[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 125 (Tuesday, October 10, 2000)]
[House]
[Pages H9607-H9614]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   SECURE RURAL SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY SELF-DETERMINATION ACT OF 2000

  Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and concur in 
the Senate amendment to the bill (H.R. 2389) to restore stability and 
predictability to the annual payments made to States and counties 
containing National Forest System lands and public domain lands managed 
by the Bureau of Land Management for use by the counties for the 
benefit of public schools, roads, and other purposes.
  The Clerk read as follows:

       Senate amendment:
       Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert:

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

       (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Secure 
     Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000''.
       (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents of this Act 
     is as follows:

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Findings and purposes.
Sec. 3. Definitions.
Sec. 4. Conforming amendment.

  TITLE I--SECURE PAYMENTS FOR STATES AND COUNTIES CONTAINING FEDERAL 
                                 LANDS

Sec. 101. Determination of full payment amount for eligible States and 
              counties.
Sec. 102. Payments to States from National Forest Service lands for use 
              by counties to benefit public education and 
              transportation.
Sec. 103. Payments to counties from Bureau of Land Management lands for 
              use to benefit public safety, law enforcement, education, 
              and other public purposes.

              TITLE II--SPECIAL PROJECTS ON FEDERAL LANDS

Sec. 201. Definitions.
Sec. 202. General limitation on use of project funds.
Sec. 203. Submission of project proposals.
Sec. 204. Evaluation and approval of projects by Secretary concerned.
Sec. 205. Resource advisory committees.
Sec. 206. Use of project funds.
Sec. 207. Availability of project funds.
Sec. 208. Termination of authority.

                       TITLE III--COUNTY PROJECTS

Sec. 301. Definitions.
Sec. 302. Use of county funds.
Sec. 303. Termination of authority.

                   TITLE IV--MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

Sec. 401. Authorization of appropriations.
Sec. 402. Treatment of funds and revenues.
Sec. 403. Regulations.
Sec. 404. Conforming amendments.

            TITLE V--MINERAL REVENUE PAYMENTS CLARIFICATION

Sec. 501. Short title.
Sec. 502. Findings.
Sec. 503. Amendment of the Mineral Leasing Act.

                 TITLE VI--COMMUNITY FOREST RESTORATION

Sec. 601. Short title.
Sec. 602. Findings.
Sec. 603. Purposes.
Sec. 604. Definitions.
Sec. 605. Establishment of program.
Sec. 606. Selection process.
Sec. 607. Monitoring and evaluation.
Sec. 608. Report.
Sec. 609. Authorization of appropriations.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.

       (a) Findings.--The Congress finds the following:
       (1) The National Forest System, which is managed by the 
     United States Forest Service, was established in 1907 and has 
     grown to include approximately 192,000,000 acres of Federal 
     lands.
       (2) The public domain lands known as revested Oregon and 
     California Railroad grant lands and the reconveyed Coos Bay 
     Wagon Road grant lands, which are managed predominantly by 
     the Bureau of Land Management were returned to Federal 
     ownership in 1916 and 1919 and now comprise approximately 
     2,600,000 acres of Federal lands.
       (3) Congress recognized that, by its decision to secure 
     these lands in Federal ownership, the counties in which these 
     lands are situated would be deprived of revenues they would 
     otherwise receive if the lands were held in private 
     ownership.
       (4) These same counties have expended public funds year 
     after year to provide services, such as education, road 
     construction and maintenance, search and rescue, law 
     enforcement, waste removal, and fire protection, that 
     directly benefit these Federal lands and people who use these 
     lands.
       (5) To accord a measure of compensation to the affected 
     counties for the critical services they provide to both 
     county residents and visitors to these Federal lands, 
     Congress determined that the Federal Government should share 
     with these counties a portion of the revenues the United 
     States receives from these Federal lands.
       (6) Congress enacted in 1908 and subsequently amended a law 
     that requires that 25 percent of the revenues derived from 
     National Forest System lands be paid to States for use by the 
     counties in which the lands are situated for the benefit of 
     public schools and roads.
       (7) Congress enacted in 1937 and subsequently amended a law 
     that requires that 75 percent of the revenues derived from 
     the revested and reconveyed grant lands be paid to the 
     counties in which those lands are situated to be used as are 
     other county funds, of which 50 percent is to be used as 
     other county funds.
       (8) For several decades primarily due to the growth of the 
     Federal timber sale program, counties dependent on and 
     supportive of these Federal lands received and relied on 
     increasing shares of these revenues to provide funding for 
     schools and road maintenance.
       (9) In recent years, the principal source of these 
     revenues, Federal timber sales, has been sharply curtailed 
     and, as the volume of timber sold annually from most of the 
     Federal lands has decreased precipitously, so too have the 
     revenues shared with the affected counties.
       (10) This decline in shared revenues has affected 
     educational funding and road maintenance for many counties.
       (11) In the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993, 
     Congress recognized this trend and ameliorated its adverse 
     consequences by providing an alternative annual safety net 
     payment to 72 counties in Oregon, Washington, and northern 
     California in which Federal timber sales had been restricted 
     or prohibited by administrative and judicial decisions to 
     protect the northern spotted owl.
       (12) The authority for these particular safety net payments 
     is expiring and no comparable authority has been granted for 
     alternative payments to counties elsewhere in the United 
     States that have suffered similar losses in shared revenues 
     from the Federal lands and in the funding for schools and 
     roads those revenues provide.
       (13) There is a need to stabilize education and road 
     maintenance funding through predictable payments to the 
     affected counties, job creation in those counties, and other 
     opportunities associated with restoration, maintenance, and 
     stewardship of Federal lands.
       (14) Both the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land 
     Management face significant backlogs in infrastructure 
     maintenance and ecosystem restoration that are difficult to 
     address through annual appropriations.
       (15) There is a need to build new, and strengthen existing, 
     relationships and to improve management of public lands and 
     waters.
       (b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are as follows:

[[Page H9608]]

       (1) To stabilize payments to counties to provide funding 
     for schools and roads that supplements other available funds.
       (2) To make additional investments in, and create 
     additional employment opportunities through, projects that 
     improve the maintenance of existing infrastructure, implement 
     stewardship objectives that enhance forest ecosystems, and 
     restore and improve land health and water quality. Such 
     projects shall enjoy broad-based support with objectives that 
     may include, but are not limited to--
       (A) road, trail, and infrastructure maintenance or 
     obliteration;
       (B) soil productivity improvement;
       (C) improvements in forest ecosystem health;
       (D) watershed restoration and maintenance;
       (E) restoration, maintenance and improvement of wildlife 
     and fish habitat;
       (F) control of noxious and exotic weeds; and
       (G) reestablishment of native species.
       (3) To improve cooperative relationships among the people 
     that use and care for Federal lands and the agencies that 
     manage these lands.

     SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) Federal lands.--The term ``Federal lands'' means--
       (A) lands within the National Forest System, as defined in 
     section 11(a) of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources 
     Planning Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C. 1609(a)) exclusive of the 
     National Grasslands and land utilization projects designated 
     as National Grasslands administered pursuant to the Act of 
     July 22, 1937 (7 U.S.C. 1010-1012); and
       (B) such portions of the revested Oregon and California 
     Railroad and reconveyed Coos Bay Wagon Road grant lands as 
     are or may hereafter come under the jurisdiction of the 
     Department of the Interior, which have heretofore or may 
     hereafter be classified as timberlands, and power-site lands 
     valuable for timber, that shall be managed, except as 
     provided in the former section 3 of the Act of August 28, 
     1937 (50 Stat. 875; 43 U.S.C. 1181c), for permanent forest 
     production.
       (2) Eligibility period.--The term ``eligibility period'' 
     means fiscal year 1986 through fiscal year 1999.
       (3) Eligible county.--The term ``eligible county'' means a 
     county that received 50-percent payments for one or more 
     fiscal years of the eligibility period or a county that 
     received a portion of an eligible State's 25-percent payments 
     for one or more fiscal years of the eligibility period. The 
     term includes a county established after the date of the 
     enactment of this Act so long as the county includes all or a 
     portion of a county described in the preceding sentence.
       (4) Eligible state.--The term ``eligible State'' means a 
     State that received 25-percent payments for one or more 
     fiscal years of the eligibility period.
       (5) Full payment amount.--The term ``full payment amount'' 
     means the amount calculated for each eligible State and 
     eligible county under section 101.
       (6) 25-percent payment.--The term ``25-percent payment'' 
     means the payment to States required by the sixth paragraph 
     under the heading of ``FOREST SERVICE'' in the Act of May 23, 
     1908 (35 Stat. 260; 16 U.S.C. 500), and section 13 of the Act 
     of March 1, 1911 (36 Stat. 963; 16 U.S.C. 500).
       (7) 50-percent payment.--The term ``50-percent payment'' 
     means the payment that is the sum of the 50-percent share 
     otherwise paid to a county pursuant to title II of the Act of 
     August 28, 1937 (chapter 876; 50 Stat. 875; 43 U.S.C. 1181f), 
     and the payment made to a county pursuant to the Act of May 
     24, 1939 (chapter 144; 53 Stat. 753; 43 U.S.C. 1181f-1 et 
     seq.).
       (8) Safety net payments.--The term ``safety net payments'' 
     means the special payment amounts paid to States and counties 
     required by section 13982 or 13983 of the Omnibus Budget 
     Reconciliation Act of 1993 (Public Law 103-66; 16 U.S.C. 500 
     note; 43 U.S.C. 1181f note).

