text: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
  
      This Act may be cited as the ``Strong Forests Grow Strong 
  Communities Act of 2014''.
  
  SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
  
      In this Act:
              (1) Annual volume requirement.--
                      (A) In general.--The term ``annual volume 
                  requirement'', with respect to a unit of the National 
                  Forest System, means a volume of national forest 
                  materials no less than 50 percent of the sustained 
                  yield of the unit.
                      (B) Exclusions.--In determining the volume of 
                  national forest materials or the sustained yield of a 
                  Forest Reserve Revenue Area, the Secretary may not 
                  include non-commercial post and pole sales and personal 
                  use firewood.
              (2) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term 
          ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
                      (A) the Committee on Agriculture and the Committee 
                  on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives; 
                  and
                      (B) the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and 
                  Forestry and the Committee on Energy and Natural 
                  Resources of the Senate.
              (3) National forest materials.--The term ``national forest 
          materials'' has the meaning given that term in section 14(e)(1) 
          of the National Forest Management Act of 1976 (16 U.S.C. 
          472a(e)(1)).
              (4) National forest system.--The term ``National Forest 
          System'' has the meaning given that term in section 11(a) of 
          the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 
          1974 (16 U.S.C. 1609(a)), except that the term does not include 
          the National Grasslands and land utilization projects 
          designated as National Grasslands administered pursuant to the 
          Act of July 22, 1937 (7 U.S.C. 1010-1012).
              (5) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
          of Agriculture.
              (6) Sustained yield.--The term ``sustained yield'' means 
          the maximum annual growth potential of the forest calculated on 
          the basis of the culmination of mean annual increment using 
          cubic measurement.
              (7) State.--The term ``State'' includes the Commonwealth of 
          Puerto Rico.
  
  SEC. 3. ANNUAL VOLUME REQUIREMENT.
  
      (a) Publication.--Not later than 30 days after the date of the 
  enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall publish in the Federal 
  Register, make available on the website of the Forest Service, and 
  submit to the appropriate congressional committees the annual volume 
  requirement for each unit of the National Forest System.
      (b) Revision.--Upon publication of the annual volume requirement 
  for a unit of the National Forest System under subsection (a), the 
  Secretary may not reduce the annual volume requirement for that unit 
  without the consent of Congress in a law enacted after the date of the 
  enactment of this Act.
  
  SEC. 4. MANAGEMENT OF NATIONAL FOREST SYSTEM LANDS TO SATISFY ANNUAL 
                VOLUME REQUIREMENTS.
  
      (a) Requirement To Achieve Annual Volume Requirement.--The 
  Secretary shall manage the sale of national forest materials in each 
  unit of the National Forest System in the manner necessary so that the 
  annual volume requirement for that unit is met each calendar year.
      (b) Application of Land and Resource Management Plan.--The 
  Secretary may modify the standards and guidelines contained in the land 
  and resource management plan for a unit of the National Forest System 
  as necessary so as to meet the annual volume requirement for that unit.
      (c) Compliance With Endangered Species Act.--
              (1) Non-jeopardy assessment.--If the Secretary determines 
          that a sale of national forest materials may affect the 
          continued existence of any species listed as endangered or 
          threatened under section 4 of the Endangered Species Act of 
          1973 (16 U.S.C. 1533), the Secretary shall issue a 
          determination explaining the view of the Secretary that the 
          proposed sale is not likely to jeopardize the continued 
          existence of the species.
              (2) Submission, review, and response.--
                      (A) Submission.--The Secretary shall submit a 
                  determination issued by the Secretary under paragraph 
                  (1) to the Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary 
                  of Commerce, as appropriate.
                      (B) Review and response.--Within 30 days after 
                  receiving a determination under subparagraph (A), the 
                  Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary of Commerce, 
                  as appropriate, shall provide a written response to the 
                  Secretary concurring in or rejecting the Secretary's 
                  determination. If the Secretary of the Interior or the 
                  Secretary of Commerce rejects the determination, the 
                  written response shall include recommendations for 
                  measures that--
                              (i) will avoid the likelihood of jeopardy 
                          to an endangered or threatened species;
                              (ii) can be implemented in a manner 
                          consistent with the intended purpose of the 
                          sale;
                              (iii) can be implemented consistent with 
                          the scope of the Secretary's legal authority 
                          and jurisdiction; and
                              (iv) are economically and technologically 
                          feasible.
              (3) Formal consultation.--If the Secretary of the Interior 
          or the Secretary of Commerce rejects a determination issued by 
          the Secretary under paragraph (1), the Secretary of the 
          Interior or the Secretary of Commerce also is required to 
          engage in formal consultation with the Secretary. The 
          Secretaries shall complete such consultation pursuant to 
          section 7 of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 
          1536) within 90 days after the submission of the written 
          response under paragraph (2).
  
