[106th Congress Public Law 393]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office]
<DOC>
[DOCID: f:publ393.106]
[[Page 114 STAT. 1607]]
Public Law 106-393
106th Congress
An Act
To restore stability <<NOTE: Oct. 30, 2000 - [H.R. 2389]>> and
predictability to the annual payments made to States and counties
containing National Forest System lands and public domain lands managed
by the Bureau of Land Management for use by the counties for the benefit
of public schools, roads, and other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress <<NOTE: Secure Rural Schools and
Community Self-Determination Act of 2000. 16 USC 500 note.>> assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.
(a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Secure Rural
Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000''.
(b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents of this Act is as
follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Findings and purposes.
Sec. 3. Definitions.
Sec. 4. Conforming amendment.
TITLE I--SECURE PAYMENTS FOR STATES AND COUNTIES CONTAINING FEDERAL
LANDS
Sec. 101. Determination of full payment amount for eligible States and
counties.
Sec. 102. Payments to States from National Forest Service lands for use
by counties to benefit public education and transportation.
Sec. 103. Payments to counties from Bureau of Land Management lands for
use to benefit public safety, law enforcement, education, and
other public purposes.
TITLE II--SPECIAL PROJECTS ON FEDERAL LANDS
Sec. 201. Definitions.
Sec. 202. General limitation on use of project funds.
Sec. 203. Submission of project proposals.
Sec. 204. Evaluation and approval of projects by Secretary concerned.
Sec. 205. Resource advisory committees.
Sec. 206. Use of project funds.
Sec. 207. Availability of project funds.
Sec. 208. Termination of authority.
TITLE III--COUNTY PROJECTS
Sec. 301. Definitions.
Sec. 302. Use of county funds.
Sec. 303. Termination of authority.
TITLE IV--MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
Sec. 401. Authorization of appropriations.
Sec. 402. Treatment of funds and revenues.
Sec. 403. Regulations.
Sec. 404. Conforming amendments.
TITLE V--MINERAL REVENUE PAYMENTS CLARIFICATION
Sec. 501. Short title.
Sec. 502. Findings.
[[Page 114 STAT. 1608]]
Sec. 503. Amendment of the Mineral Leasing Act.
TITLE VI--COMMUNITY FOREST RESTORATION
Sec. 601. Short title.
Sec. 602. Findings.
Sec. 603. Purposes.
Sec. 604. Definitions.
Sec. 605. Establishment of program.
Sec. 606. Selection process.
Sec. 607. Monitoring and evaluation.
Sec. 608. Report.
Sec. 609. Authorization of appropriations.
SEC. <<NOTE: 16 USC 500 note.>> 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.
(a) Findings.--The Congress finds the following:
(1) The National Forest System, which is managed by the
United States Forest Service, was established in 1907 and has
grown to include approximately 192,000,000 acres of Federal
lands.
(2) The public domain lands known as revested Oregon and
California Railroad grant lands and the reconveyed Coos Bay
Wagon Road grant lands, which are managed predominantly by the
Bureau of Land Management were returned to Federal ownership in
1916 and 1919 and now comprise approximately 2,600,000 acres of
Federal lands.
(3) Congress recognized that, by its decision to secure
these lands in Federal ownership, the counties in which these
lands are situated would be deprived of revenues they would
otherwise receive if the lands were held in private ownership.
(4) These same counties have expended public funds year
after year to provide services, such as education, road
construction and maintenance, search and rescue, law
enforcement, waste removal, and fire protection, that directly
benefit these Federal lands and people who use these lands.
(5) To accord a measure of compensation to the affected
counties for the critical services they provide to both county
residents and visitors to these Federal lands, Congress
determined that the Federal Government should share with these
counties a portion of the revenues the United States receives
from these Federal lands.
(6) Congress enacted in 1908 and subsequently amended a law
that requires that 25 percent of the revenues derived from
National Forest System lands be paid to States for use by the
counties in which the lands are situated for the benefit of
public schools and roads.
(7) Congress enacted in 1937 and subsequently amended a law
that requires that 75 percent of the revenues derived from the
revested and reconveyed grant lands be paid to the counties in
which those lands are situated to be used as are other county
funds, of which 50 percent is to be used as other county funds.
(8) For several decades primarily due to the growth of the
Federal timber sale program, counties dependent on and
supportive of these Federal lands received and relied on
increasing shares of these revenues to provide funding for
schools and road maintenance.
(9) In recent years, the principal source of these revenues,
Federal timber sales, has been sharply curtailed and, as the
volume of timber sold annually from most of the Federal lands
[[Page 114 STAT. 1609]]
has decreased precipitously, so too have the revenues shared
with the affected counties.
(10) This decline in shared revenues has affected
educational funding and road maintenance for many counties.
(11) In the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993,
Congress recognized this trend and ameliorated its adverse
consequences by providing an alternative annual safety net
payment to 72 counties in Oregon, Washington, and northern
California in which Federal timber sales had been restricted or
prohibited by administrative and judicial decisions to protect
the northern spotted owl.
(12) The authority for these particular safety net payments
is expiring and no comparable authority has been granted for
alternative payments to counties elsewhere in the United States
that have suffered similar losses in shared revenues from the
Federal lands and in the funding for schools and roads those
revenues provide.
(13) There is a need to stabilize education and road
maintenance funding through predictable payments to the affected
counties, job creation in those counties, and other
opportunities associated with restoration, maintenance, and
stewardship of Federal lands.
(14) Both the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land
Management face significant backlogs in infrastructure
maintenance and ecosystem restoration that are difficult to
address through annual appropriations.
(15) There is a need to build new, and strengthen existing,
relationships and to improve management of public lands and
waters.
(b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are as follows:
(1) To stabilize payments to counties to provide funding for
schools and roads that supplements other available funds.
(2) To make additional investments in, and create additional
employment opportunities through, projects that improve the
maintenance of existing infrastructure, implement stewardship
objectives that enhance forest ecosystems, and restore and
improve land health and water quality. Such projects shall enjoy
broad-based support with objectives that may include, but are
not limited to--
(A) road, trail, and infrastructure maintenance or
obliteration;
(B) soil productivity improvement;
(C) improvements in forest ecosystem health;
(D) watershed restoration and maintenance;
(E) restoration, maintenance and improvement of
wildlife and fish habitat;
(F) control of noxious and exotic weeds; and
(G) reestablishment of native species.