     SEC. 4. CONFORMING AMENDMENT.

       Section 6903(a)(1)(C) of title 31, United States Code, is 
     amended by inserting after ``(16 U.S.C. 500)'' the following: 
     ``or the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-
     Determination Act of 2000''.

  TITLE I--SECURE PAYMENTS FOR STATES AND COUNTIES CONTAINING FEDERAL 
                                 LANDS

     SEC. 101. DETERMINATION OF FULL PAYMENT AMOUNT FOR ELIGIBLE 
                   STATES AND COUNTIES.

       (a) Calculation Required.--
       (1) Eligible states.--For fiscal years 2001 through 2006, 
     the Secretary of the Treasury shall calculate for each 
     eligible State that received a 25-percent payment during the 
     eligibility period an amount equal to the average of the 
     three highest 25-percent payments and safety net payments 
     made to that eligible State for the fiscal years of the 
     eligibility period.
       (2) Bureau of land management counties.--For fiscal years 
     2001 through 2006, the Secretary of the Treasury shall 
     calculate for each eligible county that received a 50-percent 
     payment during the eligibility period an amount equal to the 
     average of the three highest 50-percent payments and safety 
     net payments made to that eligible county for the fiscal 
     years of the eligibility period.
       (b) Annual Adjustment.--For each fiscal year in which 
     payments are required to be made to eligible States and 
     eligible counties under this title, the Secretary of the 
     Treasury shall adjust the full payment amount for the 
     previous fiscal year for each eligible State and eligible 
     county to reflect 50 percent of the changes in the consumer 
     price index for rural areas (as published in the Bureau of 
     Labor Statistics) that occur after publication of that index 
     for fiscal year 2000.

     SEC. 102. PAYMENTS TO STATES FROM NATIONAL FOREST SYSTEM 
                   LANDS FOR USE BY COUNTIES TO BENEFIT PUBLIC 
                   EDUCATION AND TRANSPORTATION.

       (a) Payment Amounts.--The Secretary of the Treasury shall 
     pay an eligible State the sum of the amounts elected under 
     subsection (b) by each eligible county for either--
       (1) the 25-percent payment under the Act of May 23, 1908 
     (16 U.S.C. 500), and section 13 of the Act of March 1, 1911 
     (16 U.S.C. 500); or
       (2) the full payment amount in place of the 25-percent 
     payment.
       (b) Election To Receive Payment Amount.--
       (1) Election; submission of results.--The election to 
     receive either the full payment amount or the 25-percent 
     payment shall be made at the discretion of each affected 
     county and transmitted to the Secretary by the Governor of a 
     State.
       (2) Duration of election.--A county election to receive the 
     25-percent payment shall be effective for two fiscal years. 
     When a county elects to receive the full payment amount, such 
     election shall be effective for all the subsequent fiscal 
     years through fiscal year 2006.
       (3) Source of payment amounts.--The payment to an eligible 
     State under this section for a fiscal year shall be derived 
     from any revenues, fees, penalties, or miscellaneous 
     receipts, exclusive of deposits to any relevant trust fund, 
     or special accounts, received by the Federal Government from 
     activities by the Forest Service on the Federal lands 
     described in section 3(1)(A) and to the extent of any 
     shortfall, out of any funds in the Treasury not otherwise 
     appropriated.
       (c) Distribution and Expenditure of Payments.--
       (1) Distribution method.--A State that receives a payment 
     under subsection (a) shall distribute the payment among all 
     eligible counties in the State in accordance with the Act of 
     May 23, 1908 (16 U.S.C. 500), and section 13 of the Act of 
     March 1, 1911 (36 Stat. 963; 16 U.S.C. 500).
       (2) Expenditure purposes.--Subject to subsection (d), 
     payments received by a State under subsection (a) and 
     distributed to eligible counties shall be expended as 
     required by the laws referred to in paragraph (1).
       (d) Expenditure Rules for Eligible Counties.--
       (1) Allocations.--
       (A) Use of portion in same manner as 25-percent payments.--
     If an eligible county elects to receive its share of the full 
     payment amount, not less than 80 percent, but not more than 
     85 percent, of the funds shall be expended in the same manner 
     in which the 25-percent payments are required to be expended.
       (B) Election as to use of balance.--An eligible county 
     shall elect to do one or more of the following with the 
     balance of the funds not expended pursuant to subparagraph 
     (A):
       (i) Reserve the balance for projects in accordance with 
     title II.
       (ii) Reserve the balance for projects in accordance with 
     title III.
       (iii) Return the balance to the General Treasury in 
     accordance with section 402(b).
       (2) Distribution of funds.--
       (A) Treatment of title ii funds.--Funds reserved by an 
     eligible county under paragraph (1)(B)(i) shall be deposited 
     in a special account in the Treasury of the United States and 
     shall be available for expenditure by the Secretary of 
     Agriculture, without further appropriation, and shall remain 
     available until expended in accordance with title II.
       (B) Treatment of title iii funds.--Funds reserved by an 
     eligible county under paragraph (1)(B)(ii) shall be available 
     for expenditure by the county and shall remain available, 
     until expended, in accordance with title III.
       (3) Election.--
       (A) In general.--An eligible county shall notify the 
     Secretary of Agriculture of its election under this 
     subsection not later than September 30 of each fiscal year. 
     If the eligible county fails to make an election by that 
     date, the county is deemed to have elected to expend 85 
     percent of the funds to be received under this section in the 
     same manner in which the 25-percent payments are required to 
     be expended, and shall remit the balance to the Treasury of 
     the United States in accordance with section 402(b).
       (B) Counties with minor distributions.--Notwithstanding any 
     adjustment made pursuant to section 101(b) in the case of 
     each eligible county to which less than $100,000 is 
     distributed for any fiscal year pursuant to subsection 
     (c)(1), the eligible county may elect to expend all such 
     funds in accordance with subsection (c)(2).
       (e) Time for Payment.--The payment to an eligible State 
     under this section for a fiscal year shall be made as soon as 
     practicable after the end of that fiscal year.

     SEC. 103. PAYMENTS TO COUNTIES FROM BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT 
                   LANDS FOR USE TO BENEFIT PUBLIC SAFETY, LAW 
                   ENFORCEMENT, EDUCATION, AND OTHER PUBLIC 
                   PURPOSES.

