16 U.S.C. § 2113a — Good neighbor authority

(a) “Authorized restoration services” means similar or complementary forest, rangeland, and watershed restoration on Federal, non-Federal, or Indian-tribe land by the Secretary, Governor, or county under a good neighbor agreement. “County” means the affected county’s executive official, or the executive official of an affected-county compact. “Federal land” means National Forest System, public land under section 1702 of title 43, National Park System, or National Wildlife Refuge land, but excludes wilderness-system components, land where Congress or a Presidential proclamation and implementation plan prohibit or restrict vegetation removal, and wilderness study areas. “Forest, rangeland, and watershed restoration services” means treating insect- or disease-infected trees, reducing hazardous fuels, and other activities restoring or improving those resources, including fish and wildlife habitat. It excludes construction, reconstruction, repair, or restoration of paved or permanent roads or parking areas, except specified managed-road work necessary for authorized services, including timely decommissioning of certain unneeded National Forest System roads consistently with the travel plan; and excludes public buildings or works. A “good neighbor agreement” is a cooperative agreement or contract, including sole-source contract, between the Secretary and applicable Governor or county. “Governor” includes the Governor or other appropriate executive official of an affected State or Indian tribe or Puerto Rico. “Indian tribe,” “National Forest System road,” and “road” have the meanings given by the cross-referenced provisions. “Secretary” means Agriculture for National Forest System land and Interior for Bureau of Land Management land. (b)(1) The Secretary may enter a good neighbor agreement with a Governor or county for authorized restoration services and must make each agreement public. (2) The timber-sale rules in section 472a(d) and (g) do not apply to services under an agreement. The Secretary must provide or approve silviculture prescriptions and marking guides for Federal-land timber sales. Sale funds retained by a Governor, Indian Tribe, or county must be used for authorized restoration under that agreement and, if money remains, for restoration under other good-neighbor agreements or authorized recreation under the Good Neighbor Authority for Recreation Act. This revenue authority ends October 1, 2028. (3) A decision required by the National Environmental Policy Act for services on Federal land may not be delegated to a Governor or county. (4) A county payment to the Secretary for an agreement project is not money received from the specified Federal land systems.