(3) To improve cooperative relationships among the people
that use and care for Federal lands and the agencies that manage
these lands.
SEC. <<NOTE: 16 USC 500 note.>> 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Federal lands.--The term ``Federal lands'' means--
(A) lands within the National Forest System, as
defined in section 11(a) of the Forest and Rangeland
Renewable
[[Page 114 STAT. 1610]]
Resources Planning Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C. 1609(a))
exclusive of the National Grasslands and land
utilization projects designated as National Grasslands
administered pursuant to the Act of July 22, 1937 (7
U.S.C. 1010-1012); and
(B) such portions of the revested Oregon and
California Railroad and reconveyed Coos Bay Wagon Road
grant lands as are or may hereafter come under the
jurisdiction of the Department of the Interior, which
have heretofore or may hereafter be classified as
timberlands, and power-site lands valuable for timber,
that shall be managed, except as provided in the former
section 3 of the Act of August 28, 1937 (50 Stat. 875;
43 U.S.C. 1181c), for permanent forest production.
(2) Eligibility period.--The term ``eligibility period''
means fiscal year 1986 through fiscal year 1999.
(3) Eligible county.--The term ``eligible county'' means a
county that received 50-percent payments for one or more fiscal
years of the eligibility period or a county that received a
portion of an eligible State's 25-percent payments for one or
more fiscal years of the eligibility period. The term includes a
county established after the date of the enactment of this Act
so long as the county includes all or a portion of a county
described in the preceding sentence.
(4) Eligible state.--The term ``eligible State'' means a
State that received 25-percent payments for one or more fiscal
years of the eligibility period.
(5) Full payment amount.--The term ``full payment amount''
means the amount calculated for each eligible State and eligible
county under section 101.
(6) 25-percent payment.--The term ``25-percent payment''
means the payment to States required by the sixth paragraph
under the heading of ``FOREST SERVICE'' in the Act of May 23,
1908 (35 Stat. 260; 16 U.S.C. 500), and section 13 of the Act of
March 1, 1911 (36 Stat. 963; 16 U.S.C. 500).
(7) 50-percent payment.--The term ``50-percent payment''
means the payment that is the sum of the 50-percent share
otherwise paid to a county pursuant to title II of the Act of
August 28, 1937 (chapter 876; 50 Stat. 875; 43 U.S.C. 1181f),
and the payment made to a county pursuant to the Act of May 24,
1939 (chapter 144; 53 Stat. 753; 43 U.S.C. 1181f-1 et seq.).
(8) Safety net payments.--The term ``safety net payments''
means the special payment amounts paid to States and counties
required by section 13982 or 13983 of the Omnibus Budget
Reconciliation Act of 1993 (Public Law 103-66; 16 U.S.C. 500
note; 43 U.S.C. 1181f note).
SEC. 4. CONFORMING AMENDMENT.
Section 6903(a)(1)(C) of title 31, United States Code, is amended by
inserting after ``(16 U.S.C. 500)'' the following: ``or the Secure Rural
Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000''.
[[Page 114 STAT. 1611]]
TITLE I--SECURE PAYMENTS FOR STATES AND COUNTIES CONTAINING FEDERAL
LANDS
SEC. <<NOTE: 16 USC 500 note.>> 101. DETERMINATION OF FULL PAYMENT
AMOUNT FOR ELIGIBLE STATES AND COUNTIES.
(a) Calculation Required.--
(1) Eligible states.--For fiscal years 2001 through 2006,
the Secretary of the Treasury shall calculate for each eligible
State that received a 25-percent payment during the eligibility
period an amount equal to the average of the three highest 25-
percent payments and safety net payments made to that eligible
State for the fiscal years of the eligibility period.
(2) Bureau of land management counties.--For fiscal years
2001 through 2006, the Secretary of the Treasury shall calculate
for each eligible county that received a 50-percent payment
during the eligibility period an amount equal to the average of
the three highest 50-percent payments and safety net payments
made to that eligible county for the fiscal years of the
eligibility period.
(b) <<NOTE: Bureau of Labor Statistics, publication.>> Annual
Adjustment.--For each fiscal year in which payments are required to be
made to eligible States and eligible counties under this title, the
Secretary of the Treasury shall adjust the full payment amount for the
previous fiscal year for each eligible State and eligible county to
reflect 50 percent of the changes in the consumer price index for rural
areas (as published in the Bureau of Labor Statistics) that occur after
publication of that index for fiscal year 2000.
SEC. <<NOTE: 16 USC 500 note.>> 102. PAYMENTS TO STATES FROM NATIONAL
FOREST SYSTEM LANDS FOR USE BY COUNTIES TO BENEFIT PUBLIC
EDUCATION AND TRANSPORTATION.
(a) Payment Amounts.--The Secretary of the Treasury shall pay an
eligible State the sum of the amounts elected under subsection (b) by
each eligible county for either--
(1) the 25-percent payment under the Act of May 23, 1908 (16
U.S.C. 500), and section 13 of the Act of March 1, 1911 (16
U.S.C. 500); or
(2) the full payment amount in place of the 25-percent
payment.
(b) Election To Receive Payment Amount.--
(1) Election; submission of results.--The election to
receive either the full payment amount or the 25-percent payment
shall be made at the discretion of each affected county and
transmitted to the Secretary by the Governor of a State.
(2) Duration of election.--A county election to receive the
25-percent payment shall be effective for two fiscal years. When
a county elects to receive the full payment amount, such
election shall be effective for all the subsequent fiscal years
through fiscal year 2006.
(3) Source of payment amounts.--The payment to an eligible
State under this section for a fiscal year shall be derived from
any revenues, fees, penalties, or miscellaneous receipts,
exclusive of deposits to any relevant trust fund, or special
accounts, received by the Federal Government from activities
[[Page 114 STAT. 1612]]
by the Forest Service on the Federal lands described in section
3(1)(A) and to the extent of any shortfall, out of any funds in
the Treasury not otherwise appropriated.
(c) Distribution and Expenditure of Payments.--
(1) Distribution method.--A State that receives a payment
under subsection (a) shall distribute the payment among all
eligible counties in the State in accordance with the Act of May
23, 1908 (16 U.S.C. 500), and section 13 of the Act of March 1,
1911 (36 Stat. 963; 16 U.S.C. 500).