       (a) Payment.--The Secretary of the Treasury shall pay an 
     eligible county either--
       (1) the 50-percent payment under the Act of August 28, 1937 
     (43 U.S.C. 1181f), or the Act of May 24, 1939 (43 U.S.C. 
     1181f-1) as appropriate; or
       (2) the full payment amount in place of the 50-percent 
     payment.
       (b) Election To Receive Full Payment Amount.--
       (1) Election; duration.--The election to receive the full 
     payment amount shall be made at the discretion of the county. 
     Once the election is made, it shall be effective for the 
     fiscal year in which the election is made and all subsequent 
     fiscal years through fiscal year 2006.
       (2) Source of payment amounts.--The payment to an eligible 
     county under this section for a fiscal year shall be derived 
     from any revenues,

[[Page H9609]]

     fees, penalties, or miscellaneous receipts, exclusive of 
     deposits to any relevant trust fund, or permanent operating 
     funds, received by the Federal Government from activities by 
     the Bureau of Land Management on the Federal lands described 
     in section 3(1)(B) and to the extent of any shortfall, out of 
     any funds in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated.
       (c) Expenditure Rules for Eligible Counties.--
       (1) Allocations.--
       (A) Use of portion in same manner as 50-percent payments.--
     Of the funds to be paid to an eligible county pursuant to 
     subsection (a)(2), not less than 80 percent, but not more 
     than 85 percent, of the funds distributed to the eligible 
     county shall be expended in the same manner in which the 50-
     percent payments are required to be expended.
       (B) Election as to use of balance.--An eligible county 
     shall elect to do one or more of the following with the 
     balance of the funds not expended pursuant to subparagraph 
     (A):
       (i) Reserve the balance for projects in accordance with 
     title II.
       (ii) Reserve the balance for projects in accordance with 
     title III.
       (iii) Return the balance to the General Treasury in 
     accordance with section 402(b).
       (2) Distribution of funds.--
       (A) Treatment of title ii funds.--Funds reserved by an 
     eligible county under paragraph (1)(B)(i) shall be deposited 
     in a special account in the Treasury of the United States and 
     shall be available for expenditure by the Secretary of the 
     Interior, without further appropriation, and shall remain 
     available until expended in accordance with title II.
       (B) Treatment of title iii funds.--Funds reserved by an 
     eligible county under paragraph (1)(B)(ii) shall be available 
     for expenditure by the county and shall remain available, 
     until expended, in accordance with title III.
       (3) Election.--An eligible county shall notify the 
     Secretary of the Interior of its election under this 
     subsection not later than September 30 of each fiscal year. 
     If the eligible county fails to make an election by that 
     date, the county is deemed to have elected to expend 85 
     percent of the funds received under subsection (a)(2) in the 
     same manner in which the 50-percent payments are required to 
     be expended and shall remit the balance to the Treasury of 
     the United States in accordance with section 402(b).
       (d) Time for Payment.--The payment to an eligible county 
     under this section for a fiscal year shall be made as soon as 
     practicable after the end of that fiscal year.

              TITLE II--SPECIAL PROJECTS ON FEDERAL LANDS

     SEC. 201. DEFINITIONS.

       In this title:
       (1) Participating county.--The term ``participating 
     county'' means an eligible county that elects under section 
     102(d)(1)(B)(i) or 103(c)(1)(B)(i) to expend a portion of the 
     Federal funds received under section 102 or 103 in accordance 
     with this title.
       (2) Project funds.--The term ``project funds'' means all 
     funds an eligible county elects under sections 
     102(d)(1)(B)(i) and 103(c)(1)(B)(i) to reserve for 
     expenditure in accordance with this title.
       (3) Resource advisory committee.--The term ``resource 
     advisory committee'' means an advisory committee established 
     by the Secretary concerned under section 205, or determined 
     by the Secretary concerned to meet the requirements of 
     section 205.
       (4) Resource management plan.--The term ``resource 
     management plan'' means a land use plan prepared by the 
     Bureau of Land Management for units of the Federal lands 
     described in section 3(1)(B) pursuant to section 202 of the 
     Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 
     1712) or a land and resource management plan prepared by the 
     Forest Service for units of the National Forest System 
     pursuant to section 6 of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable 
     Resources Planning Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C. 1604).
       (5) Secretary concerned.--The term ``Secretary concerned'' 
     means--
       (A) the Secretary of Agriculture or the designee of the 
     Secretary of Agriculture with respect to the Federal lands 
     described in section 3(1)(A); and
       (B) the Secretary of the Interior or the designee of the 
     Secretary of the Interior with respect to the Federal lands 
     described in section 3(1)(B).

     SEC. 202. GENERAL LIMITATION ON USE OF PROJECT FUNDS.

       Project funds shall be expended solely on projects that 
     meet the requirements of this title. Project funds may be 
     used by the Secretary concerned for the purpose of entering 
     into and implementing cooperative agreements with willing 
     Federal agencies, State and local governments, private and 
     nonprofit entities, and landowners for protection, 
     restoration and enhancement of fish and wildlife habitat, and 
     other resource objectives consistent with the purposes of 
     this title on Federal land and on non-Federal land where 
     projects would benefit these resources on Federal land.

     SEC. 203. SUBMISSION OF PROJECT PROPOSALS.

       (a) Submission of Project Proposals to Secretary 
     Concerned.--
       (1) Projects funded using project funds.--Not later than 
     September 30 for fiscal year 2001, and each September 30 
     thereafter for each succeeding fiscal year through fiscal 
     year 2006, each resource advisory committee shall submit to 
     the Secretary concerned a description of any projects that 
     the resource advisory committee proposes the Secretary 
     undertake using any project funds reserved by eligible 
     counties in the area in which the resource advisory committee 
     has geographic jurisdiction.
       (2) Projects funded using other funds.--A resource advisory 
     committee may submit to the Secretary concerned a description 
     of any projects that the committee proposes the Secretary 
     undertake using funds from State or local governments, or 
     from the private sector, other than project funds and funds 
     appropriated and otherwise available to do similar work.
       (3) Joint projects.--Participating counties or other 
     persons may propose to pool project funds or other funds, 
     described in paragraph (2), and jointly propose a project or 
     group of projects to a resource advisory committee 
     established under section 205.
       (b) Required Description of Projects.--In submitting 
     proposed projects to the Secretary concerned under subsection 
     (a), a resource advisory committee shall include in the 
     description of each proposed project the following 
     information:
       (1) The purpose of the project and a description of how the 
     project will meet the purposes of this Act.
       (2) The anticipated duration of the project.
       (3) The anticipated cost of the project.
       (4) The proposed source of funding for the project, whether 
     project funds or other funds.
       (5) Expected outcomes, including how the project will meet 
     or exceed desired ecological conditions, maintenance 
     objectives, or stewardship objectives, as well as an 
     estimation of the amount of any timber, forage, and other 
     commodities and other economic activity, including jobs 
     generated, if any, anticipated as part of the project.
       (6) A detailed monitoring plan, including funding needs and 
     sources, that tracks and identifies the positive or negative 
     impacts of the project, implementation, and provides for 
     validation monitoring. The monitoring plan shall include an 
     assessment of the following: Whether or not the project met 
     or exceeded desired ecological conditions; created local 
     employment or training opportunities, including summer youth 
     jobs programs such as the Youth Conservation Corps where 
     appropriate; and whether the project improved the use of, or 
     added value to, any products removed from lands consistent 
     with the purposes of this Act.
       (7) An assessment that the project is to be in the public 
     interest.
       (c) Authorized Projects.--Projects proposed under 
     subsection (a) shall be consistent with section 2(b).

     SEC. 204. EVALUATION AND APPROVAL OF PROJECTS BY SECRETARY 
                   CONCERNED.

