S.Amdt. 1509

SA 1509. Ms. McSALLY (for herself and Mr. Leahy) submitted an
amendment intended to be proposed to amendment SA 1407 proposed by Ms.
Murkowski to the bill S. 2657, to support innovation in advanced
geothermal research and development, and for other purposes; which was
ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

At the end, add the following:

TITLE IV--MISCELLANEOUS

SEC. 4001. FIREWOOD BANKS.

(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Cooperating party.--The term ``cooperating party''
means a State, local, or Tribal government, a private
company, a nonprofit organization, and a cooperative.
(2) Firewood bank.--The term ``firewood bank'' means a
site--
(A) at which firewood is collected, processed, or stored;
and
(B) that is used by a cooperating party to distribute
firewood to low-income or disabled individuals for personal
use.
(3) Secretaries.--The term ``Secretaries'' means the
Secretary, the Secretary of the Interior, and the Secretary
of Agriculture.
(4) Secretary concerned.--The term ``Secretary concerned''
means--
(A) the Secretary of the Interior, in the case of Federal
land administered by the Secretary of the Interior, including
trust land (as defined in section 3765 of title 38, United
States Code); and
(B) the Secretary of Agriculture, in the case of Federal
land administered by the Secretary of Agriculture, acting
through the Chief of the Forest Service.
(b) Promotion of Firewood Banks.--The Secretaries shall
promote the use of firewood banks by carrying out this
section.
(c) Firewood Banks Within Communities.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary and the Secretary of
Agriculture (referred to in this subsection as the
``Secretaries'') may establish a program to acquire a parcel
of land or an interest in a parcel of land within 1 or more
communities to be used as a local firewood bank.
(2) Acquisitions.--The land referred to in paragraph (1)
may be acquired through a fee-simple purchase, an easement,
or a donation.
(3) Parcel requirements.--A parcel of land acquired under
paragraph (1)--
(A) shall be in a community in which at least 20 percent of
the residents primarily heat their homes with a wood-burning
stove;
(B) shall be not less than \1/2\ acre and not more than 6
acres in size;
(C) shall be able to store not fewer than 100 cords of
firewood;
(D) may have equipment on site to process logs into
firewood; and
(E) may be subject to any other requirements that the
Secretaries, in consultation with cooperating parties under
paragraph (4), determine to be necessary for the efficient,
effective, and safe administration of the firewood bank.
(4) Cooperating parties.--The Secretaries may authorize or
consult with cooperating parties--
(A) to maintain the parcel of land acquired under paragraph
(1); and
(B) to operate the firewood bank.
(5) Use of land.--The Secretaries, or the cooperating
parties, as applicable, shall use a parcel of land acquired
under paragraph (1) exclusively as a firewood bank.
(d) Firewood Banks on Federal Land.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary concerned may authorize 1 or
more firewood banks to be established and operated on Federal
land, including trust land (as defined in section 3765 of
title 38, United States Code).
(2) Requirements.--A firewood bank described in paragraph
(1)--
(A) may only be established if the firewood bank--
(i) will be located within 50 miles of a community in which
at least 20 percent of the residents primarily heat their
homes with a wood-burning stove;
(ii) will occupy an area not less than \1/2\ acre and not
more than 6 acres in size; and
(iii) will be able to store not fewer than 20 cords of
firewood; and
(B) may have privately or publicly owned equipment on site
to process logs into firewood.
(3) Cooperating parties.--The Secretary concerned may
authorize or consult with cooperating parties--
(A) to maintain the Federal land on which the firewood bank
is established under this subsection; and

[[Page S1501]]

(B) to operate the firewood bank.
(4) Use of federal land.--The Secretary concerned, or a
cooperating party, as applicable, shall use the land on which
a firewood bank is established under this subsection
exclusively as a firewood bank.
(e) Secure Supplies of Firewood for Firewood Banks.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary concerned shall--
(A) designate trees for cutting and removal on Federal land
by marking; and
(B) make those trees available to firewood banks,
consistent with this subsection.
(2) Designation.--The Secretary concerned shall designate
trees under paragraph (1)(A)--
(A) in an area located within 50 miles of each firewood
bank established under subsection (d); and
(B) in other areas that the Secretary concerned determines
to be appropriate.
(3) Requirement.--The Secretaries concerned shall designate
trees under paragraph (1)(A) in a sufficient quantity to
provide at least 100 cords of firewood continuously.
(4) No fee required.--
(A) In general.--Any Federal employee or party designated
by a firewood bank may cut, remove, and transport to a
firewood bank a tree designated under paragraph (1)(A)
without incurring any fee.
(B) Limitations.--
(i) Permits.--The Secretary concerned may require a permit
for the cutting and removal of a tree designated under
paragraph (1)(A).
(ii) No significant damage to resources.--A Federal
employee or party designated by a firewood bank shall not be
permitted to significantly damage any resource while cutting
or removing a tree designated under paragraph (1)(A).
(5) Closed entry.--The Secretary concerned may close to
entry an area with trees designated under paragraph (1)(A),
or make that entry subject to such conditions as the
Secretary concerned determines are necessary--
(A) for periods of not longer than 60 consecutive calendar
days; and
(B) for not longer than 150 calendar days during any 1
calendar year.
(f) Report.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 5 years after the date of
enactment of this Act, and every 5 years thereafter, the
Secretaries shall prepare a report describing the
implementation of this section.
(2) Consultation.--The Secretaries may prepare the report
described in paragraph (1) in consultation with cooperating
parties.
(3) Contents.--The Secretaries shall include in the report
described in paragraph (1)--
(A) an assessment of whether, and to what extent, the
program under this section--
(i) is providing assistance to low-income and disabled
individuals;
(ii) is using cooperating parties to establish, operate,
and maintain firewood banks; and
(iii) is supplying firewood from trees designated under
subsection (e)(1)(A);
(B) lists describing--
(i) the acquisitions made under subsection (c) and the
locations at which the acquisitions were made;
(ii) the locations of firewood banks established under
subsection (d)(1);
(iii) the cooperating parties that are assisting in
operating firewood banks established under subsection (d)(1);
and
(iv) the units of Federal land on which the Secretary
concerned has designated trees under subsection (e)(1); and
(C) recommendations to Congress on ways to improve the
administration, efficacy, and effectiveness of the program
under this section.
(4) Submission.--On completion of each report described in
paragraph (1), the Secretaries shall submit the report to--
(A) the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the
Senate;
(B) the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate;
(C) the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of
Representatives; and
(D) the Committee on Appropriations of the House of
Representatives.
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