(2) Expenditure purposes.--Subject to subsection (d),
payments received by a State under subsection (a) and
distributed to eligible counties shall be expended as required
by the laws referred to in paragraph (1).
(d) Expenditure Rules for Eligible Counties.--
(1) Allocations.--
(A) Use of portion in same manner as 25-percent
payments.--If an eligible county elects to receive its
share of the full payment amount, not less than 80
percent, but not more than 85 percent, of the funds
shall be expended in the same manner in which the 25-
percent payments are required to be expended.
(B) Election as to use of balance.--An eligible
county shall elect to do one or more of the following
with the balance of the funds not expended pursuant to
subparagraph (A):
(i) Reserve the balance for projects in
accordance with title II.
(ii) Reserve the balance for projects in
accordance with title III.
(iii) Return the balance to the General
Treasury in accordance with section 402(b).
(2) Distribution of funds.--
(A) Treatment of title ii funds.--Funds reserved by
an eligible county under paragraph (1)(B)(i) shall be
deposited in a special account in the Treasury of the
United States and shall be available for expenditure by
the Secretary of Agriculture, without further
appropriation, and shall remain available until expended
in accordance with title II.
(B) Treatment of title iii funds.--Funds reserved by
an eligible county under paragraph (1)(B)(ii) shall be
available for expenditure by the county and shall remain
available, until expended, in accordance with title III.
(3) Election.--
(A) <<NOTE: Notification. Deadline.>> In general.--
An eligible county shall notify the Secretary of
Agriculture of its election under this subsection not
later than September 30 of each fiscal year. If the
eligible county fails to make an election by that date,
the county is deemed to have elected to expend 85
percent of the funds to be received under this section
in the same manner in which the 25-percent payments are
required to be expended, and shall remit the balance to
the Treasury of the United States in accordance with
section 402(b).
(B) Counties with minor distributions.--
Notwithstanding any adjustment made pursuant to section
101(b) in the case of each eligible county to which less
than $100,000 is distributed for any fiscal year
pursuant to
[[Page 114 STAT. 1613]]
subsection (c)(1), the eligible county may elect to
expend all such funds in accordance with subsection
(c)(2).
(e) Time for Payment.--The payment to an eligible State under this
section for a fiscal year shall be made as soon as practicable after the
end of that fiscal year.
SEC. <<NOTE: 16 USC 500 note.>> 103. PAYMENTS TO COUNTIES FROM BUREAU
OF LAND MANAGEMENT LANDS FOR USE TO BENEFIT PUBLIC SAFETY,
LAW ENFORCEMENT, EDUCATION, AND OTHER PUBLIC PURPOSES.
(a) Payment.--The Secretary of the Treasury shall pay an eligible
county either--
(1) the 50-percent payment under the Act of August 28, 1937
(43 U.S.C. 1181f ), or the Act of May 24, 1939 (43 U.S.C. 1181f-
1) as appropriate; or
(2) the full payment amount in place of the 50-percent
payment.
(b) Election To Receive Full Payment Amount.--
(1) Election; duration.--The election to receive the full
payment amount shall be made at the discretion of the county.
Once the election is made, it shall be effective for the fiscal
year in which the election is made and all subsequent fiscal
years through fiscal year 2006.
(2) Source of payment amounts.--The payment to an eligible
county under this section for a fiscal year shall be derived
from any revenues, fees, penalties, or miscellaneous receipts,
exclusive of deposits to any relevant trust fund, or permanent
operating funds, received by the Federal Government from
activities by the Bureau of Land Management on the Federal lands
described in section 3(1)(B) and to the extent of any shortfall,
out of any funds in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated.
(c) Expenditure Rules for Eligible Counties.--
(1) Allocations.--
(A) Use of portion in same manner as 50-percent
payments.--Of the funds to be paid to an eligible county
pursuant to subsection (a)(2), not less than 80 percent,
but not more than 85 percent, of the funds distributed
to the eligible county shall be expended in the same
manner in which the 50-percent payments are required to
be expended.
(B) Election as to use of balance.--An eligible
county shall elect to do one or more of the following
with the balance of the funds not expended pursuant to
subparagraph (A):
(i) Reserve the balance for projects in
accordance with title II.
(ii) Reserve the balance for projects in
accordance with title III.
(iii) Return the balance to the General
Treasury in accordance with section 402(b).
(2) Distribution of funds.--
(A) Treatment of title ii funds.--Funds reserved by
an eligible county under paragraph (1)(B)(i) shall be
deposited in a special account in the Treasury of the
United States and shall be available for expenditure by
the Secretary of the Interior, without further
appropriation, and
[[Page 114 STAT. 1614]]
shall remain available until expended in accordance with
title II.
(B) Treatment of title iii funds.--Funds reserved by
an eligible county under paragraph (1)(B)(ii) shall be
available for expenditure by the county and shall remain
available, until expended, in accordance with title III.
(3) <<NOTE: Notification. Deadline.>> Election.--An
eligible county shall notify the Secretary of the Interior of
its election under this subsection not later than September 30
of each fiscal year. If the eligible county fails to make an
election by that date, the county is deemed to have elected to
expend 85 percent of the funds received under subsection (a)(2)
in the same manner in which the 50-percent payments are required
to be expended and shall remit the balance to the Treasury of
the United States in accordance with section 402(b).
(d) Time for Payment.--The payment to an eligible county under this
section for a fiscal year shall be made as soon as practicable after the
end of that fiscal year.
TITLE II--SPECIAL PROJECTS ON FEDERAL LANDS
SEC. <<NOTE: 16 USC 500 note.>> 201. DEFINITIONS.
In this title:
(1) Participating county.--The term ``participating county''
means an eligible county that elects under section
102(d)(1)(B)(i) or 103(c)(1)(B)(i) to expend a portion of the
Federal funds received under section 102 or 103 in accordance
with this title.
(2) Project funds.--The term ``project funds'' means all
funds an eligible county elects under sections 102(d)(1)(B)(i)
and 103(c)(1)(B)(i) to reserve for expenditure in accordance
with this title.
(3) Resource advisory committee.--The term ``resource
advisory committee'' means an advisory committee established by
the Secretary concerned under section 205, or determined by the
Secretary concerned to meet the requirements of section 205.
