16 U.S.C. § 2103a : US Code - Section 2103A: Forest Stewardship Program

Search 16 U.S.C. § 2103a : US Code - Section 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.