       (a) Conditions for Approval of Proposed Project.--The 
     Secretary concerned may make a decision to approve a project 
     submitted by a resource advisory committee under section 203 
     only if the proposed project satisfies each of the following 
     conditions:
       (1) The project complies with all applicable Federal laws 
     and regulations.
       (2) The project is consistent with the applicable resource 
     management plan and with any watershed or subsequent plan 
     developed pursuant to the resource management plan and 
     approved by the Secretary concerned.
       (3) The project has been approved by the resource advisory 
     committee in accordance with section 205, including the 
     procedures issued under subsection (e) of such section.
       (4) A project description has been submitted by the 
     resource advisory committee to the Secretary concerned in 
     accordance with section 203.
       (5) The project will improve the maintenance of existing 
     infrastructure, implement stewardship objectives that enhance 
     forest ecosystems, and restore and improve land health and 
     water quality.
       (b) Environmental Reviews.--
       (1) Payment of review costs.--
       (A) Request for payment by county.--The Secretary concerned 
     may request the resource advisory committee submitting a 
     proposed project to agree to the use of project funds to pay 
     for any environmental review, consultation, or compliance 
     with applicable environmental laws required in connection 
     with the project. When such a payment is requested and the 
     resource advisory committee agrees to the expenditure of 
     funds for this purpose, the Secretary concerned shall conduct 
     environmental review, consultation, or other compliance 
     responsibilities in accordance with Federal law and 
     regulations.
       (B) Effect of refusal to pay.--If a resource advisory 
     committee does not agree to the expenditure of funds under 
     subparagraph (A), the project shall be deemed withdrawn from 
     further consideration by the Secretary concerned pursuant to 
     this title. Such a withdrawal shall be deemed to be a 
     rejection of the project for purposes of section 207(c).
       (c) Decisions of Secretary Concerned.--
       (1) Rejection of projects.--A decision by the Secretary 
     concerned to reject a proposed project shall be at the 
     Secretary's sole discretion. Notwithstanding any other 
     provision of law, a decision by the Secretary concerned to 
     reject a proposed project shall not be subject to 
     administrative appeal or judicial review. Within 30 days 
     after making the rejection decision, the Secretary concerned 
     shall notify in writing the resource advisory committee that 
     submitted the proposed project of the rejection and the 
     reasons for rejection.
       (2) Notice of project approval.--The Secretary concerned 
     shall publish in the Federal Register notice of each project 
     approved under subsection (a) if such notice would be 
     required had the project originated with the Secretary.
       (d) Source and Conduct of Project.--Once the Secretary 
     concerned accepts a project for review under section 203, it 
     shall be deemed a Federal action for all purposes.
       (e) Implementation of Approved Projects.--
       (1) Cooperation.--Notwithstanding chapter 63 of title 31, 
     United States Code, using project

[[Page H9610]]

     funds the Secretary concerned may enter into contracts, 
     grants, and cooperative agreements with States and local 
     governments, private and nonprofit entities, and landowners 
     and other persons to assist the Secretary in carrying out an 
     approved project.
       (2) Best value contracting.--For any project involving a 
     contract authorized by paragraph (1) the Secretary concerned 
     may elect a source for performance of the contract on a best 
     value basis. The Secretary concerned shall determine best 
     value based on such factors as:
       (A) The technical demands and complexity of the work to be 
     done.
       (B) The ecological objectives of the project and the 
     sensitivity of the resources being treated.
       (C) The past experience by the contractor with the type of 
     work being done, using the type of equipment proposed for the 
     project, and meeting or exceeding desired ecological 
     conditions.
       (D) The commitment of the contractor to hiring highly 
     qualified workers and local residents.
       (3) Merchantable material contracting pilot program.--
       (A) Establishment.--The Secretary concerned shall establish 
     a pilot program to implement a certain percentage of approved 
     projects involving the sale of merchantable material using 
     separate contracts for--
       (i) the harvesting or collection of merchantable material; 
     and
       (ii) the sale of such material.
       (B) Annual percentages.--Under the pilot program, the 
     Secretary concerned shall ensure that, on a nationwide basis, 
     not less than the following percentage of all approved 
     projects involving the sale of merchantable material are 
     implemented using separate contracts:
       (i) For fiscal year 2001, 15 percent.
       (ii) For fiscal year 2002, 25 percent.
       (iii) For fiscal year 2003, 25 percent.
       (iv) For fiscal year 2004, 50 percent.
       (v) For fiscal year 2005, 50 percent.
       (vi) For fiscal year 2006, 50 percent.
       (C) Inclusion in pilot program.--The decision whether to 
     use separate contracts to implement a project involving the 
     sale of merchantable material shall be made by the Secretary 
     concerned after the approval of the project under this title.
       (D) Assistance.--The Secretary concerned may use funds from 
     any appropriated account available to the Secretary for the 
     Federal lands to assist in the administration of projects 
     conducted under the pilot program. The total amount obligated 
     under this subparagraph may not exceed $1,000,000 for any 
     fiscal year during which the pilot program is in effect.
       (E) Review and report.--Not later than September 30, 2003, 
     the Comptroller General shall submit to the Committee on 
     Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate, the 
     Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate, the 
     Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives, and 
     the Committee on Resources of the House of Representatives a 
     report assessing the pilot program. The Secretary concerned 
     shall submit to such committees an annual report describing 
     the results of the pilot program.
       (f) Requirements for Project Funds.--The Secretary shall 
     ensure that at least 50 percent of all project funds be used 
     for projects that are primarily dedicated--
       (1) to road maintenance, decommissioning, or obliteration; 
     or
       (2) to restoration of streams and watersheds.

     SEC. 205. RESOURCE ADVISORY COMMITTEES.

       (a) Establishment and Purpose of Resource Advisory 
     Committees.--
       (1) Establishment.--The Secretary concerned shall establish 
     and maintain resource advisory committees to perform the 
     duties in subsection (b), except as provided in paragraph 
     (4).
       (2) Purpose.--The purpose of a resource advisory committee 
     shall be to improve collaborative relationships and to 
     provide advice and recommendations to the land management 
     agencies consistent with the purposes of this Act.
       (3) Access to resource advisory committees.--To ensure that 
     each unit of Federal land has access to a resource advisory 
     committee, and that there is sufficient interest in 
     participation on a committee to ensure that membership can be 
     balanced in terms of the points of view represented and the 
     functions to be performed, the Secretary concerned may, 
     establish resource advisory committees for part of, or one or 
     more, units of Federal lands.
       (4) Existing advisory committees.--Existing advisory 
     committees meeting the requirements of this section may be 
     deemed by the Secretary concerned, as a resource advisory 
     committee for the purposes of this title. The Secretary of 
     the Interior may deem a resource advisory committee meeting 
     the requirements of subpart 1784 of part 1780 of title 43, 
     Code of Federal Regulations, as a resource advisory committee 
     for the purposes of this title.
       (b) Duties.--A resource advisory committee shall--
       (1) review projects proposed under this title by 
     participating counties and other persons;
       (2) propose projects and funding to the Secretary concerned 
     under section 203;
       (3) provide early and continuous coordination with 
     appropriate land management agency officials in recommending 
     projects consistent with purposes of this Act under this 
     title; and
       (4) provide frequent opportunities for citizens, 
     organizations, tribes, land management agencies, and other 
     interested parties to participate openly and meaningfully, 
     beginning at the early stages of the project development 
     process under this title.
       (c) Appointment by the Secretary.--
       (1) Appointment and term.--The Secretary concerned, shall 
     appoint the members of resource advisory committees for a 
     term of 3 years beginning on the date of appointment. The 
     Secretary concerned may reappoint members to subsequent 3-
     year terms.
       (2) Basic requirements.--The Secretary concerned shall 
     ensure that each resource advisory committee established 
     meets the requirements of subsection (d).
       (3) Initial appointment.--The Secretary concerned shall 
     make initial appointments to the resource advisory committees 
     not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of 
     this Act.
       (4) Vacancies.--The Secretary concerned shall make 
     appointments to fill vacancies on any resource advisory 
     committee as soon as practicable after the vacancy has 
     occurred.
       (5) Compensation.--Members of the resource advisory 
     committees shall not receive any compensation.
       (d) Composition of Advisory Committee.--
       (1) Number.--Each resource advisory committee shall be 
     comprised of 15 members.
       (2) Community interests represented.--Committee members 
     shall be representative of the interests of the following 
     three categories:
       (A) 5 persons who--
       (i) represent organized labor;
       (ii) represent developed outdoor recreation, off highway 
     vehicle users, or commercial recreation activities;
       (iii) represent energy and mineral development interests;
       (iv) represent the commercial timber industry; or
       (v) hold Federal grazing permits, or other land use permits 
     within the area for which the committee is organized.
       (B) 5 persons representing--
       (i) nationally recognized environmental organizations;
       (ii) regionally or locally recognized environmental 
     organizations;
       (iii) dispersed recreational activities;
       (iv) archaeological and historical interests; or
       (v) nationally or regionally recognized wild horse and 
     burro interest groups.
       (C) 5 persons who--
       (i) hold State elected office or their designee;
       (ii) hold county or local elected office;
       (iii) represent American Indian tribes within or adjacent 
     to the area for which the committee is organized;
       (iv) are school officials or teachers; or
       (v) represent the affected public at large.
       (3) Balanced representation.--In appointing committee 
     members from the three categories in paragraph (2), the 
     Secretary concerned shall provide for balanced and broad 
     representation from within each category.
       (4) Geographic distribution.--The members of a resource 
     advisory committee shall reside within the State in which the 
     committee has jurisdiction and, to extent practicable, the 
     Secretary concerned shall ensure local representation in each 
     category in paragraph (2).
       (5) Chairperson.--A majority on each resource advisory 
     committee shall select the chairperson of the committee.
       (e) Approval Procedures.--(1) Subject to paragraph (2), 
     each resource advisory committee shall establish procedures 
     for proposing projects to the Secretary concerned under this 
     title. A quorum must be present to constitute an official 
     meeting of the committee.
       (2) A project may be proposed by a resource advisory 
     committee to the Secretary concerned under section 203(a), if 
     it has been approved by a majority of members of the 
     committee from each of the three categories in subsection 
     (d)(2).
       (f) Other Committee Authorities and Requirements.--
       (1) Staff assistance.--A resource advisory committee may 
     submit to the Secretary concerned a request for periodic 
     staff assistance from Federal employees under the 
     jurisdiction of the Secretary.
       (2) Meetings.--All meetings of a resource advisory 
     committee shall be announced at least one week in advance in 
     a local newspaper of record and shall be open to the public.
       (3) Records.--A resource advisory committee shall maintain 
     records of the meetings of the committee and make the records 
     available for public inspection.