(4) Resource management plan.--The term ``resource
management plan'' means a land use plan prepared by the Bureau
of Land Management for units of the Federal lands described in
section 3(1)(B) pursuant to section 202 of the Federal Land
Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1712) or a land and
resource management plan prepared by the Forest Service for
units of the National Forest System pursuant to section 6 of the
Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974
(16 U.S.C. 1604).
(5) Secretary concerned.--The term ``Secretary concerned''
means--
(A) the Secretary of Agriculture or the designee of
the Secretary of Agriculture with respect to the Federal
lands described in section 3(1)(A); and
(B) the Secretary of the Interior or the designee of
the Secretary of the Interior with respect to the
Federal lands described in section 3(1)(B).
[[Page 114 STAT. 1615]]
SEC. <<NOTE: 16 USC 500 note.>> 202. GENERAL LIMITATION ON USE OF
PROJECT FUNDS.
Project funds shall be expended solely on projects that meet the
requirements of this title. Project funds may be used by the Secretary
concerned for the purpose of entering into and implementing cooperative
agreements with willing Federal agencies, State and local governments,
private and nonprofit entities, and landowners for protection,
restoration and enhancement of fish and wildlife habitat, and other
resource objectives consistent with the purposes of this title on
Federal land and on non-Federal land where projects would benefit these
resources on Federal land.
SEC. <<NOTE: 16 USC 500 note.>> 203. SUBMISSION OF PROJECT PROPOSALS.
(a) Submission of Project Proposals to Secretary Concerned.--
(1) <<NOTE: Deadline.>> Projects funded using project
funds.--Not later than September 30 for fiscal year 2001, and
each September 30 thereafter for each succeeding fiscal year
through fiscal year 2006, each resource advisory committee shall
submit to the Secretary concerned a description of any projects
that the resource advisory committee proposes the Secretary
undertake using any project funds reserved by eligible counties
in the area in which the resource advisory committee has
geographic jurisdiction.
(2) Projects funded using other funds.--A resource advisory
committee may submit to the Secretary concerned a description of
any projects that the committee proposes the Secretary undertake
using funds from State or local governments, or from the private
sector, other than project funds and funds appropriated and
otherwise available to do similar work.
(3) Joint projects.--Participating counties or other persons
may propose to pool project funds or other funds, described in
paragraph (2), and jointly propose a project or group of
projects to a resource advisory committee established under
section 205.
(b) Required Description of Projects.--In submitting proposed
projects to the Secretary concerned under subsection (a), a resource
advisory committee shall include in the description of each proposed
project the following information:
(1) The purpose of the project and a description of how the
project will meet the purposes of this Act.
(2) The anticipated duration of the project.
(3) The anticipated cost of the project.
(4) The proposed source of funding for the project, whether
project funds or other funds.
(5) Expected outcomes, including how the project will meet
or exceed desired ecological conditions, maintenance objectives,
or stewardship objectives, as well as an estimation of the
amount of any timber, forage, and other commodities and other
economic activity, including jobs generated, if any, anticipated
as part of the project.
(6) A detailed monitoring plan, including funding needs and
sources, that tracks and identifies the positive or negative
impacts of the project, implementation, and provides for
validation monitoring. The monitoring plan shall include an
assessment of the following: Whether or not the project met or
[[Page 114 STAT. 1616]]
exceeded desired ecological conditions; created local employment
or training opportunities, including summer youth jobs programs
such as the Youth Conservation Corps where appropriate; and
whether the project improved the use of, or added value to, any
products removed from lands consistent with the purposes of this
Act.
(7) An assessment that the project is to be in the public
interest.
(c) Authorized Projects.--Projects proposed under subsection (a)
shall be consistent with section 2(b).
SEC. <<NOTE: 16 USC 500 note.>> 204. EVALUATION AND APPROVAL OF
PROJECTS BY SECRETARY CONCERNED.
(a) Conditions for Approval of Proposed Project.--The Secretary
concerned may make a decision to approve a project submitted by a
resource advisory committee under section 203 only if the proposed
project satisfies each of the following conditions:
(1) The project complies with all applicable Federal laws
and regulations.
(2) The project is consistent with the applicable resource
management plan and with any watershed or subsequent plan
developed pursuant to the resource management plan and approved
by the Secretary concerned.
(3) The project has been approved by the resource advisory
committee in accordance with section 205, including the
procedures issued under subsection (e) of such section.
(4) A project description has been submitted by the resource
advisory committee to the Secretary concerned in accordance with
section 203.
(5) The project will improve the maintenance of existing
infrastructure, implement stewardship objectives that enhance
forest ecosystems, and restore and improve land health and water
quality.
(b) Environmental Reviews.--
(1) Payment of review costs.--
(A) Request for payment by county.--The Secretary
concerned may request the resource advisory committee
submitting a proposed project to agree to the use of
project funds to pay for any environmental review,
consultation, or compliance with applicable
environmental laws required in connection with the
project. When such a payment is requested and the
resource advisory committee agrees to the expenditure of
funds for this purpose, the Secretary concerned shall
conduct environmental review, consultation, or other
compliance responsibilities in accordance with Federal
law and regulations.
(B) Effect of refusal to pay.--If a resource
advisory committee does not agree to the expenditure of
funds under subparagraph (A), the project shall be
deemed withdrawn from further consideration by the
Secretary concerned pursuant to this title. Such a
withdrawal shall be deemed to be a rejection of the
project for purposes of section 207(c).
(c) Decisions of Secretary Concerned.--
(1) Rejection of projects.--A decision by the Secretary
concerned to reject a proposed project shall be at the
Secretary's sole discretion. Notwithstanding any other provision
of law,
[[Page 114 STAT. 1617]]
a decision by the Secretary concerned to reject a proposed
project shall not be subject to administrative appeal or
judicial review. <<NOTE: Deadline. Notification.>> Within 30
days after making the rejection decision, the Secretary
concerned shall notify in writing the resource advisory
committee that submitted the proposed project of the rejection
and the reasons for rejection.
(2) Notice of project approval.--The <<NOTE: Federal
Register, publication.>> Secretary concerned shall publish in
the Federal Register notice of each project approved under
subsection (a) if such notice would be required had the project
originated with the Secretary.
(d) Source and Conduct of Project.--Once the Secretary concerned
accepts a project for review under section 203, it shall be deemed a
Federal action for all purposes.
