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RENEWABLE RESOURCES EXTENSION ACT OF 1978

Act of June 30, 1978, Public Law 95-306, 92 Stat. 349, 16 U.S.C. 1671

et seq.

AN ACT To provide for an expanded and comprehensive extension program for forest and rangeland renewable resources

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That this Act may be cited as the "Renewable Resources Extension Act of 1978".

SEC. 2. Congress finds that

FINDINGS

(1) the extension program of the Department of Agriculture and the extension activities of each State provide useful and productive educational programs for private forest and range landowners and processors and consumptive and nonconsumptive users of forest and rangeland renewable resources, and these educational programs complement research and assistance programs conducted by the Department of Agriculture;

(2) to meet national goals, it is essential that all forest and rangeland renewable resources (hereinafter in this Act referred to as "renewable resources"), including fish and wildlife, forage, outdoor recreation opportunities, timber, and water, be fully considered in designing educational programs for landowners, processors, and users;

(3) more efficient utilization and marketing of renewable resources extend available supplies of such resources, provide products to consumers at prices less than they would otherwise be, and promote reasonable returns on the investments of landowners, processors, and users;

(4) trees and forests in urban areas improve the esthetic quality, reduce noise, filter impurities from the air and add oxygen to it, save energy by moderating temperature extremes, control wind and water erosion, and provide habitat for wildlife; and

(5) trees and shrubs used as shelterbelts protect farm lands from wind and water erosion, promote moisture accumulation in the soil, and provide habitat for wildlife.

TYPES OF PROGRAMS; ELIGIBLE COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES

SEC. 3. (a) The Secretary of Agriculture (hereinafter in this Act referred to as the "Secretary"), under conditions the Secretary may prescribe and in cooperation with the State directors of cooperative extension service programs and eligible colleges and universities, shall

116 U.S.C. 1672.

(1) provide educational programs that enable individuals to recognize, analyze, and resolve problems dealing with renewable resources, including forest- and range-based outdoor recreation opportunities, trees, and forests in urban areas, and trees and shrubs in shelterbelts:

(2) use educational programs to disseminate the results of research on renewable resources;

(3) conduct educational programs that transfer the best available technology to those involved in the management and protection of forests and rangelands and the processing and use of their associated renewable resources;

(4) develop and implement educational programs that give special attention to the educational needs of small, private nonindustrial forest landowners;

(5) develop and implement educational programs in range and fish and wildlife management;

(6) assist in providing continuing education programs for professionally trained individuals in fish and wildlife, forest, range, and watershed management and related fields;

(7) help forest and range landowners in securing technical and financial assistance to bring appropriate expertise to bear on their problems; and

(8) help identify areas of needed research regarding renewable

resources.

(b) As used in this Act, the term "eligible colleges and universities" means colleges and universities eligible to be supported and maintained in whole or in part, with funds made available under the provisions of the Act of July 2, 1862 (12 Stat. 503-505, as amended; 7 U.S.C. 301-305, 307, 308), and the Act of August 30, 1890 (26 Stat. 417-419, as amended; 7 U.S.C. 321-326, 328), including Tuskegee Institute, and colleges and universities eligible for assistance under the Act of October 10, 1962 (76 Stat. 806-807, as amended; 16 U.S.C. 582a, 582a-1-582a-7).

(c) In implementing this section, all appropriate educational methods may be used, including, but not limited to, meetings, short courses, workshops, tours, demonstrations, publications, news releases, and radio and television programs.

STATE RENEWABLE RESOURCES EXTENSION PROGRAMS

SEC. 4.2 (a) The State director of cooperative extension programs (hereinafter in this Act referred to as the "State director") and the administrative heads of extension for eligible colleges and universities in each State shall jointly develop by mutual agreement, a single comprehensive and coordinated renewable resources extension program in which the role of each eligible college and university is welldefined. In meeting this responsibility, the State director and the administrative heads of extension for eligible colleges and universities shall consult and seek agreement with the administrative technical representatives and the forestry representatives provided for by the Secretary in implementation of the Act of October 10, 1962 (76 Stat. 806-807, as amended; 16 U.S.C. 582a, 582a-1-582a-7), in the State. Each State's renewable resources extension program shall be submit

16 U.S.C. 1673.

ted to the Secretary annually. The National Agricultural Research and Extension Users Advisory Board established under section 1408 of the Food and Agriculture Act of 1977 shall review and make recommendations to the Secretary pertaining to programs conducted under this Act.

(b) The State director and the administrative heads of extension for eligible colleges and universities in each State shall encourage close cooperation between extension staffs at the county and State levels, and State and Federal research organizations dealing with renewable resources, State and Federal agencies that manage forests and rangelands and their associated renewable resources, State and Federal agencies that have responsibilities associated with the processing or use of renewable resources, and other agencies or organizations the State director and administrative heads of extension deem appropriate. (c) Each State renewable resources extension program shall be administered and coordinated by the State director, except that, in States having colleges eligible to receive funds under the Act of August 30, 1890 (26 Stat. 417-419, as amended; 7 U.S.C. 321–326, 328), including Tuskegee Institute, the State renewable resources extension program shall be administered by the State director and the administrative head or heads of extension for the college or colleges eligible to receive such funds.

