[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2468 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2468

To authorize the Secretary of Agriculture (acting through the Chief of 
  the Forest Service) to enter into a cooperative agreement with the 
   State of Wyoming to allow the State of Wyoming to conduct certain 
   forest and watershed restoration services, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           December 13, 2007

 Mr. Barrasso introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
       referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To authorize the Secretary of Agriculture (acting through the Chief of 
  the Forest Service) to enter into a cooperative agreement with the 
   State of Wyoming to allow the State of Wyoming to conduct certain 
   forest and watershed restoration services, and for other purposes.

    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 ``Wyoming Forest and Watershed 
Restoration Act of 2007''.

SEC. 2. FOREST AND WATERSHED RESTORATION.

    (a) Definitions.--In this Act:
            (1) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Agriculture (acting through the Chief of the Forest 
        Service), with respect to National Forest System land.
            (2) State.--The term ``State'' means the State of Wyoming.
    (b) Cooperative Agreement.--
            (1) Authority of secretary.--Until September 30, 2017, in 
        accordance with paragraphs (2), (3), and (6), the Secretary may 
        enter into a cooperative agreement or contract (including a 
        sole source contract) with the State to allow the State 
        forester of the State to conduct forest and watershed 
        restoration services on land that is--
                    (A) under the jurisdiction of the Secretary; and
                    (B) located in the State.
            (2) Project basis.--Each restoration service that is the 
        subject of a cooperative agreement or contract described in 
        paragraph (1) shall be--
                    (A) carried out on a project-to-project basis; or
                    (B) made ready to be carried out under any existing 
                authority of the Secretary.
            (3) Authorized services.--In carrying out services in 
        accordance with a cooperative agreement or contract entered 
        into between the Secretary and the State under paragraph (1), 
        the State shall conduct certain appropriate services, 
        including--
                    (A) the treatment of insect-infected trees;
                    (B) the reduction of hazardous fuels; and
                    (C) any other activity designed to restore or 
                improve a forest or watershed (including any fish or 
                wildlife habitat), as determined by the Secretary.
            (4) State as agent.--
                    (A) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph 
                (6), a cooperative agreement or contract entered into 
                by the Secretary and the State under paragraph (1) may 
                allow the State forester of the State to serve as an 
                agent of the Forest Service in carrying out any service 
                described in paragraph (3).
                    (B) Authority to subcontract.--In accordance with 
                the laws of the State, in carrying out any authorized 
                service described in paragraph (3), the State forester 
                of the State may enter into a subcontract with any 
                other entity to carry out the services of the State 
                forester of the State.
            (5) Applicability of national forest management act of 
        1976.--Subsections (d) and (g) of section 14 of the National 
        Forest Management Act of 1976 (16 U.S.C. 472a) shall not apply 
        to any service performed by the State forester of the State in 
        accordance with a cooperative agreement or contract entered 
        into by the Secretary and the State under paragraph (1).
            (6) Retention of certain responsibilities.--With respect to 
        any authorized service described in paragraph (3), the 
        Secretary, through a cooperative agreement or contract entered 
        into by the Secretary and the State under paragraph (1), shall 
        not allow the State to make any decision required to be made 
        under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 
        4321 et seq.).
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