(e) Implementation of Approved Projects.--
(1) Cooperation.--Notwithstanding chapter 63 of title 31,
United States Code, using project funds the Secretary concerned
may enter into contracts, grants, and cooperative agreements
with States and local governments, private and nonprofit
entities, and landowners and other persons to assist the
Secretary in carrying out an approved project.
(2) Best value contracting.--For any project involving a
contract authorized by paragraph (1) the Secretary concerned may
elect a source for performance of the contract on a best value
basis. The Secretary concerned shall determine best value based
on such factors as:
(A) The technical demands and complexity of the work
to be done.
(B) The ecological objectives of the project and the
sensitivity of the resources being treated.
(C) The past experience by the contractor with the
type of work being done, using the type of equipment
proposed for the project, and meeting or exceeding
desired ecological conditions.
(D) The commitment of the contractor to hiring
highly qualified workers and local residents.
(3) Merchantable material contracting pilot program.--
(A) Establishment.--The Secretary concerned shall
establish a pilot program to implement a certain
percentage of approved projects involving the sale of
merchantable material using separate contracts for--
(i) the harvesting or collection of
merchantable material; and
(ii) the sale of such material.
(B) Annual percentages.--Under the pilot program,
the Secretary concerned shall ensure that, on a
nationwide basis, not less than the following percentage
of all approved projects involving the sale of
merchantable material are implemented using separate
contracts:
(i) For fiscal year 2001, 15 percent.
(ii) For fiscal year 2002, 25 percent.
(iii) For fiscal year 2003, 25 percent.
(iv) For fiscal year 2004, 50 percent.
(v) For fiscal year 2005, 50 percent.
(vi) For fiscal year 2006, 50 percent.
(C) Inclusion in pilot program.--The decision
whether to use separate contracts to implement a project
[[Page 114 STAT. 1618]]
involving the sale of merchantable material shall be
made by the Secretary concerned after the approval of
the project under this title.
(D) Assistance.--The Secretary concerned may use
funds from any appropriated account available to the
Secretary for the Federal lands to assist in the
administration of projects conducted under the pilot
program. The total amount obligated under this
subparagraph may not exceed $1,000,000 for any fiscal
year during which the pilot program is in effect.
(E) <<NOTE: Deadline.>> Review and report.--Not
later than September 30, 2003, the Comptroller General
shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition,
and Forestry of the Senate, the Committee on Energy and
Natural Resources of the Senate, the Committee on
Agriculture of the House of Representatives, and the
Committee on Resources of the House of Representatives a
report assessing the pilot program. The Secretary
concerned shall submit to such committees an annual
report describing the results of the pilot program.
(f ) Requirements for Project Funds.--The Secretary shall ensure
that at least 50 percent of all project funds be used for projects that
are primarily dedicated--
(1) to road maintenance, decommissioning, or obliteration;
or
(2) to restoration of streams and watersheds.
SEC. <<NOTE: 16 USC 500 note.>> 205. RESOURCE ADVISORY COMMITTEES.
(a) Establishment and Purpose of Resource Advisory Committees.--
(1) Establishment.--The Secretary concerned shall establish
and maintain resource advisory committees to perform the duties
in subsection (b), except as provided in paragraph (4).
(2) Purpose.--The purpose of a resource advisory committee
shall be to improve collaborative relationships and to provide
advice and recommendations to the land management agencies
consistent with the purposes of this Act.
(3) Access to resource advisory committees.--To ensure that
each unit of Federal land has access to a resource advisory
committee, and that there is sufficient interest in
participation on a committee to ensure that membership can be
balanced in terms of the points of view represented and the
functions to be performed, the Secretary concerned may,
establish resource advisory committees for part of, or one or
more, units of Federal lands.
(4) Existing advisory committees.--Existing advisory
committees meeting the requirements of this section may be
deemed by the Secretary concerned, as a resource advisory
committee for the purposes of this title. The Secretary of the
Interior may deem a resource advisory committee meeting the
requirements of subpart 1784 of part 1780 of title 43, Code of
Federal Regulations, as a resource advisory committee for the
purposes of this title.
(b) Duties.--A resource advisory committee shall--
(1) review projects proposed under this title by
participating counties and other persons;
[[Page 114 STAT. 1619]]
(2) propose projects and funding to the Secretary concerned
under section 203;
(3) provide early and continuous coordination with
appropriate land management agency officials in recommending
projects consistent with purposes of this Act under this title;
and
(4) provide frequent opportunities for citizens,
organizations, tribes, land management agencies, and other
interested parties to participate openly and meaningfully,
beginning at the early stages of the project development process
under this title.
(c) Appointment by the Secretary.--
(1) Appointment and term.--The Secretary concerned, shall
appoint the members of resource advisory committees for a term
of 3 years beginning on the date of appointment. The Secretary
concerned may reappoint members to subsequent 3-year terms.
(2) Basic requirements.--The Secretary concerned shall
ensure that each resource advisory committee established meets
the requirements of subsection (d).
(3) <<NOTE: Deadline.>> Initial appointment.--The Secretary
concerned shall make initial appointments to the resource
advisory committees not later than 180 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act.
(4) Vacancies.--The Secretary concerned shall make
appointments to fill vacancies on any resource advisory
committee as soon as practicable after the vacancy has occurred.
(5) Compensation.--Members of the resource advisory
committees shall not receive any compensation.
(d) Composition of Advisory Committee.--
(1) Number.--Each resource advisory committee shall be
comprised of 15 members.
(2) Community interests represented.--Committee members
shall be representative of the interests of the following three
categories:
(A) five persons who--
(i) represent organized labor;
(ii) represent developed outdoor recreation,
off highway vehicle users, or commercial
recreation activities;
(iii) represent energy and mineral development
interests;
(iv) represent the commercial timber industry;
or
(v) hold Federal grazing permits, or other
land use permits within the area for which the
committee is organized.
(B) five persons representing--
(i) nationally recognized environmental
organizations;
(ii) regionally or locally recognized
environmental organizations;
(iii) dispersed recreational activities;
(iv) archaeological and historical interests;
or
(v) nationally or regionally recognized wild
horse and burro interest groups.
(C) five persons who--
(i) hold State elected office or their
designee;
[[Page 114 STAT. 1620]]
(ii) hold county or local elected office;
(iii) represent American Indian tribes within
or adjacent to the area for which the committee is
organized;
(iv) are school officials or teachers; or
(v) represent the affected public at large.
