§ 1606. — Budget requests by President for Forest Service activities.
[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 16USC1606]
TITLE 16--CONSERVATION
CHAPTER 36--FOREST AND RANGELAND RENEWABLE RESOURCES PLANNING
SUBCHAPTER I--PLANNING
Sec. 1606. Budget requests by President for Forest Service
activities
(a) Transmittal to Speaker of House and President of Senate of
Assessment, Program and Statement of Policy used in framing
requests; time for transmittal; implementation by President of
programs established under Statement of Policy unless Statement
subsequently disapproved by Congress; time for disapproval
On the date Congress first convenes in 1976 and thereafter following
each updating of the Assessment and the Program, the President shall
transmit to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the
President of the Senate, when Congress convenes, the Assessment as set
forth in section 1601 of this title and the Program as set forth in
section 1602 of this title, together with a detailed Statement of Policy
intended to be used in framing budget requests by that Administration
for Forest Service activities for the five- or ten-year program period
beginning during the term of such Congress for such further action
deemed appropriate by the Congress. Following the transmission of such
Assessment, Program, and Statement of Policy, the President shall,
subject to other actions of the Congress, carry out programs already
established by law in accordance with such Statement of Policy or any
subsequent amendment or modification thereof approved by the Congress,
unless, before the end of the first period of ninety calendar days of
continuous session of Congress after the date on which the President of
the Senate and the Speaker of the House are recipients of the
transmission of such Assessment, Program, and Statement of Policy,
either House adopts a resolution reported by the appropriate committee
of jurisdiction disapproving the Statement of Policy. For the purpose of
this subsection, the continuity of a session shall be deemed to be
broken only by an adjournment sine die, and the days on which either
House is not in session because of an adjournment of more than three
days to a day certain shall be excluded in the computation of the
ninety-day period. Notwithstanding any other provision of this
subchapter, Congress may revise or modify the Statement of Policy
transmitted by the President, and the revised or modified Statement of
Policy shall be used in framing budget requests.
(b) Contents of requests to show extent of compliance of projected
programs and policies with policies approved by Congress;
requests not conforming to approved policies; expenditure of
appropriations
Commencing with the fiscal budget for the year ending September 30,
1977, requests presented by the President to the Congress governing
Forest Service activities shall express in qualitative and quantitative
terms the extent to which the programs and policies projected under the
budget meet the policies approved by the Congress in accordance with
subsection (a) of this section. In any case in which such budget so
presented recommends a course which fails to meet the policies so
established, the President shall specifically set forth the reason or
reasons for requesting the Congress to approve the lesser programs or
policies presented. Amounts appropriated to carry out the policies
approved in accordance with subsection (a) of this section shall be
expended in accordance with the Congressional Budget and Impoundment
Control Act of 1974.
(c) Annual evaluation report to Congress of Program components; time of
submission; status of major research programs; application of
findings; status, etc., of cooperative forestry assistance
programs and activities
For the purpose of providing information that will aid Congress in
its oversight responsibilities and improve the accountability of agency
expenditures and activities, the Secretary of Agriculture shall prepare
an annual report which evaluates the component elements of the Program
required to be prepared by section 1602 of this title which shall be
furnished to the Congress at the time of submission of the annual fiscal
budget commencing with the third fiscal year after August 17, 1974. With
regard to the research component of the program, the report shall
include, but not be limited to, a description of the status of major
research programs, significant findings, and how these findings will be
applied in National Forest System management and in cooperative State
and private Forest Service programs. With regard to the cooperative
forestry assistance part of the Program, the report shall include, but
not be limited to, a description of the status, accomplishments, needs,
and work backlogs for the programs and activities conducted under the
Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978 [16 U.S.C. 2101 et seq.].
