[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 997 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
107th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 997
To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to conduct research, monitoring,
management, treatment, and outreach activities relating to sudden oak
death syndrome and to establish a Sudden Oak Death Syndrome Advisory
Committee.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
June 7, 2001
Mrs. Boxer introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to conduct research, monitoring,
management, treatment, and outreach activities relating to sudden oak
death syndrome and to establish a Sudden Oak Death Syndrome Advisory
Committee.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Sudden Oak Death Syndrome Control
Act of 2001''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds that--
(1) tan oak, coast live oak, Shreve's oak, and black oak
trees are among the most beloved features of the topography of
California and the Pacific Northwest and efforts should be made
to protect those trees from disease;
(2) the die-off of those trees, as a result of the exotic
Phytophthora fungus, is approaching epidemic proportions;
(3) very little is known about the new species of
Phytophthora, and scientists are struggling to understand the
causes of sudden oak death syndrome, the methods of
transmittal, and how sudden oak death syndrome can best be
treated;
(4) the Phytophthora fungus has been found on--
(A) Rhododendron plants in nurseries in California;
and
(B) wild huckleberry plants, potentially
endangering the commercial blueberry and cranberry
industries;
(5) sudden oak death syndrome threatens to create major
economic and environmental problems in California, the Pacific
Northwest, and other regions, including--
(A) the increased threat of fire and fallen trees;
(B) the cost of tree removal and a reduction in
property values; and
(C) loss of revenue due to--
(i) restrictions on imports of oak products
and nursery stock; and
(ii) the impact on the commercial
rhododendron, blueberry, and cranberry
industries; and
(6) Oregon and Canada have imposed an emergency quarantine
on the importation of oak trees, oak products, and certain
nursery plants from California.
SEC. 3. RESEARCH, MONITORING, AND TREATMENT OF SUDDEN OAK DEATH
SYNDROME.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of Agriculture (referred to in this
Act as the ``Secretary'') shall carry out a sudden oak death syndrome
research, monitoring, and treatment program to develop methods to
control, manage, or eradicate sudden oak death syndrome from oak trees
on both public and private land.
(b) Research, Monitoring, and Treatment Activities.--In carrying
out the program under subsection (a), the Secretary may--
(1) conduct open space, roadside, and aerial surveys;
(2) provide monitoring technique workshops;
(3) develop baseline information on the distribution,
condition, and mortality rates of oaks in California and the
Pacific Northwest;
(4) maintain a geographic information system database;
(5) conduct research activities, including research on
forest pathology, Phytophthora ecology, forest insects
associated with oak decline, urban forestry, arboriculture,
forest ecology, fire management, silviculture, landscape
ecology, and epidemiology;
(6) evaluate the susceptibility of oaks and other
vulnerable species throughout the United States; and
(7) develop and apply treatments.
SEC. 4. MANAGEMENT, REGULATION, AND FIRE PREVENTION.
(a) In General.--The Secretary shall conduct sudden oak death
syndrome management, regulation, and fire prevention activities to
reduce the threat of fire and fallen trees killed by sudden oak death
syndrome.
(b) Management, Regulation, and Fire Prevention Activities.--In
carrying out subsection (a), the Secretary may--
(1) conduct hazard tree assessments;
(2) provide grants to local units of government for hazard
tree removal, disposal and recycling, assessment and management
of restoration and mitigation projects, green waste treatment
facilities, reforestation, resistant tree breeding, and exotic
weed control;
(3) increase and improve firefighting and emergency
response capabilities in areas where fire hazard has increased
due to oak die-off;
(4) treat vegetation to prevent fire, and assessment of
fire risk, in areas heavily infected with sudden oak death
syndrome;
(5) conduct national surveys and inspections of--
(A) commercial rhododendron and blueberry
nurseries; and
(B) native rhododendron and huckleberry plants;
(6) provide for monitoring of oaks and other vulnerable
species throughout the United States to ensure early detection;
and
(7) provide diagnostic services.
SEC. 5. EDUCATION AND OUTREACH.
(a) In General.--The Secretary shall conduct education and outreach
activities to make information available to the public on sudden death
oak syndrome.
(b) Education and Outreach Activities.--In carrying out subsection
(a), the Secretary may--
(1) develop and distribute educational materials for
homeowners, arborists, urban foresters, park managers, public
works personnel, recreationists, nursery workers, landscapers,
naturists, firefighting personnel, and other individuals, as
the Secretary determines appropriate;
(2) design and maintain a website to provide information on
sudden oak death syndrome; and
(3) provide financial and technical support to States,
local governments, and nonprofit organizations providing
information on sudden oak death syndrome.
SEC. 6. SUDDEN OAK DEATH SYNDROME ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
(a) Establishment.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall establish a Sudden Oak
Death Syndrome Advisory Committee (referred to in this section
as the ``Committee'') to assist the Secretary in carrying out
this Act.
(2) Membership.--
(A) Composition.--The Committee shall consist of--
(i) 1 representative of the Animal and
Plant Health Inspection Service, to be
appointed by the Administrator of the Animal
and Plant Health Inspection Service;
(ii) 1 representative of the Forest
Service, to be appointed by the Chief of the
Forest Service;
(iii) 2 individuals appointed by the
Secretary from each of the States affected by
sudden oak death syndrome; and
(iv) any individual, to be appointed by the
Secretary, in consultation with the Governors
of the affected States, that the Secretary
determines--
(I) has an interest or expertise in
sudden oak death syndrome; and
(II) would contribute to the
Committee.
(B) Date of appointments.--The appointment of a
member of the Committee shall be made not later than 90
days after the enactment of this Act.
(3) Initial meeting.--Not later than 30 days after the date
on which all members of the Committee have been appointed, the
Committee shall hold the initial meeting of the Committee.
(b) Duties.--
(1) Implementation plan.--The Committee shall prepare a
comprehensive implementation plan to address the management,
control, and eradication of sudden oak death syndrome.
(2) Reports.--
(A) Interim report.--Not later than 1 year after
the date of enactment of this Act, the Committee shall
submit to Congress the implementation plan prepared
under paragraph (1).
(B) Final report.--Not later than 3 years after the
date of enactment of this Act, the Committee shall
submit to Congress a report that contains--
(i) a summary of the activities of the
Committee;
(ii) an accounting of funds received and
expended by the Committee; and
(iii) findings and recommendations of the
Committee.
SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated for each of fiscal years
2002 through 2007--
(1) to carry out section 3, $7,500,000, of which up to
$1,500,000 shall be used for treatment;
(2) to carry out section 4, $6,000,000;
(3) to carry out section 5, $500,000; and
(4) to carry out section 6, $250,000.
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