[Senate Report 109-152]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
Calendar No. 244
109th Congress Report
SENATE
1st Session 109-152
======================================================================
PUBLIC LANDS CORPS HEALTHY FORESTS RESTORATION
_______
October 19, 2005.--Ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Domenici, from the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources,
submitted the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany S. 1238]
The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, to which was
referred the bill (S. 1238) to amend the Public Lands Corps Act
of 1993 to provide the conduct of projects that protect
forests, and for other purposes, having considered the same,
reports favorably thereon with amendments and recommends that
the bill, as amended, be passed.
The amendments are as follows:
1. On page 8, between lines 13 and 14, insert the
following:
``(b) Disaster Relief or Prevention Projects--
Notwithstanding subsection (a), any amounts made
available under that subsection shall be available for
disaster prevention or relief projects.''
2. On page 8, line 14, strike ``(b)'' and insert ``(c)''.
Purpose of the Measure
The purpose of S. 1238 is to amend the Public Lands Corps
Act of 1993 to establish a priority for projects aimed at
improving forest and watershed health, a preference for
disadvantaged youth, a hiring preference for corps members, and
a specific authorization of appropriations, and to make other
technical and conforming amendments.
Background and Need
The Public Lands Corps were established in 1993 (Pub. L.
103-82) to carry out a wide range of projects on public lands,
including ``any project for the conservation, restoration,
construction or rehabilitation of natural cultural, historic,
archaeological, recreational, or scenic resources'' on public,
Indian, or Hawaiian home lands. 16 U.S.C. Sec. 1722. With the
exception of the National Park Service--which has used a
portion of its fee-demonstration program revenues to support a
wide-range of Public Lands Corps projects since 1998--no other
Federal public land management agency has used the Public Lands
Corps program. Other agencies have supported the Public Lands
Corps program in concept, but defended their failures to
implement the program by contending that they have insufficient
financial resources to support Public Lands Corps projects.
With a focus on forest and watershed health and wildfire
activity, there is interest in expanding the role that the
Public Lands Corps play in public lands restoration
particularly in the context of furthering the purposes of the
Healthy Forest Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6501 note).
Experience also has demonstrated a need to make a number of
technical and conforming improvements to the 1993 law. S. 1238
provides for a focus on these types of projects and would
include a number of technical and clarifying improvements to
the Public Lands Corps Act.
Legislative History
Senator Feinstein introduced S. 1238 for herself and
Senators Domenici and Bingaman on June 14, 2005. The
Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests held a hearing on S.
1238 on July 20, 2005. The Committee favorably reported S.
1238, with an amendment, by unanimous voice vote on September
28, 2005.
A identical bill, H.R. 2875, was introduced in the House of
Representatives by Representative Greg Walden on June 14, 2005.
The Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health held a hearing on
H.R. 2875 on July 14, 2005. The Committee on Resources
favorably reported H.R. 2875, with an amendment, by unanimous
consent on September 22, 2005.
Similar bills were introduced in the 108th Congress by
Senator Feinstein (S. 2253) and Representative Greg Walden
(H.R. 4338). The Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests held
a hearing on S. 2253 on July 21, 2004 (S. Hrg. 108-714). No
further action was taken on the bill. The Subcommittee on
Forests and Forest Health held a hearing in the House on H.R.
4838 on July 22, 2004. The House Committee on Resources
favorably reported H.R. 4838, with amendment, by unanimous
consent on September 15, 2004. The House of Representatives
passed H.R. 4838, as amended, under suspension of the rules on
September 28, 2004.
Committee Recommendation
The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, in open
business session on September 28, 2005, by a voice vote of a
quorum present, recommends that the Senate pass S. 1238, if
amended as described herein.
Committee Amendment
The Committee adopted an amendment to add authority for the
Secretaries to use any funds appropriated under section 211(a)
for disaster prevention and relief projects.
Section-by-Section Analysis
Section 1 provides the short title of the Act.
Section 2 amends the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993 as
follows:
Subsection 2(a) adds definitions for the terms, ``priority
projects'' and ``Secretary''.
