Fostering Opportunities for Resources and Education Spending through Timber Sales Act of 2015 or the FORESTS Act of 2015
This bill directs the Department of Agriculture to establish at least one Forest Active Management Area within each unit of the National Forest System designated for sustainable forest management for the production of national forest materials (trees, portions of trees, or forest products) and forest active management revenues (derived from the sale of such materials).
The purpose of an Area is to provide a dependable source of:
Forest active management revenues shall be used to make: (1) the 25% payments to states for payment to beneficiary counties for the benefit of public schools and public roads, and (2) deposits into the Knutson-Vandenburg Fund and the salvage sale fund for projects on System land.
This bill amends the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 to extend:
Receipt by a county of Forest Active Management revenues or stewardship project payments shall be offset against 25% payments to the county.
The original method for calculating 25% payments is restored.
Beginning October 1, 2015, a state or territorial legislature may not withhold any portion of a 25% payment from the county or counties in which a national forest is situated.
The maximum duration of a stewardship end resulting contract under the Healthy Forest Restoration Act of 2003 may extend from 10 to 20 years.
The Forest Service or the Bureau of Land Management of the Department of the Interior: