SECTION 1. Short title.

SEC. 2. Findings.

(1) there is an urgent need in the State of Arizona—

(A) to restore the ponderosa pine forest ecosystems;

(B) to reestablish beneficial natural fire regimes;

(C) to sustain native biological diversity; and

(D) to protect communities from unnaturally severe fires;

(2) the low and zero values of forest restoration byproducts undermine the success of establishing and maintaining a private sector wood industry;

(3) Forest Service appraisal, sale, and accountability procedures for conventional timber production overemphasize capturing marginal wood value at the expense of accelerating treatments and private sector success;

(4) the economic and natural resource benefits of a restored acre, such as wildfire avoidance, watershed protection, wildlife habitat, and recreational opportunities, exceed the value of the wood removed and provide greater benefit to taxpayers;

(5) Forest Service analyses do not capture the low value of timber under 4FRI as a byproduct of restoration or reflect the cost of removal and transportation of that timber to available markets;

(6) landscape-scale forest restoration under 4FRI can and should be accelerated in an economically and socially viable manner that promotes ecological sustainability, forest resilience, and shared forest stewardship across multiple users of national forests; and

(7) progress under 4FRI has not kept pace with stated goals to partner with industry to mechanically treat approximately 1,000,000 acres of ponderosa pine forests within 20 years.

SEC. 3. Definitions.

(1) 4FRI.—The term “4FRI” means the Four Forests Restoration Initiative under the Restoration Program, which—

(A) aims to restore 2,400,000 acres of ponderosa pine forests and associated ecosystems in the State of Arizona through a combination of mechanical thinning, prescribed fires, and comprehensive restoration activities;

(B) is a joint effort between the Restoration Program administered by the Forest Service and the Four Forests Restoration Initiative Stakeholder Group; and

(C) takes place on portions of the Coconino, Kaibab, Apache-Sitgreaves, and Tonto national forests along the Mogollon Rim in the State of Arizona.

(2) FOREST RESTORATION BYPRODUCT.—The term “forest restoration byproduct” means a forest product derived from active ecological restoration through commercial timber sales and permits, stewardship contracts, special forest product sales and permits, and woody biomass utilization (as defined in the implementation guidelines of the Restoration Program).

(3) LOW-VALUE RESTORATION BYPRODUCT.—The term “low-value restoration byproduct” means a forest restoration byproduct the value of which is not more than 25 percent of industry expectations for high value restoration byproducts.

(4) NO-VALUE RESTORATION BYPRODUCT.—The term “no-value restoration byproduct” means a forest restoration byproduct that has zero or negative value after stumpage, harvest, processing, and transport costs are deducted from the price charged by a mill, power plant, or other processing facility to sell that forest restoration byproduct.

(5) PARTNER.—The term “partner” means any 4FRI contractor or agent of a contractor that has a contract or agreement with, or permit from, the Forest Service to implement an approved project in accordance with the Restoration Program.

(6) PROJECT.—The term “project” means an activity conducted under any timber-related sale, contract, or stewardship agreement—

(A) to which the Forest Service is a party; and

(B) that implements an approved 4FRI restoration treatment under a contract, agreement, or permit that complies with the requirements of the Restoration Program.

(7) RESTORATION PROGRAM.—The term “Restoration Program” means the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program established under section 4003 of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 (16 U.S.C. 7303).

(8) SECRETARY.—The term “Secretary” means the Secretary of Agriculture.

SEC. 4. Classification of restoration byproducts as low-value or no-value.

(1) in a manner consistent with the requirements of the Restoration Program; and

(2) within any geographic area on which 4FRI takes place.

SEC. 5. Exception to whole log export limitation for project timber.

(1) in a manner consistent with the requirements of the Restoration Program; and

(2) within any geographic area on which 4FRI takes place.

SEC. 6. Exemption to identifying and marking project timber.

(1) in a manner consistent with the requirements of the Restoration Program; and

(2) within any geographic area on which 4FRI takes place.

SEC. 7. Transportation of forest restoration byproducts.

SEC. 8. Adjustment to time-since-cut requirements.