(d) Required contents of annual evaluation report
These annual evaluation reports shall set forth progress in
implementing the Program required to be prepared by section 1602 of this
title, together with accomplishments of the Program as they relate to
the objectives of the Assessment. Objectives should be set forth in
qualitative and quantitative terms and accomplishments should be
reported accordingly. The report shall contain appropriate measurements
of pertinent costs and benefits. The evaluation shall assess the balance
between economic factors and environmental quality factors. Program
benefits shall include, but not be limited to, environmental quality
factors such as esthetics, public access, wildlife habitat, recreational
and wilderness use, and economic factors such as the excess of cost
savings over the value of foregoing benefits and the rate of return on
renewable resources.
(e) Additional required contents of annual evaluation report
The reports shall indicate plans for implementing corrective action
and recommendations for new legislation where warranted.
(f) Form of annual evaluation report
The reports shall be structured for Congress in concise summary form
with necessary detailed data in appendices.
(Pub. L. 93-378, Sec. 8, formerly Sec. 7, Aug. 17, 1974, 88 Stat. 478,
renumbered Sec. 8 and amended Pub. L. 94-588, Secs. 2, 7, 12(b), Oct.
22, 1976, 90 Stat. 2949, 2956, 2958; Pub. L. 95-313, Sec. 15, formerly
Sec. 12, July 1, 1978, 92 Stat. 374, renumbered Sec. 15, Pub. L. 101-
624, title XII, Sec. 1215(1), Nov. 28, 1990, 104 Stat. 3525.)
References in Text
The Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974,
referred to in subsec. (b), is Pub. L. 93-344, July 12, 1974, 88 Stat.
297, as amended. For complete classification of this Act to the Code,
see Short Title note set out under section 621 of Title 2, The Congress,
and Tables.
The Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978, referred to in
subsec. (c), is Pub. L. 95-313, July 1, 1978, 92 Stat. 365, which is
classified principally to chapter 41 (Sec. 2101 et seq.) of this title.
For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title
note set out under section 2101 of this title and Tables.
Amendments
1978--Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 95-313 inserted provisions relating to
inclusion in report of findings involving cooperative State and private
Forest Service programs, and provisions relating to scope of report
descriptions involving programs and activities under the Cooperative
Forestry Assistance Act of 1978.
1976--Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 94-588, Secs. 7(a), 12(b)(1), substituted
``section 3'' and ``section 4'' for ``section 2'' and ``section 3'',
respectively, in the original, which, because of their translation as
``section 1601 of this title'' and ``section 1602 of this title''
required no change in text, and substituted ``ninety calendar days of
continuous session'' for ``sixty days of continuous session'' and
``ninety-day period'' for ``sixty-day period''.
Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 94-588, Secs. 7(b), 12(b)(2), substituted
``section 4'' for ``section 3'' in the original which, because of its
translation as ``section 1602 of this title'' required no change in text
and inserted provision requiring that the report include a description
of the status of major research programs, significant findings, and how
such findings will be applied in National Forest System management.
Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 94-588, Sec. 12(b)(3), substituted ``section
4'' for ``section 3'' in the original which, because of the translation
as ``section 1602 of this title'', required no change in text.
Effective Date of 1978 Amendment
Amendment by Pub. L. 95-313 effective Oct. 1, 1978, see section 17
of Pub. L. 95-313, set out as an Effective Date note under section 2101
of this title.
Termination of Reporting Requirements
For termination, effective May 15, 2000, of provisions in subsecs.
(a) and (c) of this section relating to transmitting an updated
Assessment, Program, and Statement of Policy to the Speaker of the House
of Representatives and the President of the Senate and furnishing an
annual report to Congress, see section 3003 of Pub. L. 104-66, as
amended, set out as a note under section 1113 of Title 31, Money and
Finance, and pages 45 and 48 of House Document No. 103-7.
Statement of Policy
Pub. L. 96-514, title III, Sec. 310, Dec. 12, 1980, 94 Stat. 2984,
provided that: ``The Statement of Policy transmitted by the President to
the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the
Senate on June 19, 1980, as required under section 8 of the Forest and
Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 [this section], is
revised and modified to read as follows:
``Statement of Policy
``basic principles
``It is the policy of the United States--
``(1) forests and rangeland, in all ownerships, should be
managed to maximize their net social and economic contributions to
the Nation's well being, in an environmentally sound manner.