     SEC. 206. USE OF PROJECT FUNDS.

       (a) Agreement Regarding Schedule and Cost of Project.--
       (1) Agreement between parties.--The Secretary concerned may 
     carry out a project submitted by a resource advisory 
     committee under section 203(a) using project funds or other 
     funds described in section 203(a)(2), if, as soon as 
     practicable after the issuance of a decision document for the 
     project and the exhaustion of all administrative appeals and 
     judicial review of the project decision, the Secretary 
     concerned and the resource advisory committee enter into an 
     agreement addressing, at a minimum, the following:
       (A) The schedule for completing the project.
       (B) The total cost of the project, including the level of 
     agency overhead to be assessed against the project.
       (C) For a multiyear project, the estimated cost of the 
     project for each of the fiscal years in which it will be 
     carried out.
       (D) The remedies for failure of the Secretary concerned to 
     comply with the terms of the agreement consistent with 
     current Federal law.
       (2) Limited use of federal funds.--The Secretary concerned 
     may decide, at the Secretary's sole discretion, to cover the 
     costs of a portion of an approved project using Federal funds 
     appropriated or otherwise available to the Secretary for the 
     same purposes as the project.
       (b) Transfer of Project Funds.--
       (1) Initial transfer required.--As soon as practicable 
     after the agreement is reached under subsection (a) with 
     regard to a project to be funded in whole or in part using 
     project funds, or other funds described in section 203(a)(2), 
     the Secretary concerned shall transfer to the applicable unit 
     of National Forest System lands or

[[Page H9611]]

     BLM District an amount of project funds equal to--
       (A) in the case of a project to be completed in a single 
     fiscal year, the total amount specified in the agreement to 
     be paid using project funds, or other funds described in 
     section 203(a)(2); or
       (B) in the case of a multiyear project, the amount 
     specified in the agreement to be paid using project funds, or 
     other funds described in section 203(a)(2) for the first 
     fiscal year.
       (2) Condition on project commencement.--The unit of 
     National Forest System lands or BLM District concerned, shall 
     not commence a project until the project funds, or other 
     funds described in section 203(a)(2) required to be 
     transferred under paragraph (1) for the project, have been 
     made available by the Secretary concerned.
       (3) Subsequent transfers for multiyear projects.--For the 
     second and subsequent fiscal years of a multiyear project to 
     be funded in whole or in part using project funds, the unit 
     of National Forest System lands or BLM District concerned 
     shall use the amount of project funds required to continue 
     the project in that fiscal year according to the agreement 
     entered into under subsection (a). The Secretary concerned 
     shall suspend work on the project if the project funds 
     required by the agreement in the second and subsequent fiscal 
     years are not available.

     SEC. 207. AVAILABILITY OF PROJECT FUNDS.

       (a) Submission of Proposed Projects To Obligate Funds.--By 
     September 30 of each fiscal year through fiscal year 2006, a 
     resource advisory committee shall submit to the Secretary 
     concerned pursuant to section 203(a)(1) a sufficient number 
     of project proposals that, if approved, would result in the 
     obligation of at least the full amount of the project funds 
     reserved by the participating county in the preceding fiscal 
     year.
       (b) Use or Transfer of Unobligated Funds.--Subject to 
     section 208, if a resource advisory committee fails to comply 
     with subsection (a) for a fiscal year, any project funds 
     reserved by the participating county in the preceding fiscal 
     year and remaining unobligated shall be available for use as 
     part of the project submissions in the next fiscal year.
       (c) Effect of Rejection of Projects.--Subject to section 
     208, any project funds reserved by a participating county in 
     the preceding fiscal year that are unobligated at the end of 
     a fiscal year because the Secretary concerned has rejected 
     one or more proposed projects shall be available for use as 
     part of the project submissions in the next fiscal year.
       (d) Effect of Court Orders.--If an approved project under 
     this Act is enjoined or prohibited by a Federal court, the 
     Secretary concerned shall return the unobligated project 
     funds related to that project to the participating county or 
     counties that reserved the funds. The returned funds shall be 
     available for the county to expend in the same manner as the 
     funds reserved by the county under section 102(d)(1)(B)(i) or 
     103(c)(1)(B)(i), whichever applies to the funds involved.

     SEC. 208. TERMINATION OF AUTHORITY.

       The authority to initiate projects under this title shall 
     terminate on September 30, 2006. Any project funds not 
     obligated by September 30, 2007, shall be deposited in the 
     Treasury of the United States.

                       TITLE III--COUNTY PROJECTS

     SEC. 301. DEFINITIONS.

       In this title:
       (1) Participating county.--The term ``participating 
     county'' means an eligible county that elects under section 
     102(d)(1)(B)(ii) or 103(c)(1)(B)(ii) to expend a portion of 
     the Federal funds received under section 102 or 103 in 
     accordance with this title.
       (2) County funds.--The term ``county funds'' means all 
     funds an eligible county elects under sections 
     102(d)(1)(B)(ii) and 103(c)(1)(B)(ii) to reserve for 
     expenditure in accordance with this title.

     SEC. 302. USE OF COUNTY FUNDS.

       (a) Limitation on County Fund Use.--County funds shall be 
     expended solely on projects that meet the requirements of 
     this title. A project under this title shall be approved by 
     the participating county only following a 45-day public 
     comment period, at the beginning of which the county shall--
       (1) publish a description of the proposed project in the 
     publications of local record; and
       (2) send the proposed project to the appropriate resource 
     advisory committee established under section 205, if one 
     exists for the county.
       (b) Authorized Uses.--
       (1) Search, rescue, and emergency services.--An eligible 
     county or applicable sheriff's department may use these funds 
     as reimbursement for search and rescue and other emergency 
     services, including fire fighting, performed on Federal lands 
     and paid for by the county.
       (2) Community service work camps.--An eligible county may 
     use these funds as reimbursement for all or part of the costs 
     incurred by the county to pay the salaries and benefits of 
     county employees who supervise adults or juveniles performing 
     mandatory community service on Federal lands.
       (3) Easement purchases.--An eligible county may use these 
     funds to acquire--
       (A) easements, on a willing seller basis, to provide for 
     nonmotorized access to public lands for hunting, fishing, and 
     other recreational purposes;
       (B) conservation easements; or
       (C) both.
       (4) Forest related educational opportunities.--A county may 
     use these funds to establish and conduct forest-related after 
     school programs.
       (5) Fire prevention and county planning.--A county may use 
     these funds for--
       (A) efforts to educate homeowners in fire-sensitive 
     ecosystems about the consequences of wildfires and techniques 
     in home siting, home construction, and home landscaping that 
     can increase the protection of people and property from 
     wildfires; and
       (B) planning efforts to reduce or mitigate the impact of 
     development on adjacent Federal lands and to increase the 
     protection of people and property from wildfires.
       (6) Community forestry.--A county may use these funds 
     towards non-Federal cost-share requirements of section 9 of 
     the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 
     2105).

