Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Acts authorized funds to be available for collaboration and collaboration-based activities, including facilitation, certification of collaboratives, and planning and implementing projects under the Collaborative

The Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program was established in the Omnibus Public Lands Management Act of 2009 and reauthorized in the 2018 Farm Bil to encourage collaborative, science-based ecosystem restoration of priority landscapes by leveraging local resources with national and private sectors. Other activities authorized under the CFLRP program include encouragement of ecological, economic, and social sustainability; facilitate the reduction of wildfire management costs; and encourage utilization of forest restoration by-products to not only offset the treatment costs but for the benefit of rural economies. Funding may also support collaboration and collaboration-based activities outside of CFLRP.

Assistance may be used for Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program (CFLRP) related projects to reimburse for salaries, supplies, equipment, travel and contracts.

Funds must be in alignment with the Program's statutory requirements (see 2018 Farm Bill)

IIJA/BIL funds made available under subsection 40803 (c) (9) are for the period of fiscal years 2022 through 2026. These appropriations are a combination of multi-year (4-year) and no-year funds. The 4-year funds are available in an active agreement until cancellation, multi-year funds are available in an active agreement until expended.

The proposal process for new CFLRP projects will involve two tiers of review. The purpose of the two-tier process is to minimize the time field units need to invest in proposal development and ensure alignment. • Tier 1 (Pre-Proposal): Use the Tier 1 template to provide a brief and high-level description of the proposed CFLRP project. The US Forest Service Regional Offices will evaluate Tier 1 proposals using a common set of criteria, and the Regional Forester will determine which projects will be invited to submit a full Tier 2 proposal. • Tier 2 (Full Proposal): Project proposals selected in Tier 1 will proceed with detailed proposal development. These proposals will be reviewed for completeness by the Regional Office, and if they meet all of the CFLRP eligibility criteria (see Is CFLRP Right for Us?), they will be submitted to the CFLRP Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) Committee for evaluation based on criteria in the authorizing legislation and the Infrastructure Law. The CFLRP FACA Committee will make recommendations to the Secretary of Agriculture, and the Secretary (or delegate) will determine which projects to select for funding. Note: Future funding for additional CFLRP projects is unknown. Visit the CFLRP website for more information. https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/restoration/collaborative-forest-landscape-restoration

If a CFLRP project is approved by the Washington Office under the Tier 2 review process, the local Forest Service program manager will work cooperatively with the cooperator and local grants management specialist to negotiate correct authority and instrument for project and fund obligation.