(3) Balanced representation.--In appointing committee
members from the three categories in paragraph (2), the
Secretary concerned shall provide for balanced and broad
representation from within each category.
(4) Geographic distribution.--The members of a resource
advisory committee shall reside within the State in which the
committee has jurisdiction and, to extent practicable, the
Secretary concerned shall ensure local representation in each
category in paragraph (2).
(5) Chairperson.--A majority on each resource advisory
committee shall select the chairperson of the committee.
(e) Approval Procedures.--(1) Subject to paragraph (2), each
resource advisory committee shall establish procedures for proposing
projects to the Secretary concerned under this title. A quorum must be
present to constitute an official meeting of the committee.
(2) A project may be proposed by a resource advisory committee to
the Secretary concerned under section 203(a), if it has been approved by
a majority of members of the committee from each of the three categories
in subsection (d)(2).
(f ) Other Committee Authorities and Requirements.--
(1) Staff assistance.--A resource advisory committee may
submit to the Secretary concerned a request for periodic staff
assistance from Federal employees under the jurisdiction of the
Secretary.
(2) Meetings.--All meetings of a resource advisory committee
shall be announced at least one week in advance in a local
newspaper of record and shall be open to the public.
(3) Records.--A resource advisory committee shall maintain
records of the meetings of the committee and make the records
available for public inspection.
SEC. <<NOTE: 16 USC 500 note.>> 206. USE OF PROJECT FUNDS.
(a) Agreement Regarding Schedule and Cost of Project.--
(1) Agreement between parties.--The Secretary concerned may
carry out a project submitted by a resource advisory committee
under section 203(a) using project funds or other funds
described in section 203(a)(2), if, as soon as practicable after
the issuance of a decision document for the project and the
exhaustion of all administrative appeals and judicial review of
the project decision, the Secretary concerned and the resource
advisory committee enter into an agreement addressing, at a
minimum, the following:
(A) The schedule for completing the project.
(B) The total cost of the project, including the
level of agency overhead to be assessed against the
project.
(C) For a multiyear project, the estimated cost of
the project for each of the fiscal years in which it
will be carried out.
[[Page 114 STAT. 1621]]
(D) The remedies for failure of the Secretary
concerned to comply with the terms of the agreement
consistent with current Federal law.
(2) Limited use of federal funds.--The Secretary concerned
may decide, at the Secretary's sole discretion, to cover the
costs of a portion of an approved project using Federal funds
appropriated or otherwise available to the Secretary for the
same purposes as the project.
(b) Transfer of Project Funds.--
(1) Initial transfer required.--As soon as practicable after
the agreement is reached under subsection (a) with regard to a
project to be funded in whole or in part using project funds, or
other funds described in section 203(a)(2), the Secretary
concerned shall transfer to the applicable unit of National
Forest System lands or BLM District an amount of project funds
equal to--
(A) in the case of a project to be completed in a
single fiscal year, the total amount specified in the
agreement to be paid using project funds, or other funds
described in section 203(a)(2); or
(B) in the case of a multiyear project, the amount
specified in the agreement to be paid using project
funds, or other funds described in section 203(a)(2) for
the first fiscal year.
(2) Condition on project commencement.--The unit of National
Forest System lands or BLM District concerned, shall not
commence a project until the project funds, or other funds
described in section 203(a)(2) required to be transferred under
paragraph (1) for the project, have been made available by the
Secretary concerned.
(3) Subsequent transfers for multiyear projects.--For the
second and subsequent fiscal years of a multiyear project to be
funded in whole or in part using project funds, the unit of
National Forest System lands or BLM District concerned shall use
the amount of project funds required to continue the project in
that fiscal year according to the agreement entered into under
subsection (a). The Secretary concerned shall suspend work on
the project if the project funds required by the agreement in
the second and subsequent fiscal years are not available.
SEC. <<NOTE: 16 USC 500 note.>> 207. AVAILABILITY OF PROJECT FUNDS.
(a) Submission of Proposed Projects To Obligate Funds.--By
September <<NOTE: Deadline.>> 30 of each fiscal year through fiscal
year 2006, a resource advisory committee shall submit to the Secretary
concerned pursuant to section 203(a)(1) a sufficient number of project
proposals that, if approved, would result in the obligation of at least
the full amount of the project funds reserved by the participating
county in the preceding fiscal year.
(b) Use or Transfer of Unobligated Funds.--Subject to section 208,
if a resource advisory committee fails to comply with subsection (a) for
a fiscal year, any project funds reserved by the participating county in
the preceding fiscal year and remaining unobligated shall be available
for use as part of the project submissions in the next fiscal year.
(c) Effect of Rejection of Projects.--Subject to section 208, any
project funds reserved by a participating county in the
[[Page 114 STAT. 1622]]
preceding fiscal year that are unobligated at the end of a fiscal year
because the Secretary concerned has rejected one or more proposed
projects shall be available for use as part of the project submissions
in the next fiscal year.
(d) Effect of Court Orders.--If an approved project under this Act
is enjoined or prohibited by a Federal court, the Secretary concerned
shall return the unobligated project funds related to that project to
the participating county or counties that reserved the funds. The
returned funds shall be available for the county to expend in the same
manner as the funds reserved by the county under section 102(d)(1)(B)(i)
or 103(c)(1)(B)(i), whichever applies to the funds involved.
SEC. <<NOTE: 16 USC 500 note.>> 208. TERMINATION OF AUTHORITY.
The authority to initiate projects under this title shall terminate
on September 30, 2006. Any project funds not obligated by September 30,
2007, shall be deposited in the Treasury of the United States.
TITLE III--COUNTY PROJECTS
SEC. <<NOTE: 16 USC 500 note.>> 301. DEFINITIONS.
In this title:
(1) Participating county.--The term ``participating county''
means an eligible county that elects under section
102(d)(1)(B)(ii) or 103(c)(1)(B)(ii) to expend a portion of the
Federal funds received under section 102 or 103 in accordance
with this title.
(2) County funds.--The term ``county funds'' means all funds
an eligible county elects under sections 102(d)(1)(B)(ii) and
103(c)(1)(B)(ii) to reserve for expenditure in accordance with
this title.
SEC. <<NOTE: 16 USC 500 note.>> 302. USE OF COUNTY FUNDS.