(d) In meeting the provisions of this section, each State director and administrative heads of extension for eligible colleges and universities shall appoint and use one or more advisory committees comprised of forest and range landowners, professionally trained individuals in fish and wildlife, forest, range, and watershed management, and related fields, as appropriate, and other suitable persons.

(e) For the purposes of this Act, the term "State" means any one of the fifty States, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the District of Columbia, and the Virgin Islands of the United States.

NATIONAL RENEWABLE RESOURCES EXTENSION PROGRAM

SEC. 5. (a) The Secretary shall prepare a five-year plan for implementing this Act, which is to be called the "Renewable Resources Extension Program" and shall submit such plan to Congress no later than the last day of the first half of the fiscal year ending September 30, 1980, and the last day of the first half of each fifth fiscal year thereafter. The Renewable Resources Extension Program shall provide national emphasis and direction as well as guidance to State directors and administrative heads of extension for eligible colleges and universities in the development of their respective State renewable resources extension programs, which are to be appropriate in terms of the conditions, needs, and opportunities in each State. The Renewable Resources Extension Program shall contain, but not be limited to, brief outlines of general extension programs for fish and wildlife management (for both game and nongame species), range management, timber management (including brief outlines of general extension programs for timber utilization, timber harvesting, timber marketing, wood utilization, and wood products marketing), and watershed management (giving special attention to water quality protection), as well as brief outlines of general extension programs for

16 U.S.C. 1674.

recognition and enhancement of forest- and range-based outdoor recreation opportunities, for planting and management of trees and forests in urban areas, and for planting and management of trees and shrubs in shelterbelts.

(b) In preparing the Renewable Resources Extension Program, the Secretary shall take into account the respective capabilities of private forests and rangelands for yielding renewable resources and the relative needs for such resources identified in the periodic Renewable Resource Assessment provided for in section 3 of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 and the periodic appraisal of land and water resources provided for in section 5 of the Soil and Water Resources Conservation Act of 1977.

(c) To provide information that will aid Congress in its oversight responsibilities and to provide accountability in implementing this Act, the Secretary shall prepare an annual report, which shall be furnished to Congress at the time of submission of each annual fiscal budget, beginning with the annual fiscal budget for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1981. The annual report shall set forth accomplishments of the Renewable Resources Extension Program, its strengths and weaknesses, recommendations for improvement, and costs of program administration, each with respect to the preceding fiscal year.

APPROPRIATIONS AUTHORIZATION

SEC. 6. There are hereby authorized to be appropriated to implement this Act $15,000,000 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1979, and $15,000,000 for each of the next nine fiscal years. Generally, States shall be eligible for funds appropriated under this Act according to the respective capabilities of their private forests and rangelands for yielding renewable resources and relative needs for such resources identified in the periodic Renewable Resource Assessment provided for in section 3 of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 and the periodic appraisal of land and water resources provided for in section 5 of the Soil and Water Resources Conservation Act of 1977..

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SEC. 7.5 The Secretary is authorized to issue such rules and regulations as the Secretary deems necessary to implement the provisions of this Act and to coordinate this Act with title XIV of the Food and Agriculture Act of 1977.

EFFECTIVE DATES

SEC. 8. The provisions of this Act shall be effective for the period beginning October 1, 1978, and ending September 30, 1988.

416 U.S.C. 1675.

516 U.S.C. 1676.

16 U.S.C. 1671 note.

FOREST AND RANGELAND RENEWABLE RESOURCES PLANNING ACT

OF 1974

Act of August 17, 1974, Public Law 93-378, 88 Stat. 476,
16 U.S.C. 1600–1614

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That this Act may be cited as the "Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974".

SEC. 2.1 FINDINGS.-The Congress finds that

(1) the management of the Nation's renewable resources is highly complex and the uses, demand for, and supply of the various resources are subject to change over time;

(2) the public interest is served by the Forest Service, Department of Agriculture, in cooperation with other agencies, assessing the Nation's renewable resources, and developing and preparing a national renewable resource program, which is periodically reviewed and updated;

(3) to serve the national interest, the renewable resource program must be based on a comprehensive assessment of present and anticipated uses, demand for, and supply of renewable resources from the Nation's public and private forests and rangelands, through analysis of environmental and economic impacts, coordination of multiple use and sustained yield opportunities as provided in the Multiple-Use Sustained-Yield Act of 1960 (74 Stat. 215; 16 U.S.C. 528-531), and public participation in the development of the program;

(4) the new knowledge derived from coordinated public and private research programs will promote a sound technical and ecological base for effective management, use, and protection of the Nation's renewable resources;

(5) inasmuch as the majority of the Nation's forests and rangeland is under private, State, and local governmental management and the Nation's major capacity to produce goods and services is based on these nonfederally managed renewable resources, the Federal Government should be a catalyst to encourage and assist these owners in the efficient long-term use and improvement of these lands and their renewable resources consistent with the principles of sustained yield and multiple use;

(6) the Forest Service, by virtue of its statutory authority for management of the National Forest System, research and cooperative programs, and its role as an agency in the Department of Agriculture, has both a responsibility and an opportunity to be a leader in assuring that the Nation maintains a natural resource

1 Added by the National Forest Management Act of 1976, Public Law 94-588, section 2, 90 Stat. 2949.

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