Subsection (b) sets forth the terms of a preference for
youth or conservation corps with members who are economically,
physically, or educationally disadvantaged.
Subsection (c) expands the authority of the Public Lands
Corps to carry out appropriate projects on Federal, State,
local, or private lands as part of Federal disaster prevention
or relief efforts.
Subsection (d) expands the Secretaries' authority to
provide assistance that is appropriate in carrying out the Act,
and makes a number of technical and clarifying changes.
Subsection (e) expands the Secretaries' discretion to
provide each participant in the Public Lands Corps with a
living allowance and authorizes the Secretaries to grant
members of the Public Lands Corps credit for time served to be
used toward future Federal hiring and noncompetitive hiring
status for not more than 120 days after the date a member's
service in the Corps is complete.
Subsection (f) authorizes the appropriations of up to $15
million per year to be used on authorized projects including
disaster prevention and relief and clarifies that the
authorization of appropriations does not limit the amount that
may be expended on the Corps through other appropriations or
programs.
Subsection (g) sets forth a number of conforming
amendments.
Cost and Budgetary Considerations
The following estimate of costs of this measure has been
provided by the Congressional Budget Office.
S. 1238--Public Lands Corps Healthy Forest Restoration Act of 2005
Summary: S. 1238 would authorize the appropriations of $15
million a year for implementing restoration, conservation, and
fire-prevention projects in national parks. Under the bill, the
Public Lands Corps would administer the projects, and youth
conservation organization would carry out the projects.
Assuming appropriation of the specified amounts, CBO estimates
that implementing the bill would cost $5 million in 2006 and
$60 million over the 2006-2010 period. Enacting the bill would
not affect direct spending or revenues.
S. 1238 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA)
and would impose no cost on state, local, or tribal
governments.
Estimated cost to the Federal Government: The estimated
budgetary impact of S. 1238 is shown in the following table.
The costs of this legislation fall within budget function 300
(natural resources and environment). CBO assumes that the bill
will be enacted in fiscal year 2006, that the specified amounts
will be appropriated for each fiscal year, and that outlays
will follow historical trends. CBO estimates that implementing
the bill would cost $5 million in 2006 and by $60 million over
the 2006-2010 period for administering restoration,
conservation, and fire-prevention projects in national parks.
Spending after 2010 would continue at the authorized level of
$15 million a year.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By fiscal year in million of dollars--
--------------------------------------------
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CHANGES IN SPENDING SUBJECT TO APPROPRIATION
Authorization Level \1\............................................ 15 15 15 15 15
Estimated Outlays.................................................. 5 10 15 15 15
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ The bill would provide a permanent authorization of $15 million a year.
Intergovernmental and private-sector impact: S. 1238
contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as
defined in UMRA and would impose no cost on state, local, or
tribal governments.
Previous CBO estimate: On October 18, 2005, CBO transmitted
a cost estimate for H.R. 2875, the Public Lands Corps Healthy
Forest Restoration Act of 2005, as ordered reported by the
House Committee on Resources on September 22, 2005. The two
pieces of legislation are almost identical. However, H.R. 2875
would specify the authorization of appropriation for 2007 and
2011, while S. 1238 would specify a permanent authorization of
appropriation. The cost estimates reflect the difference.
Estimated prepared by: Federal Costs: Megan Carroll and
Melissa Z. Peterson. Impact on State, Local, and Tribal
Government: Marjorie Miller. Impact of the Private Sector:
Craig Cammarata.
Estimated approved by: Peter H. Fontaine, Deputy Assistant
Director for Budget Analysis.
Regulatory Impact Evaluation
In compliance with paragraph 11(b) of rule XXVI of the
Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee makes the following
evaluation of the regulatory impact which would be incurred in
carrying out S. 1238.
The bill is not a regulatory measure in the sense of
imposing Government-established standards or significant
economic responsibilities on private individuals and
businesses.
No personal information would be collected in administering
the program. Therefore, there would be no impact on personal
privacy.
