# Plain Language Summary: Joint Chiefs Landscape Restoration Partnership Act of 2021

This bill creates a new partnership program between two federal agencies—the Forest Service and the Natural Resources Conservation Service—to work together on restoring and protecting forests across the country. The program focuses on three main goals: reducing wildfire risk, protecting water quality and supply, and improving wildlife habitat for endangered species. What makes this different from typical government programs is that it coordinates work happening on federal forest lands with restoration projects on state, tribal, and private lands, treating entire forest regions as connected ecosystems rather than managing each piece separately.

The program works by having regional Forest Service officials and state conservation experts jointly propose restoration projects each year. These proposals are then evaluated based on several criteria, including whether they reduce fire danger near homes and communities, involve input from local stakeholders, create jobs in forest-related industries, and use non-federal funding to stretch government dollars further. The bill specifically protects certain sensitive areas—wilderness areas, roadless areas, and lands where Congress or the President has restricted tree removal—from program activities, ensuring environmental protections remain in place.

To make this work, the bill authorizes $90 million per year for ten years, with at least 40 percent going to help private and tribal landowners implement conservation practices on their property, and at least 40 percent funding Forest Service work on national forests. The remaining funds can be split between the two agencies as needed for actual restoration work or for supporting activities like technical assistance and community capacity building. The agencies must report annually to Congress on which projects received funding and what results they achieved, ensuring the program stays accountable and transparent about how taxpayer money is being spent.

Joint Chiefs Landscape Restoration Partnership Act of 2021

Joint Chiefs Landscape Restoration Partnership Act of 2021 This bill directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to establish a Joint Chiefs Landscape Restoration Partnership program to improve the health and resilience of forest landscapes across National Forest System lands and state, tribal, and private lands. Activities under the program may include reducing the risk of wildfire, protecting water quality and supply, or improving wildlife habitat for at-risk species.