Treating Tribes and Counties as Good Neighbors Act

S 697, the "Treating Tribes and Counties as Good Neighbors Act," amends federal law to allow Indian tribes and counties to retain and use revenue from timber sales under "good neighbor agreements" for forest restoration projects. Specifically, it modifies Section 8206 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 to explicitly include tribes and counties alongside governors as entities that can keep funds from timber sales to fund restoration services under these agreements. The bill requires that funds first cover restoration under the current agreement, with any remaining funds usable for other agreements. This directly affects tribes and counties participating in federal forest management agreements, changing how they access and use revenue from timber sales. The changes apply to projects initiated after the 2018 Agriculture Improvement Act.