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1998 Explanatory Notes

USDA Forest Service

This change consolidates the three land acquisition authorities under the new heading "Land Acquisition Accounts."

No change in language:

RANGE BETTERMENT FUND

For necessary expenses of range rehabilitation, protection, and improvement, 50 per centum of all moneys received during the prior fiscal year, as fees for grazing domestic livestock on lands in National Forests in the sixteen Western States, pursuant to section 401(b)(1) of Public Law 94579, as amended, to remain available until expended, of which not to exceed 6 per centum shall be available for administrative expenses associated with on-the-ground range rehabilitation, protection, and improvements.

No change in language:

GIFTS, DONATIONS AND BEQUESTS FOR FOREST AND RANGELAND RESEARCH

For expenses authorized by 16 U.S.C. 1643(b), $92,000, to remain available until expended, to be derived from the fund established pursuant to the above Act.

1998 Explanatory Notes

USDA, Forest Service

ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS, FOREST SERVICE

Proposed change in language:

1

2

3

Appropriations to the Forest Service for the current fiscal year shall be available for: (a) purchase of not to exceed 159 passenger motor vehicles of which [14] 22 will be used primarily for law enforcement purposes and of which [149] 156 shall be for replacement; acquisition of [10] 25 passenger motor vehicles from excess sources, and hire of such vehicles; operation and maintenance of aircraft, the purchase of not to exceed two for replacement only, and acquisition of [20] sufficient aircraft from excess sources to maintain the operable fleet at 198 aircraft for use in State and Forest Service wildland fire programs and other Forest Service programs; notwithstanding other provisions of law, existing aircraft being replaced may be sold, with proceeds derived or trade-in value used to offset the purchase price for the replacement aircraft; (b) services pursuant to 7 U.S.C. 2225, and not to exceed $100,000 for employment under 5 U.S.C. 3109; (c) purchase, erection, and alteration of buildings and other public improvements (7 U.S.C. 2250); (d) acquisition of land, waters, and interests therein, pursuant to 7 U.S.C. 428a; (e) for expenses pursuant to the Volunteers in the National Forest Act of 1972 (16

U.S.C. 558a, 558d, 558a note); [and] (f) the cost of uniforms as authorized by 5 U.S.C. 5901-5902; and (g) for debt collection contracts in accordance with 31 U.S.C. 3718(c).

The first set of changes updates the numbers of vehicles that may be acquired in fiscal year 1998. The second change provides for acquisition of aircraft from excess sources as needed to maintain a fleet of 198 operable aircraft. Some obsolete aircraft will be excessed and replaced with more modern aircraft that are available on the excess list.

The third change adds authority to use appropriated funds to provide and maintain uniforms for employees where deemed necessary to the performance of official duties. This language was inadvertantly omitted for 1992 and subsequent years.

Proposed change in language:

1 [None of the funds made available under this Act shall be obligated or expended to change the boundaries of any region, to abolish any region, to move or close any regional office for research, State and private forestry, or National Forest System administration of the Forest Service, Department of Agriculture, or to implement any reorganization, "reinvention" or other type of organizational restructuring of the Forest Service, other than the relocation of the Regional Office for Region 5 of the Forest Service from San Francisco to excess military property at Mare Island, Vallejo, California, without the consent of the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations.]

This change removes language included in the Department of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1997, that is no longer needed.

Proposed change in language:

1 [Any funds available to the Forest Service may be used for retrofitting Mare Island facilities to accommodate the relocation: Provided, That funds for the move must come from funds otherwise available to Region 5: Provided further, That any funds to be provided for such purposes shall only be available upon approval of the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations.]

This change removes language included in the Department of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1997, that is no longer needed.

1998 Explanatory Notes

USDA Forest Service

No change in language:

Any appropriations or funds available to the Forest Service may be advanced to the Wildland Fire Management appropriation and may be used for forest firefighting and the emergency rehabilitation of burned-over lands under its jurisdiction.

No change in language:

Funds appropriated to the Forest Service shall be available for assistance to or through the Agency for International Development and the Foreign Agricultural Service in connection with forest and rangeland research, technical information, and assistance in foreign countries, and shall be available to support forestry and related natural resource activities outside the United States and its territories and possessions, including technical assistance, education and training, and cooperation with United States and international organizations.

Proposed change in language:

1

[None of the funds made available to the Forest Service under this Act shall be subject to transfer under the provisions of section 702(b) of the Department of Agriculture Organic Act of 1944 (7 U.S.C. 2257) or 7 U.S.C. 147b unless the proposed transfer is approved in advance by the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations in compliance with the reprogramming procedures contained in House Report 103-551.]

This change removes language included in the Department of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1997, that is no longer needed.

