What this bill does
The Mountain Pine Beetle Coordination Act allows federal agricultural officials to form cooperative agreements with state, local, territorial, and tribal leaders to address mountain pine beetle infestations. It also requires a federal plant health agency to provide technical expert assistance to non-federal partners upon
request.
Who it affects
* **Government Entities and Leaders:** Chief executives of any U.S. state, political subdivision (such as local governments), territory, possession, the District of Columbia, and federally recognized Indian Tribes.
* **Federal Agencies:** The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the U.S. Forest Service, and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).
* **Land Managers:** Public or tribal entities overseeing lands affected by mountain pine beetles under the jurisdiction of the USDA or participating state, local, or tribal leaders.
What would change
* **Authorizations (Permissions):**
* The Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service, is *authorized* to sign cooperative agreements with eligible state, local, territorial, or tribal leaders.
* Under these agreements, federal and non-federal partners *may* conduct joint planning and monitoring, process beetle-infested or beetle-killed trees, expand tree processing facilities, reduce hazardous materials, and perform activities aimed at lowering beetle-related wildfire risks.
* **Mandatory Requirements:**
* The Administrator of APHIS *is required* to provide technical assistance to any eligible leader who has signed a cooperative agreement and requested support. This technical assistance must focus on monitoring and managing beetle outbreaks, including tracking infestation dynamics, detection, and mitigation strategies.
Money or funding
The provided summary does not outline specific dollar amounts, appropriations, grants, fees, or tax changes. It does not clarify whether existing agency operational funds would be used or if additional funding would be required to carry out these cooperative agreements and technical support.
Important exceptions or limits
* **Prerequisite for Assistance:** APHIS is only obligated to provide technical assistance if the local, state, or tribal leader has already entered into a cooperative agreement and explicitly requests help.
* **Jurisdiction Limit:** The collaborative activities are limited to lands under the authority of either the USDA or the participating covered entity.
* **Omissions:** The summary does not specify deadlines for implementation, penalties for non-compliance, or explicit exceptions.
Plain-English bottom line
This bill gives federal forestry officials permission to partner with state, local, territorial, and tribal leaders to clean up and manage mountain pine beetle infestations and related wildfire risks, while guaranteeing those partners access to federal technical experts upon request.