Little, if any, additional paperwork would result from the
enactment of S. 1238.
Executive Communications
The views of the Administration were included in testimony
received by the Committee at a hearing on the bill on July 20,
2005.
Statement of Joel Holtrop, Deputy Chief, National Forest System,
United States Forest Service, Department of Agriculture
Mr. Chairman and Members of the Subcommittee, thank you for
giving me the opportunity to present the views of the U.S.
Department of Agriculture on S. 1238, the Public Lands Corps
Healthy Forest Restoration Act.
The Department supports S. 1238. However, the Department
would like to work with the committee and bill sponsors to
ensure specific conservation corps would be covered under S.
1238 since we work with several programs that service
disadvantaged youths.
S. 1238 would amend the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993 to
direct the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the
Interior, in carrying out priority projects in a specific area,
to give preference, to the maximum extent practicable, to
qualified youth or conservation corps located in that specific
area that have a substantial portion of members who are
economically, physically, or educationally disadvantaged.
Priority projects are those that will: (1) reduce wildfire risk
to communities, municipal water supplies, or other at risk
Federal land; (2) protect a watershed or address a threat to
forest and rangeland health, including catastrophic wildfire;
(3) address the impact of insect or disease infestations or
other damaging agents on forest and rangeland health; (4)
protect, restore, or enhance forest ecosystem components to
promote recovery of threatened and endangered species, to
improve biological diversity, or to enhance productivity and
carbon sequestration.
It is important to recognize that implementation of some
priority projects requires a certain amount of maturity,
decision-making capability, perspective and attention to
safety. It is both appropriate and necessary to provide the
Secretaries the discretion in determining the types of priority
projects suitable for the target corps.
In many respects, the goals of S. 1238 are consistent with
existing authorities that the Department has supported,
including the Healthy Forests Restoration Act (HFRA) [P.L. 108-
208], the original Public Lands Corps Act of 1993, P.L. 103-82
Title II, and the Youth Conservation Corps Act of 1970, P.L.
91-378.
However, the Administration does have concerns about the
Committee's expectation regarding the authorization of specific
appropriations contained in the bill given current and future
budgetary constraints.
This concludes my statement, I would be happy to answer any
questions that you may have.
------
Statement for the Record of the National Park Service, Department of
the Interior
Thank you for the opportunity to present for the record the
views of the Department of the Interior on S. 1238, a bill to
amend the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993 to provide for the
conduct of projects that protect forests and for other
purposes.
The National Park Service (NPS) has successfully
implemented the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993, to expand our
youth service opportunities to carry out needed repairs and
restoration projects within the National Park System. With the
passage of the Recreation Fee Demonstration Program in 1996
(P.L. 104-134; U.S.C. 460l-6a), funding was available to
implement the NPS Public Lands Corps program in 1997.
As required in the recreation fee demonstration legislation
and in the recently passed Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement
Act (P.L. 108-447), funds acquired through the recreation fee
program may be used only for specific purposes. For that
reason, NPS Public Lands Corps projects must focus on repair,
maintenance and facility enhancement related directly to
visitor enjoyment, education, access, services and health and
safety or on habitat restoration related directly to wildlife
dependent recreation.
The NPS regards the Public Lands Corps Program as an
important and successful example of civic engagement and
conservation. The program is unique because nonprofit agencies
such as the Student Conservation Association and the National
Association for Service and Conservation Corps serve as the
primary partners in administering the Public Lands Corps
program. In addition, any nonprofit youth organization may
participate such as the Boy and Girl Scouts, local high schools
and job training youth organizations. Each year over 300 parks
apply for work grants of up to $25,000. The nonprofit youth
organizations assist the NPS in its efforts to attract diverse
audiences to the parks by recruiting youth 16 to 25 years of
age from all socioeconomic, cultural and ethnic backgrounds.
Since 1997, the Public Lands Corps has funded more than 2,000
work projects with more than 100 parks participating on an
annual basis.
