Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Forest Technology Enhancements for Conservation and Habitat Improvement Act” or the “Forest TECH Improvement Act”.
Forest Technology Enhancements for Conservation and Habitat Improvement Act
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to assess the use of new technologies across reforestation activities, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Reforestation technology pilot program
Establishment of pilot program— Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary of Agriculture, in consultation with the Secretary of the Interior, shall either establish a research, development, and testing pilot program or expand an applicable existing program to—
assess new technologies, including unmanned aircraft system, geospatial, or remote sensing technologies, across all reforestation activities;
accelerate the deployment and integration of such technologies into the operations of the Secretaries; and
collaborate and cooperate with State, Tribal, and private geospatial information system organizations with respect to such technologies.
Expanding use of unmanned aircraft systems— Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this section, the Secretaries shall enter into an agreement to develop consistent protocols and plans for the use of unmanned aircraft system technologies for reforestation activities.
Domestic manufacture requirement— Any unmanned aircraft system technology or component of unmanned aircraft system technology used under this section shall be made and manufactured in the United States.
Rule of construction— Nothing in this section shall be construed as prohibiting the Secretary of Agriculture from using unmanned aircraft systems technologies in effect on the date of the enactment of this section.
Unmanned aircraft system defined— In this section, the term unmanned aircraft system has the meaning given the term in section 44801 of title 49, United States Code.
Sunset— The authority to carry out this section shall terminate on the date that is 5 years after the date of the enactment of this section.