(a) Limitation on County Fund Use.--County funds shall be expended
solely on projects that meet the requirements of this title. A project
under this title shall be approved by the participating county only
following a 45-day public comment period, at the beginning of which the
county shall--
(1) publish a description of the proposed project in the
publications of local record; and
(2) send the proposed project to the appropriate resource
advisory committee established under section 205, if one exists
for the county.
(b) Authorized Uses.--
(1) Search, rescue, and emergency services.--An eligible
county or applicable sheriff's department may use these funds as
reimbursement for search and rescue and other emergency
services, including fire fighting, performed on Federal lands
and paid for by the county.
(2) Community service work camps.--An eligible county may
use these funds as reimbursement for all or part of the costs
incurred by the county to pay the salaries and benefits of
county employees who supervise adults or juveniles performing
mandatory community service on Federal lands.
(3) Easement purchases.--An eligible county may use these
funds to acquire--
[[Page 114 STAT. 1623]]
(A) easements, on a willing seller basis, to provide
for nonmotorized access to public lands for hunting,
fishing, and other recreational purposes;
(B) conservation easements; or
(C) both.
(4) Forest related educational opportunities.--A county may
use these funds to establish and conduct forest-related after
school programs.
(5) Fire prevention and county planning.--A county may use
these funds for--
(A) efforts to educate homeowners in fire-sensitive
ecosystems about the consequences of wildfires and
techniques in home siting, home construction, and home
landscaping that can increase the protection of people
and property from wildfires; and
(B) planning efforts to reduce or mitigate the
impact of development on adjacent Federal lands and to
increase the protection of people and property from
wildfires.
(6) Community forestry.--A county may use these funds
towards non-Federal cost-share requirements of section 9 of the
Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2105).
SEC. <<NOTE: 16 USC 500 note.>> 303. TERMINATION OF AUTHORITY.
The authority to initiate projects under this title shall terminate
on September 30, 2006. Any county funds not obligated by September 30,
2007 shall be available to be expended by the county for the uses
identified in section 302(b).
TITLE IV--MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
SEC. <<NOTE: 16 USC 500 note.>> 401. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are hereby authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be
necessary to carry out this Act for fiscal years 2001 through 2006.
SEC. <<NOTE: 16 USC 500 note.>> 402. TREATMENT OF FUNDS AND REVENUES.
(a) Relation to Other Appropriations.--Funds appropriated pursuant
to the authorization of appropriations in section 401 and funds made
available to a Secretary concerned under section 206 shall be in
addition to any other annual appropriations for the Forest Service and
the Bureau of Land Management.
(b) Deposit of Revenues and Other Funds.--All revenues generated
from projects pursuant to title II, any funds remitted by counties
pursuant to section 102(d)(1)(B)(iii) or section 103(c)(1)(B)(iii), and
any interest accrued from such funds shall be deposited in the Treasury
of the United States.
SEC. <<NOTE: 16 USC 500 note.>> 403. REGULATIONS.
The Secretaries concerned may jointly issue regulations to carry out
the purposes of this Act.
SEC. 404. CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.
Sections 13982 and 13983 of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of
1993 (Public Law 103-66; 16 U.S.C. 500 note; 43 U.S.C. 1181f note) are
repealed.
[[Page 114 STAT. 1624]]
TITLE V--MINERAL <<NOTE: Mineral Revenue Payments Clarification Act of
2000. 30 USC 181 note.>> REVENUE PAYMENTS CLARIFICATION
SEC. 501. SHORT TITLE.
This title may be cited as the ``Mineral Revenue Payments
Clarification Act of 2000''.
SEC. <<NOTE: 30 USC 191 note.>> 502. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds the following:
(1) Section 10201 of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act
of 1993 (Public Law 103-66; 107 Stat. 407) amended section 35 of
the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 191) to change the sharing of
onshore mineral revenues and revenues from geothermal steam from
a 50:50 split between the Federal Government and the States to a
complicated formula that entailed deducting from the State share
of leasing revenues ``50 percent of the portion of the enacted
appropriations of the Department of the Interior and any other
agency during the preceding fiscal year allocable to the
administration of all laws providing for the leasing of any
onshore lands or interest in land owned by the United States for
the production of the same types of minerals leasable under this
Act or of geothermal steam, and to enforcement of such laws * *
*''.
(2) There is no legislative record to suggest a sound public
policy rationale for deducting prior-year administrative
expenses from the sharing of current-year receipts, indicating
that this change was made primarily for budget scoring reasons.
(3) The system put in place by this change in law has proved
difficult to administer and has given rise to disputes between
the Federal Government and the States as to the nature of
allocable expenses. Federal accounting systems have proven to be
poorly suited to breaking down administrative costs in the
manner required by the law. Different Federal agencies
implementing this law have used varying methodologies to
identify allocable costs, resulting in an inequitable
distribution of costs during fiscal years 1994 through 1996. In
November 1997, the Inspector General of the Department of the
Interior found that ``the congressionally approved method for
cost sharing deductions effective in fiscal year 1997 may not
accurately compute the deductions''.
(4) Given the lack of a substantive rationale for the 1993
change in law and the complexity and administrative burden
involved, a return to the sharing formula prior to the enactment
of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993 is justified.
SEC. 503. AMENDMENT OF THE MINERAL LEASING ACT.
Section 35(b) of the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 191(b)) is
amended to read as follows:
``(b) In determining the amount of payments to the States under this
section, the amount of such payments shall not be reduced by any
administrative or other costs incurred by the United States.''.
[[Page 114 STAT. 1625]]
TITLE VI--COMMUNITY <<NOTE: Community Forest Restoration Act.>> FOREST
RESTORATION
SEC. 601. SHORT TITLE.
This title may be cited as the ``Community Forest Restoration Act''.
SEC. 602. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds the following:
(1) <<NOTE: New Mexico.>> A century of fire suppression,
logging, and livestock grazing has altered the ecological
balance of New Mexico's forests.
(2) Some forest lands in New Mexico contain an unnaturally
high number of small diameter trees that are subject to large,
high intensity wildfires that can endanger human lives,
livelihoods, and ecological stability.
(3) Forest lands that contain an unnaturally high number of
small diameter trees have reduced biodiversity and provide fewer
benefits to human communities, wildlife, and watersheds.
(4) Healthy and productive watersheds minimize the threat of
large, high intensity wildfires, provide abundant and diverse
wildlife habitat, and produce a variety of timber and non-timber
products including better quality water and increased water
flows.
