Forest Landscape Restoration Act of 2008 - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture, through the Chief of the Forest Service, to establish a Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program to select and fund ecological restoration treatments for priority forest landscapes.
Sets forth provisions concerning the eligibility criteria for, and nomination and selection of, collaborative forest landscape restoration proposals for carrying out such treatments.
Requires the Secretary to establish a scientific advisory panel to evaluate, and provide recommendations on, any proposal. Requires the panel to include experts in ecological restoration, fire ecology, fire management, rural economic development, strategies for ecological adaptation to climate change, fish and wildlife ecology, and woody biomass and small-diameter tree utilization.
Establishes the Collaborative Forest Landscape Fund, to be used for paying up to 50% of the cost of carrying out and monitoring ecological restoration treatments on National Forest System land for each proposal selected. Permits, the cost of carrying out ecological restoration treatments, as the Secretary determines to be appropriate, to include cancellation and termination costs required to be obligated for contracts to carry out such treatments for each such proposal.
Sets forth limitations on expenditures made from the Fund.
Requires establishment of an accounting and reporting system for the Fund.
Authorizes appropriations for the Fund.
Requires: (1) creation of implementation work plans and budgets to implement proposals; (2) submission of annual reports on the accomplishments of selected proposals; (3) use of a multiparty monitoring, evaluation, and accountability process to assess the ecological, social, and economic effects of projects implementing proposals; and (4) submission of reports every five years on the Program.
Authorizes appropriations to carry out this Act.