[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 485 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 485

  To appropriate funds for the purpose of implementing the compromise 
  between the Forest Service and timber contractors operating in the 
Vallecitos sustained-yield unit, New Mexico, in order to preserve large 
          diameter old growth pine trees located in the unit.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 21, 1997

Mr. Richardson introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                      Committee on Appropriations

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To appropriate funds for the purpose of implementing the compromise 
  between the Forest Service and timber contractors operating in the 
Vallecitos sustained-yield unit, New Mexico, in order to preserve large 
          diameter old growth pine trees located in the unit.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. FUNDS FOR PRESERVATION OF OLD GROWTH PINES, VALLECITOS 
              SUSTAINED-YIELD UNIT, NEW MEXICO.

    (a) Appropriation.--There are hereby appropriated to the Secretary 
of Agriculture, out of any funds in the Treasury not otherwise 
appropriated, $250,000, to be used by the Secretary to compensate the 
approved responsible operators conducting timber harvesting in the 
Vallecitos sustained-yield unit, New Mexico, established pursuant to 
the Act of March 29, 1944 (commonly known as the Sustained-Yield Forest 
Management Act; 16 U.S.C. 583 et seq.), for the loss of wages and 
profits that the approved responsible operators will incur as a result 
of the settlement described in subsection (b).
    (b) Settlement to Preserve Old Growth.--The settlement referred to 
in this section is a settlement between the Forest Service and the 
approved responsible operators of the Vallecitos sustained-yield unit, 
under which the operators--
            (1) agree to leave uncut and unharvested all large diameter 
        old growth pine trees located in units 1, 2, 9, 15, and 16 of 
        the La Manga timber sale; and
            (2) release all other claims that the operators may have 
        for harvesting the timber in these specified units.
    (c) Condition on Payment of Compensation.--The Secretary of 
Agriculture may not make any payment under subsection (a) unless and 
until all of the approved responsible operators of the Vallecitos 
sustained-yield unit are parties to, and agree to comply with, the 
settlement described in subsection (b).
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