``(2) the Nation's forested land, except such public land that
is determined by law or policy to be maintained in its existing or
natural state, should be managed at levels that realize its
capabilities to satisfy the Nation's need for food, fiber, energy,
water, soil stability, wildlife and fish, recreation, and esthetic
values.
``(3) the productivity of suitable forested land, in all
ownerships, should be maintained and enhanced to minimize the
inflationary impacts of wood product prices on the domestic economy
and permit a net export of forest products by the year 2030.
``(4) in order to achieve this goal, it is recognized that in
the major timber growing regions most of the commercial timber lands
will have to be brought to and maintained, where possible, at 90
percent of their potential level of growth, consistent with the
provisions of the National Forest Management Act of 1976 [see Short
Title of 1976 Amendment note set out under section 1600 of this
title] on Federal lands, so that all resources are utilized in the
combination that will best meet the needs of the American people.
``(5) forest and rangeland protection programs should be
improved to more adequately protect forest and rangeland resources
from fire, erosion, insects, disease, and the introduction or spread
of noxious weeds, insects, and animals.
``(6) the Federal agencies carrying out the policies contained
in this Statement will cooperate and coordinate their efforts to
accomplish the goals contained in this Statement and will consult,
coordinate, and cooperate with the planning efforts of the States.
``(7) in carrying out the Assessment and the Program under the
Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 [this
subchapter] and the Appraisal and the Program under the Soil and
Water Resources Conservation Act of 1977 [section 2001 et seq. of
this title], the Secretary of Agriculture shall assure that
resources and economic information and evaluation data will be
continually improved so that the best possible information is always
available for use by Federal agencies and the public.
``range land data base and its improvement
``The data on and understanding of the cover and condition of range
lands is less refined than the data on and understanding of commercial
forest land. Range lands have significant value in the production of
water and protection of watersheds; the production of fish and wildlife
food and habitat; recreation; and the production of livestock forage. An
adequate data base on the cover and condition of range lands should be
developed by the year 1990. Currently, cattle production from these
lands is annually estimated at 213 million animal unit months of
livestock forage. These lands should be maintained and enhanced,
including their water and other resource values, so that they can
annually provide 310 million animal units months of forage by the year
2030, along with other benefits.
``general acceptance of high bound program
``Congress generally accepts the `high-bound' program described on
pages 7 through 18 of the 1980 Report to Congress on the Nation's
Renewable Resources prepared by the Secretary of Agriculture. However,
Congress finds that the `high-bound' program may not be sufficient to
accomplish the goals contained in this statement, particularly in the
area of range and watershed resources, State and private forest
cooperation and timber management.
``state and private lands
``States and owners of private forest and rangelands will be
encouraged, consistent with their individual objectives, to manage their
land in support of this Statement of Policy. The State and private
forestry and range programs of the Forest Service will be essential to
the furtherance of this Statement of Policy.
``funding the goals
``In order to accomplish the policy goals contained in this
statement by the year 2030, the Federal Government should adequately
fund programs of research (including cooperative research), extension,
cooperative forestry assistance and protection, and improved management
of the forest and rangelands. The Secretary of Agriculture shall
continue his efforts to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the renewable
resource programs.''
Statement of Purposes of Amendment by Cooperative Forestry Assistance
Act of 1978
Section 15, formerly section 12 of Pub. L. 95-313, renumbered
Sec. 15, Pub. L. 101-624, title XII, Sec. 1215(1), Nov. 28, 1990, 104
Stat. 3525, provided in part that the amendment of subsec. (c) of this
section by Pub. L. 95-313 is to insure that Congress has adequate
information to implement its oversight responsibilities and to provide
accountability for expenditures and activities under the Cooperative
Forestry Assistance Act of 1978. See Short Title note set out under
section 2101 of this title for classification of the Cooperative
Forestry Assistance Act of 1978 in the Code.
Section Referred to in Other Sections
This section is referred to in sections 1601, 1604, 1684, 2106b of
this title.