     SEC. 303. TERMINATION OF AUTHORITY.

       The authority to initiate projects under this title shall 
     terminate on September 30, 2006. Any county funds not 
     obligated by September 30, 2007 shall be available to be 
     expended by the county for the uses identified in section 
     302(b).

                   TITLE IV--MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

     SEC. 401. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       There are hereby authorized to be appropriated such sums as 
     may be necessary to carry out this Act for fiscal years 2001 
     through 2006.

     SEC. 402. TREATMENT OF FUNDS AND REVENUES.

       (a) Relation to Other Appropriations.--Funds appropriated 
     pursuant to the authorization of appropriations in section 
     401 and funds made available to a Secretary concerned under 
     section 206 shall be in addition to any other annual 
     appropriations for the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land 
     Management.
       (b) Deposit of Revenues and Other Funds.--All revenues 
     generated from projects pursuant to title II, any funds 
     remitted by counties pursuant to section 102(d)(1)(B)(iii) or 
     section 103(c)(1)(B)(iii), and any interest accrued from such 
     funds shall be deposited in the Treasury of the United 
     States.

     SEC. 403. REGULATIONS.

       The Secretaries concerned may jointly issue regulations to 
     carry out the purposes of this Act.

     SEC. 404. CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.

       Sections 13982 and 13983 of the Omnibus Budget 
     Reconciliation Act of 1993 (Public Law 103-66; 16 U.S.C. 500 
     note; 43 U.S.C. 1181f note) are repealed.

            TITLE V--MINERAL REVENUE PAYMENTS CLARIFICATION

     SEC. 501. SHORT TITLE.

       This title may be cited as the ``Mineral Revenue Payments 
     Clarification Act of 2000''.

     SEC. 502. FINDINGS.

       The Congress finds the following:
       (1) Section 10201 of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act 
     of 1993 (Public Law 103-66; 107 Stat. 407) amended section 35 
     of the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 191) to change the 
     sharing of onshore mineral revenues and revenues from 
     geothermal steam from a 50:50 split between the Federal 
     Government and the States to a complicated formula that 
     entailed deducting from the State share of leasing revenues 
     ``50 percent of the portion of the enacted appropriations of 
     the Department of the Interior and any other agency during 
     the preceding fiscal year allocable to the administration of 
     all laws providing for the leasing of any onshore lands or 
     interest in land owned by the United States for the 
     production of the same types of minerals leasable under this 
     Act or of geothermal steam, and to enforcement of such laws . 
     . .''.
       (2) There is no legislative record to suggest a sound 
     public policy rationale for deducting prior-year 
     administrative expenses from the sharing of current-year 
     receipts, indicating that this change was made primarily for 
     budget scoring reasons.
       (3) The system put in place by this change in law has 
     proved difficult to administer and has given rise to disputes 
     between the Federal Government and the States as to the 
     nature of allocable expenses. Federal accounting systems have 
     proven to be poorly suited to breaking down administrative 
     costs in the manner required by the law. Different Federal 
     agencies implementing this law have used varying 
     methodologies to identify allocable costs, resulting in an 
     inequitable distribution of costs during fiscal years 1994 
     through 1996. In November 1997, the Inspector General of the 
     Department of the Interior found that ``the congressionally 
     approved method for cost sharing deductions effective in 
     fiscal year 1997 may not accurately compute the deductions''.
       (4) Given the lack of a substantive rationale for the 1993 
     change in law and the complexity and administrative burden 
     involved, a return to the sharing formula prior to the 
     enactment of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993 is 
     justified.

     SEC. 503. AMENDMENT OF THE MINERAL LEASING ACT.

       Section 35(b) of the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 191(b)) 
     is amended to read as follows:
       ``(b) In determining the amount of payments to the States 
     under this section, the amount of such payments shall not be 
     reduced by any administrative or other costs incurred by the 
     United States.''.

                 TITLE VI--COMMUNITY FOREST RESTORATION

     SEC. 601. SHORT TITLE.

       This title may be cited as the ``Community Forest 
     Restoration Act''.

     SEC. 602. FINDINGS.

       The Congress finds the following:
       (1) A century of fire suppression, logging, and livestock 
     grazing has altered the ecological balance of New Mexico's 
     forests.
       (2) Some forest lands in New Mexico contain an unnaturally 
     high number of small diameter trees that are subject to 
     large, high intensity wildfires that can endanger human 
     lives, livelihoods, and ecological stability.
       (3) Forest lands that contain an unnaturally high number of 
     small diameter trees have reduced biodiversity and provide 
     fewer benefits to human communities, wildlife, and 
     watersheds.
       (4) Healthy and productive watersheds minimize the threat 
     of large, high intensity wildfires,

[[Page H9612]]

     provide abundant and diverse wildlife habitat, and produce a 
     variety of timber and non-timber products including better 
     quality water and increased water flows.
       (5) Restoration efforts are more successful when there is 
     involvement from neighboring communities and better 
     stewardship will evolve from more diverse involvement.
       (6) Designing demonstration restoration projects through a 
     collaborative approach may--
       (A) lead to the development of cost effective restoration 
     activities;
       (B) empower diverse organizations to implement activities 
     which value local and traditional knowledge;
       (C) build ownership and civic pride; and
       (D) ensure healthy, diverse, and productive forests and 
     watersheds.

     SEC. 603. PURPOSES.

       The purposes of this title are--
       (1) to promote healthy watersheds and reduce the threat of 
     large, high intensity wildfires, insect infestation, and 
     disease in the forests in New Mexico;
       (2) to improve the functioning of forest ecosystems and 
     enhance plant and wildlife biodiversity by reducing the 
     unnaturally high number and density of small diameter trees 
     on Federal, Tribal, State, County, and Municipal forest 
     lands;
       (3) to improve communication and joint problem solving 
     among individuals and groups who are interested in restoring 
     the diversity and productivity of forested watersheds in New 
     Mexico;
       (4) to improve the use of, or add value to, small diameter 
     trees;
       (5) to encourage sustainable communities and sustainable 
     forests through collaborative partnerships, whose objectives 
     are forest restoration; and
       (6) to develop, demonstrate, and evaluate ecologically 
     sound forest restoration techniques.

     SEC. 604. DEFINITIONS.

       As used in this title--
       (1) the term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of 
     Agriculture acting through the Chief of the Forest Service; 
     and
       (2) the term ``stakeholder'' includes: tribal governments, 
     educational institutions, landowners, and other interested 
     public and private entities.

     SEC. 605. ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM.

