# Plain Language Summary: Treating Tribes and Counties as Good Neighbors Act

This bill changes how money from timber sales on federal forest land gets used when local governments, Native American tribes, or state governors do restoration work on that land. Currently, when these groups sell timber from federal forests as part of a restoration project, most of the money goes back to the federal government. This bill lets them keep the money they earn from timber sales and use it directly for their restoration work instead.

Here's what that means in practice: Imagine a county wants to thin trees in a national forest to reduce wildfire risk. Under current rules, if they sell some of that timber to help pay for the project, the revenue goes to the federal government and the county has to ask for separate funding. Under this new bill, the county keeps the timber sale money and can use it right away for their restoration work. If they have leftover money after finishing one project, they can use it for other restoration work they've agreed to do. This applies to counties, state governors, and Native American tribes equally.

The bill also makes a technical change to clarify that Indian tribes are included in the "good neighbor" agreements—a program that lets local entities partner with the federal government on forest restoration. Previously, the law was unclear about whether tribes could participate fully. This bill removes that ambiguity and gives tribes the same authority as counties and governors to enter these agreements and keep timber sale revenue.

The changes apply to any restoration projects that started after 2018, including projects that were already underway when this bill passes, as well as any new projects going forward.

Treating Tribes and Counties as Good Neighbors Act

Treating Tribes and Counties as Good Neighbors Act This bill revises the Good Neighbor Authority program to modify the treatment of revenue from timber sale contracts under good neighbor agreements with the Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of the Interior. (The Good Neighbor Authority permits USDA and Interior to enter into cooperative agreements or contracts with states, counties, and Indian tribes to perform forest, rangeland, and watershed restoration services on federal land managed by the Forest Service or the Bureau of Land Management.) Specifically, the bill (1) requires Indian tribes and counties to retain revenue generated from timber sales under a good neighbor agreement; and (2) allows states, counties, and Indian tribes to use such revenue for authorized restoration projects on nonfederal lands under a good neighbor agreement. (Under current law, only a state is permitted to retain the revenues, and the revenues must be used for restoration projects on federal land.)