(5) Restoration efforts are more successful when there is
involvement from neighboring communities and better stewardship
will evolve from more diverse involvement.
(6) Designing demonstration restoration projects through a
collaborative approach may--
(A) lead to the development of cost effective
restoration activities;
(B) empower diverse organizations to implement
activities which value local and traditional knowledge;
(C) build ownership and civic pride; and
(D) ensure healthy, diverse, and productive forests
and watersheds.
SEC. 603. PURPOSES.
The purposes of this title are--
(1) to promote healthy watersheds and reduce the threat of
large, high intensity wildfires, insect infestation, and disease
in the forests in New Mexico;
(2) to improve the functioning of forest ecosystems and
enhance plant and wildlife biodiversity by reducing the
unnaturally high number and density of small diameter trees on
Federal, Tribal, State, County, and Municipal forest lands;
(3) to improve communication and joint problem solving among
individuals and groups who are interested in restoring the
diversity and productivity of forested watersheds in New Mexico;
(4) to improve the use of, or add value to, small diameter
trees;
(5) to encourage sustainable communities and sustainable
forests through collaborative partnerships, whose objectives are
forest restoration; and
[[Page 114 STAT. 1626]]
(6) to develop, demonstrate, and evaluate ecologically sound
forest restoration techniques.
SEC. 604. DEFINITIONS.
As used in this title--
(1) the term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of
Agriculture acting through the Chief of the Forest Service; and
(2) the term ``stakeholder'' includes: tribal governments,
educational institutions, landowners, and other interested
public and private entities.
SEC. 605. ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM.
(a) Forest Restoration Program.--The Secretary shall establish a
cooperative forest restoration program in New Mexico in order to provide
cost-share grants to stakeholders for experimental forest restoration
projects that are designed through a collaborative process (hereinafter
referred to as the ``Collaborative Forest Restoration Program''). The
projects may be entirely on, or on any combination of, Federal, Tribal,
State, County, or Municipal forest lands. The Federal share of an
individual project cost shall not exceed 80 percent of the total cost.
The 20-percent matching may be in the form of cash or in-kind
contribution.
(b) Eligibility Requirements.--To be eligible to receive funding
under this title, a project shall--
(1) address the following objectives--
(A) reduce the threat of large, high intensity
wildfires and the negative effects of excessive
competition between trees by restoring ecosystem
functions, structures, and species composition,
including the reduction of non-native species
populations;
(B) re-establish fire regimes approximating those
that shaped forest ecosystems prior to fire suppression;
(C) preserve old and large trees;
(D) replant trees in deforested areas if they exist
in the proposed project area; and
(E) improve the use of, or add value to, small
diameter trees;
(2) comply with all Federal and State environmental laws;
(3) include a diverse and balanced group of stakeholders as
well as appropriate Federal, Tribal, State, County, and
Municipal government representatives in the design,
implementation, and monitoring of the project;
(4) incorporate current scientific forest restoration
information; and
(5) include a multiparty assessment to--
(A) identify both the existing ecological condition
of the proposed project area and the desired future
condition; and
(B) report, upon project completion, on the positive
or negative impact and effectiveness of the project
including improvements in local management skills and on
the ground results;
(6) create local employment or training opportunities within
the context of accomplishing restoration objectives, that are
consistent with the purposes of this title, including summer
youth jobs programs such as the Youth Conservation Corps where
appropriate;
(7) not exceed 4 years in length;
[[Page 114 STAT. 1627]]
(8) not exceed a total annual cost of $150,000, with the
Federal portion not exceeding $120,000 annually, nor exceed a
total cost of $450,000 for the project, with the Federal portion
of the total cost not exceeding $360,000;
(9) leverage Federal funding through in-kind or matching
contributions; and
(10) include an agreement by each stakeholder to attend an
annual workshop with other stakeholders for the purpose of
discussing the cooperative forest restoration program and
projects implemented under this title. The Secretary shall
coordinate and fund the annual workshop. Stakeholders may use
funding for projects authorized under this title to pay for
their travel and per diem expenses to attend the workshop.
SEC. 606. SELECTION PROCESS.
(a) After consulting with the technical advisory panel established
in subsection (b), the Secretary shall select the proposals that will
receive funding through the Collaborative Forest Restoration Program.
(b) The Secretary shall convene a technical advisory panel to
evaluate the proposals for forest restoration grants and provide
recommendations regarding which proposals would best meet the objectives
of the Collaborative Forest Restoration Program. The technical advisory
panel shall consider eligibility criteria established in section 605,
the effect on long-term management, and seek to use a consensus-based
decisionmaking process to develop such recommendations. The panel shall
be composed of 12 to 15 members, to be appointed by the Secretary as
follows:
(1) A State Natural Resource official from the State of New
Mexico.
(2) At least two representatives from Federal land
management agencies.
(3) At least one tribal or pueblo representative.
(4) At least two independent scientists with experience in
forest ecosystem restoration.
(5) Equal representation from--
(A) conservation interests;
(B) local communities; and
(C) commodity interests.
SEC. 607. MONITORING AND EVALUATION.
The Secretary shall establish a multiparty monitoring and evaluation
process in order to assess the cumulative accomplishments or adverse
impacts of the Collaborative Forest Restoration Program. The Secretary
shall include any interested individual or organization in the
monitoring and evaluation process. The Secretary also shall conduct a
monitoring program to assess the short- and long-term ecological effects
of the restoration treatments, if any, for a minimum of 15 years.
SEC. 608. <<NOTE: Deadline.>> REPORT.
No later than 5 years after the first fiscal year in which funding
is made available for this program, the Secretary shall submit a report
to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the United States
Senate and the Committee on Resources of the United States House of
Representatives. The report shall include an assessment on whether, and
to what extent, the projects
[[Page 114 STAT. 1628]]
funded pursuant to this title are meeting the purposes of the
Collaborative Forest Restoration Program.
SEC. 609. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated $5,000,000 annually to carry
out this title.
Approved October 30, 2000.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--H.R. 2389:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
HOUSE REPORTS: No. 106-392, Pt. 1 (Comm. on Agriculture).
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD:
Vol. 145 (1999):
Nov. 3, considered and passed House.
Vol. 146 (2000):
Oct. 6, considered and passed
Senate, amended.
Oct. 10, House concurred in Senate
amendment.
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