text: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
  
      This Act may be cited as the ``Suburban and Community Forestry and 
  Open Space Initiative Act of 2001''.
  
  SEC. 2. SUBURBAN AND COMMUNITY FORESTRY AND OPEN SPACE INITIATIVE.
  
      The Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978 is amended by 
  inserting after section 7 (16 U.S.C. 2103c) the following:
  
  ``SEC. 7A. SUBURBAN AND COMMUNITY FORESTRY AND OPEN SPACE INITIATIVE.
  
      ``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
              ``(1) Eligible entity.--The term `eligible entity' means a 
          State (including a political subdivision) or nonprofit 
          organization that the Secretary determines under subsection 
          (c)(1)(A)(ii) is eligible to receive a grant under subsection 
          (c)(2).
              ``(2) Indian tribe.--The term `Indian tribe'--
                      ``(A) in the case of the State of Alaska, means a 
                  Native corporation (as defined in section 3 of the 
                  Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 1602)); 
                  and
                      ``(B) in the case of any other State, has the 
                  meaning given the term in section 4 of the Indian Self-
                  Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 
                  450b).
              ``(3) Private forest land.--The term `private forest land' 
          means land that is--
                      ``(A)(i) covered by trees; or
                      ``(ii) suitable for growing trees, as determined by 
                  the Secretary;
                      ``(B) suburban, as determined by the Secretary; and
                      ``(C) owned by--
                              ``(i) a private entity; or
                              ``(ii) an Indian tribe.
              ``(4) Program.--The term `program' means the Suburban and 
          Community Forestry and Open Space Initiative established by 
          subsection (b).
              ``(5) Secretary.--The term `Secretary' means the Secretary 
          of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service.
      ``(b) Establishment.--
              ``(1) In general.--There is established within the Forest 
          Service a program to be known as the `Suburban and Community 
          Forestry and Open Space Initiative'.
              ``(2) Purpose.--The purpose of the program is to provide 
          assistance to eligible entities to carry out projects and 
          activities to--
                      ``(A) identify and preserve private forest land; 
                  and
                      ``(B) contain suburban sprawl.
      ``(c) Grant Program.--
              ``(1) Identification of eligible private forest land.--
                      ``(A) In general.--The Secretary, in consultation 
                  with State foresters or equivalent State officials and 
                  State planning offices, shall establish criteria for--
                              ``(i) the identification, subject to 
                          subparagraph (B), of private forest land in 
                          each State that may be preserved under this 
                          section; and
                              ``(ii) the identification of eligible 
                          entities.
                      ``(B) Conditions for eligible private forest 
                  land.--Private forest land identified for preservation 
                  under subparagraph (A)(i) shall be land that is--
                              ``(i) located in an area that is affected, 
                          or threatened to be affected, by significant 
                          suburban sprawl, as determined by the 
                          appropriate planning office of the State in 
                          which the private forest land is located; and
                              ``(ii) threatened by present or future 
                          conversion to nonforest use.
              ``(2) Grants.--
                      ``(A) Projects and activities.--
                              ``(i) In general.--In carrying out this 
                          section, the Secretary shall award grants to 
                          eligible entities to carry out a project or 
                          activity described in clause (ii).
                              ``(ii) Types.--A project or activity 
                          referred to in clause (i) is a project or 
                          activity that--
                                      ``(I) is carried out to preserve 
                                  private forest land or contain suburban 
                                  sprawl; and
                                      ``(II) provides for guaranteed 
                                  public access to land on which the 
                                  project or activity is carried out, 
                                  unless the appropriate State planning 
                                  office requests, and provides 
                                  justification for the request, that 
                                  that requirement be waived.
                      ``(B) Application.--An eligible entity that seeks 
                  to receive a grant under this section shall submit to 
                  the Secretary, in such form as the Secretary shall 
                  prescribe, an application for the grant (including a 
                  description of any private forest land to be preserved 
                  using funds from the grant).
                      ``(C) Approval or disapproval.--
                              ``(i) In general.--Subject to clause (ii), 
                          as soon as practicable after the date on which 
                          the Secretary receives an application under 
                          subparagraph (B) or a resubmission under 
                          subclause (II)(bb), the Secretary shall--
                                      ``(I)(aa) approve the application; 
                                  and
                                      ``(bb) award a grant to the 
                                  applicant; or
                                      ``(II)(aa) disapprove the 
                                  application; and
                                      ``(bb) provide the applicant a 
                                  statement that describes the reasons 
                                  why the application was disapproved 
                                  (including a deadline by which the 
                                  applicant may resubmit the 
                                  application).
                              ``(ii) Priority.--In awarding grants under 
                          this section, the Secretary shall give priority 
                          to applicants that propose to fund projects and 
                          activities that promote, in addition to the 
                          primary purposes of preserving private forest 
                          land and containing suburban sprawl--
                                      ``(I) the active management, in a 
                                  sustainable manner, of private forest 
                                  land;
                                      ``(II) community and school 
                                  education programs and curricula 
                                  relating to sustainable forestry; and
                                      ``(III) community involvement in 
                                  determining the care and management of 
                                  forest resources.
              ``(3) Cost sharing.--
                      ``(A) In general.--The Federal share of the cost of 
                  carrying out any project or activity using funds from a 
                  grant awarded under this section shall not exceed \1/2\ 
                  of the total cost of the project or activity.
                      ``(B) Assurances of non-federal share.--As a 
                  condition of receipt of a grant under this section, an 
                  eligible entity shall provide to the Secretary such 
                  assurances as the Secretary determines are sufficient 
                  to demonstrate that the non-Federal share of the cost 
                  of each project or activity to be funded by the grant 
                  has been secured.
                      ``(C) Form of non-federal share.--The non-Federal 
                  share of the cost of carrying out any project or 
                  activity described in subparagraph (A) may be provided 
                  in cash or in kind.
      ``(d) Use of Grant Funds for Purchases of Land or Easements.--
              ``(1) Purchases.--
                      ``(A) In general.--Except as provided in 
                  subparagraph (B), funds made available, and grants 
                  awarded, under this section may be used to purchase 
                  private forest land or interests in private forest land 
                  (including conservation easements) only from willing 
                  sellers at fair market value.
                      ``(B) Sales at less than fair market value.--A sale 
                  of private forest land or an interest in private forest 
                  land at less than fair market value shall be permitted 
                  only on certification by the landowner that the sale is 
                  being entered into willingly and without coercion.
              ``(2) Title.--Title to private forest land or an interest 
          in private forest land purchased under paragraph (1) may be 
          held, as determined appropriate by the Secretary, by--
                      ``(A) a State (including a political subdivision of 
                  a State); or
                      ``(B) a nonprofit organization.
      ``(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
  appropriated to carry out this section--
              ``(1) $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2003; and
              ``(2) such sums as are necessary for each fiscal year 
          thereafter.''.
target: Suburban and Community Forestry and Open Space Initiative Act of 2001 - Amends the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978 to establish in the Forest Service the Suburban and Community Forestry and Open Space Initiative, which shall provide grants to preserve private forest land and contain suburban sprawl.
feat_title: A bill to amend the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978 to establish a program to provide assistance to States and nonprofit organizations to preserve suburban open space and contain suburban sprawl, and for other purposes.