§ 2102. — Rural forestry assistance.
[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 16USC2102]
TITLE 16--CONSERVATION
CHAPTER 41--COOPERATIVE FORESTRY ASSISTANCE
Sec. 2102. Rural forestry assistance
(a) Assistance to forest landowners and others
The Secretary may provide financial, technical, educational, and
related assistance to State foresters or equivalent State officials, and
State extension directors, to enable such officials to provide technical
information, advice, and related assistance to private forest land
owners and managers, vendors, forest resource operators, forest resource
professionals, public agencies, and individuals to enable such persons
to carry out activities that are consistent with the purposes of this
chapter, including--
(1) protecting, maintaining, enhancing, restoring, and
preserving forest lands and the multiple values and uses that depend
on such lands;
(2) identifying, protecting, maintaining, enhancing, and
preserving wildlife and fish species, including threatened and
endangered species, and their habitats;
(3) implementing forest management technologies;
(4) selecting, producing, and marketing alternative forest
crops, products and services from forest lands;
(5) protecting forest land from damage caused by fire, insects,
disease, and damaging weather;
(6) managing the rural-land and urban-land interface to balance
the use of forest resources in and adjacent to urban and community
areas;
(7) identifying and managing recreational forest land resources;
(8) identifying and protecting the aesthetic character of forest
lands;
(9) protecting forest land from conversion to alternative uses;
and
(10) the management of resources of forest lands, including--
(A) the harvesting, processing, and marketing of timber and
other forest resources and the marketing and utilization of wood
and wood products;
(B) the conversion of wood to energy for domestic,
industrial, municipal, and other uses;
(C) the planning, management, and treatment of forest land,
including site preparation, reforestation, thinning, prescribed
burning, and other silvicultural activities designed to increase
the quantity and improve the quality of timber and other forest
resources;
(D) ensuring that forest regeneration or reforestation
occurs if needed to sustain long-term resource productivity;
(E) protecting and improving forest soil fertility and the
quality, quantity, and timing of water yields; and
(F) encouraging the investment of a portion of the proceeds
from the sale of timber or other forest resources in stewardship
activities that preserve, protect, maintain, and enhance their
forest land.
(b) State forestry assistance
The Secretary is authorized to provide financial, technical, and
related assistance to State foresters, or equivalent State officials,
to--
(1) develop genetically improved tree seeds;
(2) develop and contract for the development of field
arboretums, greenhouses, and tree nurseries, in cooperation with a
State, to facilitate production and distribution of tree seeds and
seedlings in States where the Secretary determines that there is an
inadequate capacity to carry out present and future reforestation
needs;
(3) procure, produce, and distribute tree seeds and trees for
the purpose of establishing forests, windbreaks, shelterbelts,
woodlots, and other plantings;
(4) plant tree seeds and seedlings on non-Federal forest lands
that are suitable for the production of timber, recreation, and for
other benefits associated with the growing of trees;
(5) plan, organize, and implement measures on non-Federal forest
lands, including thinning, prescribed burning, and other
silvicultural activities designed to increase the quantity and
improve the quality of trees and other vegetation, fish and wildlife
habitat, and water yielded therefrom; and
(6) protect or improve soil fertility on non-Federal forest
lands and the quality, quantity, and timing of water yields
therefrom.
(c) Implementation
In implementing this section, the Secretary shall cooperate with
other Federal, State, and local natural resource management agencies,
universities and the private sector.
(d) Authorization of appropriations
There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be
necessary to carry out this section.
(Pub. L. 95-313, Sec. 3, July 1, 1978, 92 Stat. 366; Pub. L. 101-624,
title XII, Sec. 1213, Nov. 28, 1990, 104 Stat. 3523.)
Amendments
1990--Pub. L. 101-624 amended section generally, substituting
present provisions for provisions which set forth Congressional findings
relating to rural forestry assistance, related to financial, technical,
and related assistance to State foresters or equivalent State officials,
and authorized appropriations.
Section Referred to in Other Sections
This section is referred to in sections 2106b, 2109 of this title.
