§ 1641. — Findings and purpose.
[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 16USC1641]
TITLE 16--CONSERVATION
CHAPTER 36--FOREST AND RANGELAND RENEWABLE RESOURCES PLANNING
SUBCHAPTER II--RESEARCH
Sec. 1641. Findings and purpose
(a) Findings
Congress finds the following:
(1) Forests and rangeland, and the resources of forests and
rangeland, are of strategic economic and ecological importance to
the United States, and the Federal Government has an important and
substantial role in ensuring the continued health, productivity, and
sustainability of the forests and rangeland of the United States.
(2) Over 75 percent of the productive commercial forest land in
the United States is privately owned, with some 60 percent owned by
small nonindustrial private owners. These 10,000,000 nonindustrial
private owners are critical to providing both commodity and
noncommodity values to the citizens of the United States.
(3) The National Forest System manages only 17 percent of the
commercial timberland of the United States, with over half of the
standing softwoods inventory located on that land. Dramatic changes
in Federal agency policy during the early 1990's have significantly
curtailed the management of this vast timber resource, causing
abrupt shifts in the supply of timber from public to private
ownership. As a result of these shifts in supply, some 60 percent of
total wood production in the United States is now coming from
private forest land in the southern United States.
(4) At the same time that pressures are building for the removal
of even more land from commercial production, the Federal Government
is significantly reducing its commitment to productivity-related
research regarding forests and rangeland, which is critically needed
by the private sector for the sustained management of remaining
available timber and forage resources for the benefit of all
species.
(5) Uncertainty over the availability of the United States
timber supply, increasing regulatory burdens, and the lack of
Federal Government support for research is causing domestic wood and
paper producers to move outside the United States to find reliable
sources of wood supplies, which in turn results in a worsening of
the United States trade balance, the loss of employment and
infrastructure investments, and an increased risk of infestations of
exotic pests and diseases from imported wood products.
(6) Wood and paper producers in the United States are being
challenged not only by shifts in Federal Government policy, but also
by international competition from tropical countries where growth
rates of trees far exceed those in the United States. Wood
production per acre will need to quadruple from 1996 levels for the
United States forestry sector to remain internationally competitive
on an ever decreasing forest land base.
(7) Better and more frequent forest inventorying and analysis is
necessary to identify productivity-related forestry research needs
and to provide forest managers with the current data necessary to
make timely and effective management decisions.
(b) Relationship to other law
This subchapter shall be deemed to complement the policies and
direction set forth in the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources
Planning Act of 1974 [16 U.S.C. 1600 et seq.].
(c) Purpose
It is the purpose of this subchapter to authorize the Secretary to
expand research activities to encompass international forestry and
natural resource issues on a global scale.
(Pub. L. 95-307, Sec. 2, June 30, 1978, 92 Stat. 353; Pub. L. 101-513,
title VI, Sec. 611(a)(1), formerly Sec. 607(a)(1), Nov. 5, 1990, 104
Stat. 2072, renumbered Sec. 611(a)(1), Pub. L. 102-574, Sec. 2(a)(1),
Oct. 29, 1992, 106 Stat. 4593; Pub. L. 105-185, title II, Sec. 253(a),
June 23, 1998, 112 Stat. 558.)
References in Text
This subchapter, referred to in text, was in the original ``this
Act'', meaning Pub. L. 95-307, June 2, 1978, 92 Stat. 353, as amended,
known as the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Research Act of
1978, which enacted this subchapter, repealed sections 581 to 581i of
this title, and enacted provisions set out as a note under section 1641
of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see
Short Title note set out under section 1600 of this title and Tables.
The Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974,
referred to in subsec. (b), is Pub. L. 93-378, Aug. 17, 1974, 88 Stat.
476, as amended, which is classified generally to subchapter I
(Sec. 1600 et seq.) of this chapter. For complete classification of this
Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 1600 of this
title and Tables.
Amendments
1998--Pub. L. 105-185 inserted section catchline, added subsec. (a),
and struck out former subsec. (a) which read as follows:
``(1) Congress finds that scientific discoveries and technological
advances must be made and applied to support the protection, management,
and utilization of the Nation's renewable resources. It is the purpose
of this subchapter to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture
(hereinafter in this subchapter referred to as the `Secretary') to
implement a comprehensive program of forest and rangeland renewable
resources research and dissemination of the findings of such research.
``(2) Congress further finds that the forest and rangeland renewable
resources of the world are threatened by deforestation due to conversion
to agriculture of lands better suited to other uses, over-grazing, over-
harvesting, and other causes that pose a direct adverse threat to
people, the global environment, and the world economy.''
1990--Subsecs. (a), (c). Pub. L. 101-513 designated existing
provisions of subsec. (a) as par. (1), added par. (2), and added subsec.
(c).
Effective Date
Section 9 of Pub. L. 95-307 which provided that Pub. L. 95-307
(enacting this subchapter, repealing sections 581 to 581i of this title,
and enacting provisions set out as a note under section 1600 of this
title) is effective Oct. 1, 1978, was amended generally by Pub. L. 101-
624 and is classified to section 1648 of this title.
Short Title
For short title of Pub. L. 95-307, June 30, 1978, 92 Stat. 353, as
the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Research Act of 1978, see
Short Title of 1978 Amendment note set out under section 1600 of this
title.