S. 1238 would allow the National Park Service to expand the
current work it accomplishes with the Public Lands Corps by
creating an additional type of project to promote healthy
forests and authorize appropriations for these projects. The
legislation would not adversely affect the National Park
Service's ability to continue its practice of funding other
Public Lands Corps projects through the use of proceeds from
the recreation fee program. In addition, we would still be able
to prioritize projects according to the needs of the parks.
Therefore, the Department of the Interior has no objection to
this legislation. However, funding for projects authorized by
this legislation would be subject to current and future
budgetary constraints and the Administration's priority-setting
process.
Changes in Existing Law
In compliance with paragraph 12 of rule XXVI of the
Standing Rules of the Senate, changes in existing law made by
the bill S. 1238, as ordered reported, are shown as follows
(existing law proposed to be omitted is enclosed in black
brackets, new matter is printed in italic, existing law in
which no change is proposed is shown in roman):
Public Law 91-378, as Amended
AN ACT To establish a pilot program in the Departments of the Interior
and Agriculture designated as the Youth Conservation Corps, and for
other purposes.
* * * * * * *
TITLE II--PUBLIC LANDS CORPS
SEC. 201. SHORT TITLE.
This title may be cited as the ``Public Lands Corps Act of
1993''.
* * * * * * *
SEC. 203. DEFINITIONS.
For purposes of this title:
* * * * * * *
(7) Indian tribe.--The term ``Indian tribe'' means an
Indian tribe, band, nation, or other organized group or
community, including any Native village, Regional
Corporation, or Village Corporation, as defined in
subsection (c), (g), or (j), respectively, of section 3
of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C.
1602 (c), (g), or (j)), that is recognized as eligible
for the special programs and services provided by the
United States under Federal law to Indians because of
their status as Indians.
(8) Priority project.--The term ``priority project''
means an appropriate conservation project conducted on
eligible service lands to further 1 or more of the
purposes of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003
(16 U.S.C. 6501 et seq.), as follows:
(A) To reduce wildfire risk to a community,
municipal water supply, or other at-risk
Federal land.
(B) To protect a watershed or address a
threat to forest and rangeland health,
including catastrophic wildfire.
(C) To address the impact of insect or
disease infestations or other damaging agents
on forest and rangeland health.
(D) To protect, restore, or enhance forest
ecosystem components to--
(i) promote the recovery of
threatened or endangered species;
(ii) improve biological diversity; or
(iii) enhance productivity and carbon
sequestration.
[(8)] (9) Public lands.--The term ``public lands''
means any lands or waters (or interest therein) owned
or administered by the United States, except that such
term does not include and Indian lands.
[(9)] (10) Quailified youth or conservation corps.--
The term ``qualified youth or conservation corps''
means any program established by a State or local
government, by the governing body of any Indian tribe,
or by a nonprofit organization that--
(A) is capable of offering meaningful, full-
time, productive work for individuals between
the ages of 16 and 25, inclusive, in a natural
or cultural resource setting;
(B) gives participants a mix of work
experience, basic and life skills, education,
training, and support services; and
(C) provides participants with the
opportunity to develop citizenship values and
skills through service to their community and
the United States.
[(10)] (11) Resource assistant.--The term ``resource
assistant'' means a resource assistant selected under
section 206.
(12) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means--
(A) with respect to National Forest System
land, the Secretary of Agriculture; and
(B) with respect to Indian lands, Hawaiian
home lands, or land administered by the
Department of the Interior, the Secretary of
the Interior.
[(11)] (13) State.--The term ``State'' means any
State of the United States, the District of Columbia,
the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin
Islands of the United States, American Samoa, and the
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
SEC. 204. PUBLIC LANDS CORPS PROGRAM.
(a) Establishment of Public Lands Corps.--There is hereby
established in the Department of the Interior and the
Department of Agriculture a Public Lands Corps.
