ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM.

SEC. 605. ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM. (a) Forest Restoration Program.—The Secretary shall establish a cooperative forest restoration program in New Mexico in order to provide cost-share grants to stakeholders for experimental forest restoration projects that are designed through a collaborative process (hereinafter referred to as the “Collaborative Forest Restoration Program”). The projects may be entirely on, or on any combination of, Federal, Tribal, State, County, or Municipal forest lands. The Federal share of an individual project cost shall not exceed 80 percent of the total cost. The 20-percent matching may be in the form of cash or in-kind contribution. (b) Eligibility Requirements.—To be eligible to receive funding under this title, a project shall— (1) address the following objectives— (A) reduce the threat of large, high intensity wildfires and the negative effects of excessive competition between trees by restoring ecosystem functions, structures, and species composition, including the reduction of non-native species populations; (B) re-establish fire regimes approximating those that shaped forest ecosystems prior to fire suppression; (C) preserve old and large trees; (D) replant trees in deforested areas if they exist in the proposed project area; and (E) improve the use of, or add value to, small diameter trees; (2) comply with all Federal and State environmental laws; (3) include a diverse and balanced group of stakeholders as well as appropriate Federal, Tribal, State, County, and Municipal government representatives in the design, implementation, and monitoring of the project; (4) incorporate current scientific forest restoration information; and (5) include a multiparty assessment to— (A) identify both the existing ecological condition of the proposed project area and the desired future condition; and (B) report, upon project completion, on the positive or negative impact and effectiveness of the project including improvements in local management skills and on the ground results; (6) create local employment or training opportunities within the context of accomplishing restoration objectives, that are consistent with the purposes of this title, including summer youth jobs programs such as the Youth Conservation Corps where appropriate; (7) not exceed 4 years in length; 114 STAT. 1627 (8) not exceed a total annual cost of $150,000, with the Federal portion not exceeding $120,000 annually, nor exceed a total cost of $450,000 for the project, with the Federal portion of the total cost not exceeding $360,000; (9) leverage Federal funding through in-kind or matching contributions; and (10) include an agreement by each stakeholder to attend an annual workshop with other stakeholders for the purpose of discussing the cooperative forest restoration program and projects implemented under this title. The Secretary shall coordinate and fund the annual workshop. Stakeholders may use funding for projects authorized under this title to pay for their travel and per diem expenses to attend the workshop.