S.Amdt. 6068

This amendment, submitted by Mr. King, focuses on the Forest Inventory and Analysis Modernization. It aims to update and expand the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Research Act of 1978.

Changes and Additions

The amendment seeks to change and add the following to the bill:

• Data Collection and Reporting: It adds requirements for the Secretary to use specific data collection methods, including a national woodland owner survey and a timber products output study. It also requires the inclusion of forest carbon data and a clear definition of "forest" in reports provided to the public and entities outside the United States.

• Public Access and Privacy: The amendment mandates that data be easily accessible to the public and technical experts while ensuring the confidentiality of plot locations, nonaggregated data from woodland owners, and nonaggregated data from the timber products output survey.

• Annual Accountability: The Secretary must now prepare annual public compilations of forest statistics and publish a yearly business report detailing the progress, costs, priorities, and use of new technology within the strategic plan.

• Expert Review Panel: It establishes a Forest Inventory and Analysis Program Blue Ribbon Panel consisting of 10 to 20 experts. This panel is tasked with reviewing the program's progress and future needs regarding:

  • Forest carbon, climate change, forest health, and sustainable wood products.
  • The integration of advanced remote sensing technologies and spatial analysis.
  • Public-private-academic partnerships.
  • Nationally consistent data collection protocols.
  • Reporting on below-ground carbon and renewable biomass supplies.

• Panel Reporting: The panel must submit a report of its findings to the Secretary, the Secretary of the Interior, and Congress by March 31, 2027.