  SEC. 5. STATE MANAGEMENT OF NATIONAL FOREST SYSTEM LANDS WHEN ANNUAL 
                VOLUME REQUIREMENTS ARE NOT MET.
  
      (a) Request by State To Manage Unit.--
              (1) Submission of request; when authorized.--If the 
          Secretary fails to meet the annual volume requirement for a 
          unit of the National Forest System for five calendar years, 
          whether consecutively or over a longer than five-year period, 
          the State in which the unit is located may submit to the 
          Secretary a request to enter into a cooperative agreement with 
          the Secretary for purposes of managing the unit.
              (2) Role of political subdivisions.--A State that 
          undertakes the management of a unit of the National Forest 
          System under this section may conduct such management directly, 
          through an agreement with a political subdivision of the State 
          in which National Forest System lands of that unit are located, 
          or through contracts with third parties.
              (3) Treatment of units located in multiple states.--If a 
          unit of the National Forest System is located in more than one 
          State, a State's request under paragraph (1) shall cover only 
          those National Forest System lands of that unit located in that 
          State.
      (b) Approval of Request.--Not later than 90 days after the date on 
  which the Secretary receives the request under subsection (a), the 
  Secretary shall approve the request and enter into the cooperative 
  agreement unless the Secretary determines that--
              (1) the State has failed to demonstrate that it has 
          sufficient funds to manage the unit of the National Forest 
          System for the production of national forest materials;
              (2) the request is incomplete; or
              (3) the proposed cooperative agreement submitted with the 
          request fails to address all of the items specified in 
          subsection (f).
      (c) Opportunity To Amend Request.--
              (1) Notice of denial.--If the Secretary denies a request 
          received under subsection (a) on the basis of one or more of 
          the reasons authorized by subsection (b), the Secretary shall 
          provide the State with a clear and comprehensive statement of--
                      (A) the reasons why the request was denied; and
                      (B) any deficiencies in the request or the related 
                  proposed cooperative agreement.
              (2) Resubmission.--After receiving a notice from the 
          Secretary under paragraph (1), a State may amend and resubmit 
          the denied request.
      (d) Request and Cooperative Agreement Deemed Approved.--If the 
  Secretary does not approve or deny a request submitted under subsection 
  (a) or (c)(2) within the 90 days after receiving the request, the 
  request and the proposed cooperative agreement submitted with the 
  request shall be deemed approved.
      (e) Request Contents.--A request submitted under subsection (a) 
  shall include--
              (1) a letter signed by the Governor of the State addressed 
          to the Secretary that identifies the unit of the National 
          Forest System that the State will manage for the production of 
          national forest materials;
              (2) the proposed cooperative agreement for State management 
          of the unit;
              (3) the proposed role of political subdivisions of the 
          State in the management of National Forest System lands of the 
          unit located within the political subdivisions; and
              (4) documentation that demonstrates the ability of the 
          State to provide sufficient funds to manage the unit for the 
          duration of the cooperative agreement.
      (f) Elements of Cooperative Agreement.--The cooperative agreement 
  entered into by the Secretary and the Governor of a State for the 
  management of a unit of the National Forest System shall address the 
  following:
              (1) The State's management of the unit after the effective 
          date of the transfer of management to the State for a specified 
          term of years.
              (2) A cost-sharing agreement under which the State will 
          provide a certain amount (equal to not less than 50 percent), 
          in cash or in-kind, of the total amount required for the 
          management of the unit.
              (3) The amount to be contributed by the State shall be 
          determined by the Governor of the State and the Secretary, only 
          after the Secretary submits to the State a categorical 
          assessment of all costs, in the recent past and anticipated 
          during the duration of the cooperative agreement, of managing 
          the unit, including employee salary data.
              (4) In the event of a natural disaster, as categorized by 
          the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the State shall assume 
          authority over recovery initiatives (nullifying any existing 
          established Federal response protocol) so that--
                      (A) the cost of damages to any structure on the 
                  unit be shared by both State and Federal entities at a 
                  ratio in accordance to the cost-sharing agreement; and
                      (B) the cost and administration of repair of 
                  damages resulting from natural disasters, not including 
                  structures referred to in subparagraph (A), shall be 
                  assumed by the State rather than the Federal 
                  Government.
              (5) All revenue accrued from fees, royalties, and other 
          revenues related to the unit shall be distributed to the State 
          and Federal entities in accordance to the percentages dictated 
          by the cost-sharing agreement and shall be used so that the 
          percentage of funds designated to the Federal entity shall be 
          made available to the Secretary for use at the sole discretion 
          of the Secretary.
              (6) The procedures to be followed for purposes of the 
          transition from Federal to State management of the unit, 
          including--
                      (A) a guarantee that all Federal employees managing 
                  the unit may remain employed without infringement upon 
                  their existing conditions of employment;
                      (B) a guarantee that the State may use its 
                  percentage of the amounts required for the management 
                  of the unit to hire additional staff whose terms of 
                  employment shall be decided by the State; and
                      (C) authority over the unit shall be directed by 
                  the State and a State-appointed manager, but the 
                  implementation of its directives may include the 
                  existing Federal superintendent concerned and performed 
                  in conjunction with State employees.
              (7) The transfer to the State of any special use permits 
          issued to the Secretary with respect to the unit.
              (8) A provision stating that lands currently open to 
          mineral entry under the Act of May 10, 1872 (commonly referred 
          to as the General Mining Act of 1872; 30 U.S.C. 22 et seq.), 
          shall remain open to mineral entry under State law unless 
          subsequently changed by a State mineral closing order.
      (g) Applicability of State Law on Qualifying Federal Lands Under 
  Cooperative Agreement.--State environmental, wildlife, and land 
  management laws shall supercede Federal environmental, wildlife, and 
  land management laws on a unit of the National Forest System managed by 
  a State under a cooperative agreement in place under this section.
      (h) Ownership.--Notwithstanding State management of a unit of the 
  National Forest System under a cooperative agreement entered into under 
  this section, the United States shall retain all right, title, and 
  interest in and to the National Forest System lands within the unit.
      (i) Termination of Cooperative Agreement.--A cooperative agreement 
  applicable under this section shall terminate, at the discretion of the 
  Secretary, under the following circumstances:
              (1) The State defaults on a payment, thereby requiring 
          Federal entities to assume responsibility for the financial 
          liabilities.
              (2) The State is in substantial breach of the cooperative 
          agreement as determined by a court of the United States.
              (3) The cooperative agreement terminates under a term 
          contained in that agreement.
  
