§ 2103a. — Forest Stewardship Program.
[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 16USC2103a]
TITLE 16--CONSERVATION
CHAPTER 41--COOPERATIVE FORESTRY ASSISTANCE
Sec. 2103a. Forest Stewardship Program
(a) Establishment
The Secretary, in consultation with State foresters or equivalent
State officials, shall establish a Forest Stewardship Program (hereafter
referred to in this section as the ``Program'') to encourage the long-
term stewardship of nonindustrial private forest lands by assisting
owners of such lands to more actively manage their forest and related
resources by utilizing existing State, Federal, and private sector
resource management expertise and assistance programs.
(b) Goal
The goal of the Program shall be to enter at least 25,000,000 acres
of nonindustrial private forest lands in the Program by December 31,
1995.
(c) ``Nonindustrial private forest lands'' defined
For the purposes of this section, the term ``nonindustrial private
forest lands'' means rural, as determined by the Secretary, lands with
existing tree cover, or suitable for growing trees, and owned by any
private individual, group, association, corporation, Indian tribe, or
other private legal entity.
(d) Implementation
In carrying out the Program the Secretary, in consultation with
State foresters or equivalent State officials, shall provide financial,
technical, educational, and related assistance to State foresters or
equivalent State officials, including assistance to help such State
foresters or equivalent officials to provide financial assistance to
other State and local natural resource entities, both public and
private, and land-grant universities for the delivery of information and
professional assistance to owners of nonindustrial private forest lands.
Such information and assistance shall be directed to help such owners
understand and evaluate alternative actions they might take, including--
(1) managing and enhancing the productivity of timber, fish and
wildlife habitat, water quality, wetlands, recreational resources,
and the aesthetic value of forest lands;
(2) investing in practices to protect, maintain, and enhance the
resources identified in paragraph (1);
(3) ensuring that afforestation, reforestation, improvement of
poorly stocked stands, timber stand improvement, practices necessary
to improve seedling growth and survival, and growth enhancement
practices occur where needed to enhance and sustain the long-term
productivity of timber and nontimber forest resources to help meet
future public demand for all forest resources and provide the
environmental benefits that result; and
(4) protecting their forests from damage caused by fire,
insects, disease, and damaging weather.
(e) Eligibility
All nonindustrial private forest lands that are not in management
under Federal, State, or private sector financial and technical
assistance programs existing on November 28, 1990, are eligible for
assistance under the Program. Nonindustrial private forest lands that
are managed under such existing programs are eligible for assistance
under the Program if forest management activities are expanded and
enhanced and the landowner agrees to meet the requirements of this
chapter.
(f) Duties of owners
To enter forest land into the Program, landowners shall--
(1) prepare and submit to the State forester or equivalent State
official a forest stewardship plan that meets the requirements of
this section and that--
(A) is prepared by a professional resource manager;
(B) identifies and describes actions to be taken by the
landowner to protect soil, water, range, aesthetic quality,
recreation, timber, water, and fish and wildlife resources on
such land in a manner that is compatible with the objectives of
the landowner; and
(C) is approved by the State forester, or equivalent State
official; and
(2) agree that all activities conducted on such land shall be
consistent with the stewardship plan.
(g) Stewardship recognition
The Secretary, in consultation with State foresters or equivalent
State officials, is encouraged to develop an appropriate recognition
program for landowners who practice stewardship management on their
lands, with an appropriate, special recognition symbol and title.
(h) Authorization of appropriations
There are hereby authorized to be appropriated $25,000,000 for each
of the fiscal years 1991 through 1995, and such sums as may be necessary
thereafter, to carry out this section.
(Pub. L. 95-313, Sec. 5, as added Pub. L. 101-624, title XII,
Sec. 1215(2), Nov. 28, 1990, 104 Stat. 3525; amended Pub. L. 102-237,
title X, Sec. 1018(a)(1), Dec. 13, 1991, 105 Stat. 1905.)
Prior Provisions
A prior section 5 of Pub. L. 95-313 was renumbered section 8 and is
classified to section 2104 of this title.
Amendments
1991--Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 102-237 substituted ``State foresters''
for ``State Foresters'' wherever appearing in introductory provisions.
Section Referred to in Other Sections
This section is referred to in sections 2106b, 3835a of this title.