       (a) Forest Restoration Program.--The Secretary shall 
     establish a cooperative forest restoration program in New 
     Mexico in order to provide cost-share grants to stakeholders 
     for experimental forest restoration projects that are 
     designed through a collaborative process (hereinafter 
     referred to as the ``Collaborative Forest Restoration 
     Program''). The projects may be entirely on, or on any 
     combination of, Federal, Tribal, State, County, or Municipal 
     forest lands. The Federal share of an individual project cost 
     shall not exceed 80 percent of the total cost. The 20-percent 
     matching may be in the form of cash or in-kind contribution.
       (b) Eligibility Requirements.--To be eligible to receive 
     funding under this title, a project shall--
       (1) address the following objectives--
       (A) reduce the threat of large, high intensity wildfires 
     and the negative effects of excessive competition between 
     trees by restoring ecosystem functions, structures, and 
     species composition, including the reduction of non-native 
     species populations;
       (B) re-establish fire regimes approximating those that 
     shaped forest ecosystems prior to fire suppression;
       (C) preserve old and large trees;
       (D) replant trees in deforested areas if they exist in the 
     proposed project area; and
       (E) improve the use of, or add value to, small diameter 
     trees;
       (2) comply with all Federal and State environmental laws;
       (3) include a diverse and balanced group of stakeholders as 
     well as appropriate Federal, Tribal, State, County, and 
     Municipal government representatives in the design, 
     implementation, and monitoring of the project;
       (4) incorporate current scientific forest restoration 
     information; and
       (5) include a multiparty assessment to--
       (A) identify both the existing ecological condition of the 
     proposed project area and the desired future condition; and
       (B) report, upon project completion, on the positive or 
     negative impact and effectiveness of the project including 
     improvements in local management skills and on the ground 
     results;
       (6) create local employment or training opportunities 
     within the context of accomplishing restoration objectives, 
     that are consistent with the purposes of this title, 
     including summer youth jobs programs such as the Youth 
     Conservation Corps where appropriate;
       (7) not exceed 4 years in length;
       (8) not exceed a total annual cost of $150,000, with the 
     Federal portion not exceeding $120,000 annually, nor exceed a 
     total cost of $450,000 for the project, with the Federal 
     portion of the total cost not exceeding $360,000;
       (9) leverage Federal funding through in-kind or matching 
     contributions; and
       (10) include an agreement by each stakeholder to attend an 
     annual workshop with other stakeholders for the purpose of 
     discussing the cooperative forest restoration program and 
     projects implemented under this title. The Secretary shall 
     coordinate and fund the annual workshop. Stakeholders may use 
     funding for projects authorized under this title to pay for 
     their travel and per diem expenses to attend the workshop.

     SEC. 606. SELECTION PROCESS.

       (a) After consulting with the technical advisory panel 
     established in subsection (b), the Secretary shall select the 
     proposals that will receive funding through the Collaborative 
     Forest Restoration Program.
       (b) The Secretary shall convene a technical advisory panel 
     to evaluate the proposals for forest restoration grants and 
     provide recommendations regarding which proposals would best 
     meet the objectives of the Collaborative Forest Restoration 
     Program. The technical advisory panel shall consider 
     eligibility criteria established in section 605, the effect 
     on long-term management, and seek to use a consensus-based 
     decisionmaking process to develop such recommendations. The 
     panel shall be composed of 12 to 15 members, to be appointed 
     by the Secretary as follows:
       (1) A State Natural Resource official from the State of New 
     Mexico.
       (2) At least two representatives from Federal land 
     management agencies.
       (3) At least one tribal or pueblo representative.
       (4) At least two independent scientists with experience in 
     forest ecosystem restoration.
       (5) Equal representation from--
       (A) conservation interests;
       (B) local communities; and
       (C) commodity interests.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Virginia (Mr. Goodlatte) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Stenholm) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Goodlatte).


                             General Leave

  Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their 
remarks on H.R. 2389, the bill now under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Virginia?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2389, the Secure Rural 
Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000. I want to 
particularly commend the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Boyd), the 
gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Deal), the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. 
DeFazio), and the chairman of our committee, the gentleman from Texas 
(Mr. Combest), as well as the ranking member, the gentleman from Texas 
(Mr. Stenholm), for their dedicated efforts on this legislation.
  I would also like to particularly single out members of the staff of 
my subcommittee, Dave Tenny, of the full committee, and Brent Gattis of 
my subcommittee, and Kevin Kramp, formerly of my subcommittee, as well 
the staff on the Democratic side for very, very long, dedicated work to 
get this legislation to this point.
  This bill is landmark policy on two important fronts. First, it 
provides critical funding for schoolchildren in hundreds of rural 
communities all over America who have been left behind by the policies 
of their own government. Second, it creates a new paradigm for local 
citizen participation in the management of our Federal forest lands.
  In 1908, our government made a promise to the people who live in and 
around our Federal forests. The government promised to share the 
economic bounty of these lands with the local people to sustain their 
schools, their communities, and their way of life. This was a contract 
to compensate these communities for the economic opportunities lost 
because the Federal Government owned most of the land.
  Now, 90 years later, the government has defaulted on this promise and 
rural communities all over America are suffering. Federal policies have 
eliminated the economic bounty from our Federal forest lands. As a 
result, schools have cut their services to the bone and, in some cases, 
closed their doors all together for lack of funding.
  Families have been torn apart as parents are forced to work farther 
and farther from home. Local infrastructure has disintegrated; and, 
sadly, the primary victims of this tragedy have been schoolchildren, 
children who have been left behind by their government while the rest 
of America prospers.
  The purpose of H.R. 2389 is to correct this wrong. By shoring up 
Federal payments to rural forest communities, this legislation restores 
our government's commitment to education in rural forest communities. 
Significantly, and this is a very important point in this time of 
intense debate on education in our country, the commitments made to 
education in this bill come without strings attached.
  That means when a county in Oregon or Arkansas or Pennsylvania or 
Florida receives Federal support for education under this bill, the 
local community, not the Federal Government,

[[Page H9613]]

will determine how that funding is best used. If local schools need 
books, they can buy books. If they need additional teachers, they can 
hire them. If they need to fix the roof on a school, they can do it. 
This philosophy of Federal support coupled with local decision-making 
should be a model for the Congress as we work to improve education in 
our country.
  H.R. 2389 also changes the way we approach Federal forest management. 
For the first time, local communities will have a direct stake in the 
management of our national forests. This has been one of the worst 
wildfire seasons of the century, and the experts tell us that the worst 
may be yet to come. This bill provides critical funding that counties 
can leverage with private investments and Federal appropriations to 
address fire risk head on.
  Counties can also use this funding to restore watersheds, improve 
fish and wildlife habitat, and enhance the overall health of our 
forests. It establishes a framework for local collaboration that, if 
successful, will replace the current centralized command and control 
policy with a new and effective way to resolve forest management issues 
at the local level using local expertise.
  I urge the Members of this body to join me in taking this important 
step today by sending H.R. 2389 to the President's desk. We can renew 
the promise made to our rural forest communities back in 1908. We can 
raise the hopes of rural school children all over America and begin the 
process in earnest of helping them rebuild their homes and communities. 
Join me in declaring a strong commitment to rural schools and rural 
communities. Vote in favor of this legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. STENHOLM. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2389, the Secure Rural Schools 
and Communities Self-Determination Act of 2000. H.R. 2389, when signed 
by the President, will set in motion significant improvements in the 
manner that the Federal Government fulfills its financial commitment to 
rural counties located within the boundaries of our national forest 
system.
  The fulfillment of this commitment is even more critical today where 
the county payments have declined considerably as a result of major 
forest resource management policy changes. After 2 years of hard work, 
we have before us compromise legislation that maintains the core 
components of the Federal Government's payments system for forest 
counties.
  Mr. Speaker, the manner in which this Congress continues these 
payments is critical to the future well-being of national forest health 
and the economic stability of rural communities. This compromise 
legislation is a step in the right direction. I urge all of my 
colleagues to support final passage.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from 
Oregon (Mr. Walden), who has also been a significant contributor to 
this effort.
  (Mr. Walden of Oregon asked and was given permission to revise and 
extend his remarks.)
  Mr. WALDEN of Oregon. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding 
me this time, and I want to commend the gentleman from Virginia and the 
gentleman from Texas, as well as my colleagues from Oregon, in putting 
together this very important legislation that will help our school 
children and our counties who have been hurt tremendously by changes in 
Federal policy.
  Since 1908, rural counties adjacent to Forest Service and BLM forest 
lands have received Federal funds for schools and roads based on the 
revenue received from land management activities. Over the last decade, 
as a result of sharp declines in revenues from these Federal forest 
lands, many of these counties have been unable to fund essential 
programs for their kids and to take care of their road maintenance and 
infrastructure.
  Mr. Speaker, this legislation goes a long way toward resolving that 
problem and toward making the Federal Government a better neighbor and 
certainly a better partner in the health of our communities in rural 
America. I urge passage of this legislation.
  Mr. STENHOLM. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to 
the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Mrs. Clayton.)
  Mrs. CLAYTON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Texas for 
yielding me this time and for his leadership, as well as the gentleman 
from Virginia (Mr. Goodlatte) for his leadership.
  Mr. Speaker, this is an opportunity to speak on a subject which is 
dear to my heart, H.R. 2389, the Secure Rural Schools and Community 
Self-Determination Act of 2000. We have spoken extensively about our 
priorities to make schools safer, with smaller class sizes, skilled 
teachers, the latest technology, excellent school facilities with the 
proper books, lunch programs, and extracurricular activities. Yet we 
have witnessed many schools lacking the funds needed to improve our 
schools.
  I not only live in rural America, but I represent a district which is 
predominantly rural. I am aware of the great challenges counties face 
in providing adequate funding for their schools. We know that in 
addition to love and care from family members, schools are the 
foundation for developing successful young people and strong vibrant 
economies.
  For decades now, counties received a 25 percent revenue from forest 
receipts. These funds were used to help make their schools successful. 
Unfortunately, these receipts have gradually dwindled. Federal forest 
receipts in some counties have dropped more than 90 percent. This 
decline has severely impacted the quality of education provided in the 
affected rural counties. Many schools have been forced to do just the 
opposite of what we were hoping to achieve: many teachers have been 
laid off, and bus drivers, nurses and other employees have also faced a 
similar fate.
  We need to support H.R. 2389. A ``yes'' vote on H.R. 2389 will assist 
these communities in providing an equitable and stable source of 
funding in rural settings. By supporting this measure, we can be 
assured we are doing all we can to assist communities by providing an 
equitable and stable source of funding for schools in and near our 
forest areas.
  Mr. STENHOLM. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from Oregon (Mr. DeFazio).
  (Mr. DeFAZIO asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this long-
awaited vital legislation for our counties and schools.
  I congratulate and thank all those who have been involved in this 
landmark legislation. I urge my colleagues to support this and send it 
to the President for his signature.
  Mr. STENHOLM. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Boyd).
  (Mr. BOYD asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. BOYD. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. 
Stenholm), and also my partner, the gentleman from Virginia, the 
chairman of the subcommittee, for his skill in which he has managed 
this legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, make no mistake that this is an education bill, a rural 
education bill that is very important to many, many communities around 
the country, including some communities in north Florida.
  As we have heard described here today, a compact was made in 1908 
with these communities when the forest lands were put into the 
ownership of the Federal Government, and that compact has been broken. 
This legislation will fix that compact again and make it work like it 
is supposed to.
  I know in my particular area, the way that compact was broken was the 
fact that the Forest Service began to manage their timberlands in a 
different way because of the protection of the habitat for the 
endangered red cockaded woodpecker. The revenues to our local school 
districts in those forest communities declined by as much as 90 
percent. So this, again, will go a long ways toward correcting that.
  I want to give a word of thanks to our partners who have helped us 
here. Again, the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Goodlatte), the gentleman 
from Georgia (Mr. Deal), who was an original cosponsor of this 
legislation with myself, also the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. DeFazio), 
the gentleman

