tribal

Government, local government, academic institution, or

private organization to help advance, facilitate, or improve

giant sequoia health and resiliency.

Secretary shall give priority to eligible entities that—

(1) primarily, are likely to have the greatest impact on

giant sequoia health and resiliency; and

(2) secondarily—

(A) are small businesses or Tribal entities, particularly

in rural areas; and

(B) create or support jobs, particularly in rural areas.

(d) Use of Grant Funds.—Funds from grants awarded under

this section shall be used to—

(1) create, expand, or develop markets for hazardous fuels

removed under section 1094E, including markets for biomass

and biochar;

(2) facilitate hazardous fuel removal under section 1094E,

including by reducing the cost of transporting hazardous

fuels removed as part of a Protection Project;

(3) expand, enhance, develop, or create facilities or land

that can store or process hazardous fuels removed under

section 1094E;

(4) establish, develop, expand, enhance, or improve nursery

capacity or infrastructure necessary to facilitate the

Strategy established under section 1094F; or

(5) support Tribal management and conservation of giant

sequoias, including funding for Tribal historic preservation

officers.

SEC. 1094I. GIANT SEQUOIA INSECT MONITORING AND TECHNOLOGY.

(a) In General.—Not later than 1 year after the date of

the enactment of this Act, the Secretary concerned shall—

(1) develop and implement a strategy for monitoring insects

in giant sequoia groves with a high-risk or previous history

of insect infestations; and

(2) seek to enter into public-private partnerships to

deploy technology to assist in the short-term and long-term

monitoring of giant sequoia groves with current or potential

insect infestations.

(b) Report.—Not later than 2 years after the date of

enactment of this Act, the Secretary concerned shall submit a

report to the relevant Congressional Committees that

contains—

(1) the strategy required under subsection (a)(1);

(2) an update on the effectiveness of the monitoring

program in preventing or addressing insect infestations in

giant sequoia groves; and

(3) program and policy recommendations to further address—

(A) research gaps regarding giant sequoia resiliency to

insects; and

(B) opportunities to improve the resiliency of giant

sequoias to insects.

SEC. 1094J. STEWARDSHIP CONTRACTING FOR GIANT SEQUOIAS.

(a) National Park Service.—Section 604 of the Healthy

Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6591c) is

amended—

(1) by amending subsection (a)(2) to read as follows:

“(2) Director.—The term `Director' means the Director of

the Bureau of Land Management with respect to Bureau of Land

Management lands and the Director of the National Park

Service with respect to lands within Kings Canyon National

Park, Sequoia National Park, and Yosemite National Park.”;

and

(2) in subsection (b), by striking “national forests and

the public lands” and inserting “national forests, public

lands, and lands within Kings Canyon National Park, Sequoia

National Park, and Yosemite National Park”.

(b) Giant Sequoia Stewardship Contracts.—Section 604(c) of

the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C.

6591c(c)) is amended by adding at the end the following:

“(8) Promoting the health and resiliency of giant

sequoias.”.

Stewardship contracting projects occurring in Kings Canyon

National Park, Sequoia National Park, and Yosemite National

Park shall be carried out in accordance with the laws

(including regulations) applicable to the National Park

Service, including section 100753 of title 54, United States

Code.

SEC. 1094K. GIANT SEQUOIA EMERGENCY PROTECTION PROGRAM AND

FUND.

(a) In General.—Chapter 1011 of title 54, United States

Code, is amended by inserting at the end the following:

“Sec. 101123. Giant Sequoia Emergency Protection Program and

Fund

“(a) Giant Sequoia Emergency Protection Program.—The

National Park Foundation, in coordination with the National

Forest Foundation and the Foundation for America's Public

Lands, shall design and implement a comprehensive program to

assist and promote philanthropic programs of support that

benefit—

“(1) primarily, the management and conservation of giant

sequoias on covered public lands and covered National Forest

System lands to promote resiliency to wildfires, insects, and

drought; and

“(2) secondarily, the reforestation of giant sequoias on

covered public lands and covered National Forest System lands

impacted by wildfire.

“(b) Giant Sequoia Emergency Protection Fund.—

“(1) In general.—The National Park Foundation, in

coordination with the National Forest Foundation and the

Foundation for America's Public Lands, shall establish a

joint special account to be known as the Giant Sequoia

Emergency Protection Fund (referred to in this section as the

`Fund'), to be administered in support of the program

established under subsection (a).

“(2) Funds for giant sequoia emergency protection.—The

Fund shall consist of any gifts, devises, or bequests that

are provided to the National Park Foundation, National Forest

Foundation, or Foundation for America's Public Lands for the

purpose described in paragraph (1).

“(3) Use of funds.—Funds shall be available to the

National Park Foundation, National Forest Foundation, and

Foundation for America's Public Lands without further

appropriation, subject to the provisions in paragraph (4),

for projects and activities approved by the Director of the

National Park Service, Chief of the Forest Service, or

Director of the Bureau of Land Management, as appropriate, or

their designees, to—

“(A) primarily, support the management and conservation of

giant sequoias on covered public lands and covered National

Forest System lands to promote resiliency to wildfires,

insects, and drought; and

“(B) secondarily, support the reforestation of giant

sequoias on covered public lands and covered National Forest

System lands impacted by wildfire.

“(4) Tribal support.—Of the funds provided to the

National Park Foundation, National Forest Foundation, and

Foundation for America's Public Lands under paragraph (3),

not less than 15 percent of such funds shall be used to

support Tribal management and conservation of giant sequoias,

including funding for Tribal historic preservation officers.

“(c) Summary.—Beginning 1 year after the date of the

enactment of this section, the National Park Foundation,

National Forest Foundation, and Foundation for America's

Public Lands shall include with their annual reports a

summary of the status of the program and Fund created under

this section that includes—

“(1) a statement of the amounts deposited in the Fund

during the fiscal year;

“(2) the amount of the balance remaining in the Fund at

the end of the fiscal year; and

“(3) a description of the program and projects funded

during the fiscal year.

“(d) Definitions.—In this section, the terms `covered

public lands' and `covered National Forest System lands' have

the meaning given such terms in section 1094A of the Save Our

Sequoias Act.

“(e) Termination of Effectiveness.—The authority provided

by this section shall terminate 7 years after the date of

enactment of the Save Our Sequoias Act.”.

(b) Conforming Amendment.—The table of sections for

chapter 1011 of title 54, United States Code, is amended by

inserting at the end the following:

“101123. Giant Sequoia Emergency Protection Program and Fund.”.

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