  SEC. 6. ANNUAL REPORT.
  
      (a) Report Required.--Not later than 60 days after the end of each 
  calendar year, the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate 
  congressional committees an annual report specifying--
              (1) the annual volume requirement in effect for that 
          calendar year for each unit of the National Forest System;
              (2) the units that did not meet the annual volume 
          requirement;
              (3) the units under State management pursuant to section 5;
              (4) the volume of board feet actually harvested for each 
          unit;
              (5) the average cost of preparation for sales of national 
          forest materials; and
              (6) the revenues generated from such sales.
      (b) Form of Report.--In addition to submitting each report to 
  Congress, the Secretary shall also make the report available on the 
  website of the Forest Service.
target: Strong Forests Grow Strong Communities Act of 2014 - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to publish in the Federal Register and make available on the Forest Service website, the annual volume requirement for each unit of the National Forest System (NFS). Defines the &quot;annual volume requirement&quot; for an NFS unit as a volume of national forest materials (trees, portions of trees, or forest products from NFS lands) that is at least 50% of the unit's sustained yield. Prohibits the Secretary from reducing the annual volume requirement for a unit without the consent of a new Act of Congress. Requires the Secretary to manage the sale of national forest materials in each NFS unit in the manner necessary so that the annual volume requirement for that unit is met each calendar year.  Directs the Secretary, if a sale of national forest materials may affect the continued existence of any endangered or threatened species, to issue a determination explaining the view that the proposed sale is not likely to jeopardize the continued existence of that species.  Authorizes the state in which an NFS unit is located, if the Secretary fails to meet the annual volume requirement for that unit for five calendar years, whether consecutively or over a longer than five-year period, to request a cooperative agreement with the Secretary for purposes of managing the unit. Permits a state that undertakes the management of an NFS unit to conduct the management directly, through an agreement with a political subdivision of the state, or through contracts with third parties. Limits a state's request to only those NFS lands of a unit located in the state if the unit covers more than one state.  Declares that state environmental, wildlife, and land management laws shall supercede federal environmental, wildlife, and management laws on an NSF unit managed by a state under a cooperative agreement in place pursuant to this Act.
feat_title: Strong Forests Grow Strong Communities Act of 2014