[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1275 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1275

To support State and tribal government efforts to promote research and 
     education related to maple syrup production, natural resource 
 sustainability in the maple syrup industry, market promotion of maple 
products, and greater access to lands containing maple trees for maple-
              sugaring activities, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 30, 2011

 Mr. Welch (for himself and Mr. Owens) introduced the following bill; 
           which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To support State and tribal government efforts to promote research and 
     education related to maple syrup production, natural resource 
 sustainability in the maple syrup industry, market promotion of maple 
products, and greater access to lands containing maple trees for maple-
              sugaring activities, 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 ``Maple Tapping Access Program Act''.

SEC. 2. SUPPORT FOR STATE AND TRIBAL GOVERNMENT EFFORTS TO PROMOTE 
              DOMESTIC MAPLE SYRUP INDUSTRY.

    (a) Grants Authorized; Authorized Activities.--The Secretary of 
Agriculture may make grants to States and tribal governments to support 
their efforts to promote the domestic maple syrup industry through the 
following activities:
            (1) Promotion of research and education related to maple 
        syrup production.
            (2) Promotion of natural resource sustainability in the 
        maple syrup industry.
            (3) Market promotion for maple syrup and maple-sap 
        products.
            (4) Encouragement of owners and operators of privately held 
        land containing species of tree in the genus Acer--
                    (A) to initiate or expand maple-sugaring activities 
                on the land; or
                    (B) to voluntarily make the land available, 
                including by lease or other means, for access by the 
                public for maple-sugaring activities.
    (b) Applications.--In submitting an application for a grant under 
this section, a State or tribal government shall include--
            (1) a description of the activities to be supported using 
        the grant funds;
            (2) a description of the benefits that the State or tribal 
        government intends to achieve as a result of engaging in such 
        activities; and
            (3) an estimate of the increase in maple-sugaring 
        activities or maple syrup production that the State or tribal 
        government anticipates will occur as a result of engaging in 
        such activities.
    (c) Relationship to Other Laws.--Nothing in this section preempts a 
State or tribal government law, including any State or tribal 
government liability law.
    (d) Definition of Maple Sugaring.--In this section, the term 
``maple-sugaring'' means the collection of sap from any species of tree 
in the genus Acer for the purpose of boiling to produce food.
    (e) Regulations.--The Secretary of Agriculture shall promulgate 
such regulations as are necessary to carry out this section.
    (f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $20,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2012 through 2015.
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