[[Page H9614]]

from Texas (Mr. Turner), the gentleman from California (Mr. George 
Miller), the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Mrs. Clayton), and the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Stenholm).
  Also, Mr. Speaker, I want to take this opportunity to thank the staff 
members who have done a wonderful job of negotiating some very 
difficult and complex negotiations with the Senate and the 
administration in the last 10 days. That is Dave Tenny, Brent Gattis, 
and Quinton Robinson, from the House Committee on Agriculture; Doug 
Crandall from the House Committee on Resources; Penny Dodge and Amelia 
Jenkins with the office of the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. DeFazio); 
Trent Ashby with the office of the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Turner); 
Tom Pyle with the majority whip's office; and Chris Schloesser from my 
own staff.

                              {time}  2230

  I also want to thank the chairman of the National Forest Counties and 
Schools Coalition, Mr. Bob Douglas, whose group certainly provided 
impetus for us to get to this point today. And I also want to thank my 
own superintendent of schools in Liberty County, Florida, who has been 
a leader for me in this, Mr. Hal Summers.
  Mr. STENHOLM. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Turner).
  Mr. TURNER. Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to rise in support of this 
legislation this evening. I join in the remarks of those who preceded 
me. I thank each Member on the floor who has worked so hard to bring 
this bill to fruition.
  I particularly want to thank the National Forest Counties and Schools 
Coalition, that coalition of over 1,000 rural education, government, 
and business leaders, who worked hard to put this legislation together. 
That coalition included groups like the National Education Association, 
the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the American Association of School 
Administrators, and the National Association of Counties.
  Many representatives and community leaders from across the country 
have come to Washington to work on this bill over the last several 
months. Two of them are good examples from my district, my own county 
judge, Chris Vanderhof, and Trinity County Judge Mark Evans, who served 
on the National Coalition.
  This is a good bill. It returns stability to the funds that flow to 
over 700 counties across this country that have national forest lands 
within their boundaries. It means a lot to the school districts in 
those counties. This will return some stability to their flow of funds, 
and it will provide a good source of funding for education for many 
rural school children across this country. I urge adoption of this 
legislation.
  Mr. STENHOLM. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to 
the gentlewoman from Oregon (Ms. Hooley).
  Ms. HOOLEY of Oregon. Mr. Speaker, I too would like to thank my 
colleagues for all of their hard work on this piece of legislation. I 
rise in strong support of H.R. 2389.
  The children in my district in Oregon and the children in over 800 
counties across the rest of the United States are being shortchanged. 
People in Oregon and across the United States that live in rural areas 
with vast amounts of Federal land depend on payments from the Federal 
Government.
  Unfortunately, these payments have decreased in recent years; and, as 
a consequence, education programs and county services have been 
subjected to massive budget cuts.
  Over the last 10 years, I have seen class sizes grow while teachers, 
buses, music and art programs and many other services are reduced or 
eliminated. These cuts need to be restored.
  The children in these counties deserve the same quality schools and 
educational opportunities as the rest of America.
  In this election year, we have heard a lot about education and how it 
is a priority for everybody. Well, this is a chance for people in this 
House to show their commitment to education by voting yes on H.R. 2389.
  I hope they will join me in voting yes on education and voting yes on 
H.R. 2389.
  Mr. STENHOLM. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time and 
encourage support of H.R. 2389.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time .
  Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I neglected to mention and thank the gentlewoman from 
North Carolina (Mrs. Clayton) for her contribution. We thank her very 
much. I, too, urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
  Mr. COMBEST. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2389, the 
Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-determination Act of 1999. As I 
do so, I urge my colleagues to join me as a statement of our united 
commitment to education and economic stability in rural forest 
communities all over America.
  Our rural forest communities are at a crossroads. Nearly a hundred 
year ago, the federal government made a commitment to share the 
revenues derived from federal lands to fund local schools and roads. 
The purpose of this commitment was to compensate these communities for 
the loss of local property taxes. Yet, during the last several years, 
the federal government has unilaterally defaulted on this commitment. 
The federal timber sale program has collapsed and federal policies now 
virtually prohibit the use of our national forests to sustain the 
communities and schools that are located in and around them. As a 
result rural forest communities and school districts all over America 
are in tatters--the victims of their own government.
  The purpose of H.R. 2389 is to right this wrong. By providing stable 
and predictable funding for rural education, it will ensure that school 
children in forest-dependent communities are no longer punished by the 
policies of their own government. Passage of this bill will directly 
benefit 4 million schoolchildren in 700 counties nationwide, thereby 
opening the same doors of opportunity for them that children in other 
parts of the country enjoy.
  H.R. 2389 also provides a framework for rural forest counties to 
rebuild their communities and their way of life by giving them a direct 
stake in the management of our federal forests. By giving local 
stakeholders both the opportunity and the funding resources to address 
local forest management issues, local experts can work together on 
solutions that are not only good for the forest, but also the local 
economies that sustain them.
  H.R. 2389 is supported by a broad range of interests from all over 
the country. The bill has earned the endorsement of the National 
Association of Counties, the National Education Association, the U.S. 
Chamber of Commerce, the American Federation of State, County and 
Municipal Employees, and a grass roots coalition of over 1,000 local 
education, business and government organizations in 36 states.
  I urge my colleagues to take a stand in support of our rural school 
children and the forest communities in which they live, Join me in 
voting aye on H.R. 2389.
  Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Ryan of Wisconsin). The question is on 
the motion offered by the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Goodlatte) that 
the House suspend the rules and concur in the Senate amendment to the 
bill, H.R. 2389.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the Senate amendment was 
concurred in.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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