Proposed change in language:

1 [None of the funds available to the Forest Service may be reprogrammed without the advance approval of the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations in accordance with the procedures contained in House Report 103-551.]

This change removes language included in the Department of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1997, that is no longer needed.

Proposed change in language:

1 [No funds appropriated to the Forest Service shall be transferred to the Working Capital Fund of the Department of Agriculture without the approval of the Chief of the Forest Service.]

This change removes language included in the Department of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1997, that is no longer needed.

No change in language:

Notwithstanding any other provision of the law, any appropriations or funds available to the Forest Service may be used to disseminate program information to private and public individuals and organizations through the use of non-monetary items of nominal value and to provide nonmonetary awards of nominal value and to incur necessary expenses for the non-monetary recognition of private individuals and organizations that make contributions to Forest Service programs.

1998 Explanatory Notes

USDA Forest Service

No change in language:

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, money collected, in advance or otherwise, by the Forest Service under authority of section 101 of Public Law 93-153 (30 U.S.C. 185(1)) as reimbursement of administrative and other costs incurred in processing pipeline right-of-way or permit applications and for costs incurred in monitoring the construction, operation, maintenance, and termination of any pipeline and related facilities, may be used to reimburse the applicable appropriation to which such costs were originally charged.

No change in language:

Funds available to the Forest Service shall be available to conduct a program of not less than $1,000,000 for high priority projects within the scope of the approved budget which shall be carried out by the Youth Conservation corps as authorized by the Act of August 13, 1970, as amended by Public Law 93-408.

Proposed change in language:

1 [None of the funds available in this Act shall be used for timber sale preparation using clearcutting in hardwood stands in excess of 25 percent of the fiscal year 1989 har vested volume in the Wayne National Forest, Ohio: Provided, That this limitation shall not apply to hardwood stands damaged by natural disaster: Provided further, That landscape architects shall be used to maintain a visually pleasing forest.]

This change removes language included in the Department of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1997, that is no longer needed.

No change in language:

Any money collected from the States for fire suppression assistance rendered by the Forest Service on non-Federal lands not in the vicinity of National Forest System lands shall be used to reimburse the applicable appropriation and shall remain available until expended as the Secretary may direct in conducting activities authorised by 16 U.S.C. 2101 (note), 2101-2110, 1606, and 2111.

No change in language:

Of the funds available to the Forest Service, $1,500 is available to the Chief of the Forest Service for official reception and representation expenses.

No change in language:

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Forest service is authorized to employ or otherwise contract with persons at regular rates of pay, as determined by the Service, to perform work occasioned by emergencies such as fires, storms, floods, earthquakes or any other unavoidable cause without regard to Sundays, Federal holidays, and the regular workweek.

1998 Explanatory Notes

USDA Forest Service

Proposed change in language:

1 [To the greatest extent possible, and in accordance with the Final Amendment to the Shawnee National Forest Plan, none of the funds available in this Act shall be used for preparation of timber sales using clearcutting or other forms of even aged management in hardwood stands in the Shawnee National Forest, Illinois.]

This change removes language included in the Department of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1997, that is no longer needed.

Proposed change in language:

Pursuant to sections 405(b) and 410(b) of Public Law 101-593, funds up to $1,000,000 for matching funds shall be available for the National Forest Foundation on a one-for-one basis to match private contributions for projects on or benefitting National Forest System lands or

1 related to Forest Service programs. Section 405(b) and section 410(b) are further amended as follows: delete "for a period of five years beginning October 1, 1992."

This change amends the authority for matching funds to the National Forest Foundation to allow the matching funds beyond the current ending date of September 30, 1997 (five years from October 1, 1992).

No change in language:

Pursuant to section 2(b)(2) of Public Law 98-244, up to $1,000,000 of the funds available to the Forest Service shall be available for matching funds, as authorized in 16 U.S.C. 3701-3709, on a one-for-one basis to match private contributions for projects on or benefitting National Forest System lands or related to Forest Service programs.

No change in language:

Funds appropriated to the Forest Service shall be available for interactions with and providing technical assistance to rural communities for sustainable rural development purposes.

Proposed change in language:

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, 80 percent of the funds appropriated to the Forest Service in the National Forest System and Reconstruction and Construction accounts and planned to be allocated to activities under the "Jobs in the Woods" program for projects on National Forest land in the State of Washington may be granted directly to the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife for accomplishment of planned projects. Twenty percent of said funds shall be retained by the Forest Service for planning and administering projects. Project selection and prioritization shall be accomplished by the Forest Service with such consultation with the State of Washington as the Forest Service deems appropriate.

This change corrects the title of the Reconstruction and Construction account.

No change in language:

Funds appropriated to the Forest Service shall be available for payments to counties within the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, pursuant to sections 14(cX1) and (2), and section 16(a)(2) of Public Law 99-663.

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