(b) Participants.--The Corps shall consist of individuals
between the ages of 16 and 25, inclusive, who are enrolled as
participants in the corps by the [Secretary of the Interior or
the Secretary of Agriculture] Secretary. To be eligible for
enrollment in the Corps, an individual shall satisfy the
criteria specified in section 137(b) of the National and
Community Service Act of 1990. The [Secretaries] Secretary may
enroll such individuals in the Corps without regard to the
civil service and classification laws, rules, or regulations of
the United States. The [Secretaries] Secretary may establish a
preference for the enrollment in the Corps of individuals who
are economically, physically, or educationally disadvantaged.
(c) Qualified Youth or Conservation Corps.--[The Secretary
of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture are]
(1) In general.--The Secretary is authorized to enter
into contracts and cooperative agreements with any
qualified youth or conservation corps to perform
appropriate conservation projects referred to in
subsection (d).
(2) Preference.--
(2) In general.--For purposes of entering into
contracts and cooperative agreements under paragraph
(1), the Secretary may give preference to qualified
youth or conservation corps located in a specific area
that have a substantial portion of members who are
economically, physically, or educationally
disadvantaged to carry out projects within the area.
(B) Priority projects.--In carrying out priority
projects in a specific area, the Secretary shall, to
the maximum extent practicable, give preference to
qualified youth or conservation corps located in that
specific area that have a substantial portion of
members who are economically, physically, or
educationally disadvantaged.
(d) Projects To Be Carried Out.--[The Secretary of the
Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture may each]
(1) In general.--The Secretary may utilize the Corps
or any qualified youth or conservation corps to carry
out appropriate conservation projects which such
Secretary is authorized to carry out under other
authority of law on public lands. [Appropriate
conservation]
(2) Projects on indian lands.--Appropriate
conservation projects may also be carried out under
this title on Indian lands with the approval of the
Indian tribe involved and on Hawaiian home lands with
the approval of the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands
of the State of Hawaii. [The Secretaries may also
authorize appropriate conservation projects and other
appropriate projects to be carried out on Federal,
State, local, or private lands as part of disaster in
response to an emergency or major prevention or relief
efforts declared by the President under the Robert T.
Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act
(42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.).]
(3) Disaster prevention or relief projects.--The
Secretary may authorize appropriate conservation
projects and other appropriate projects to be carried
out on Federal, State, local, or private land as part
of a Federal disaster prevention or relief effort.
(e) Preference for Certain Projects.--In selecting
appropriate conservation projects to be carried out under this
title, the [Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of
Agriculture] Secretary shall give preference to those projects
which--
(1) will provide long-term benefits to the public;
(2) will instill in the enrollee involved a work
ethic and a sense of public service;
(3) will be labor intensive;
(4) can be planned and initiated promptly; and
(5) will provide academic, experiential, or
environmental education opportunities.
(f) Consistency.--Each appropriate conservation project
carried out under this title on eligible service lands shall be
consistent with the provisions of law and policies relating to
the management and administration of such lands, with all other
applicable provisions of law, and with all management,
operational, and other plans and documents which govern the
administration of the area.
[SEC. 205. CONSERVATION CENTERS.]
SEC. 205. CONSERVATION CENTERS AND PROGRAM SUPPORT.
[(a) Establishment and Use.--The Secretary of the Interior
and the Secretary of Agriculture are each authorized to provide
such quarters, board, medical care, transportation, and other
services, facilities, supplies, and equipment as such Secretary
deems necessary in connection with the Public Lands Corps and
appropriate conservation projects carried out under this title
and to establish and use conservation centers owned and
operated by such Secretary for purposes of the Corps and such
projects. The Secretaries shall establish basic standards of
health, nutrition, sanitation, and safety for all conservation
centers established under this section and shall assure that
such standards are enforced. Where necessary or appropriate,
the Secretaries may enter into contracts and other appropriate
arrangements with State and local government agencies and
private organizations for the management of such conservation
centers.]
(a) Establishment and Use.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary may establish and use
conservation centers owned and operated by the
Secretary for--
(A) use by the Public Lands Corps; and
(B) the conduct of appropriate conservation
projects under this title.
(2) Assistance for conservation centers.--The
Secretary may provide to a conservation center
established under paragraph (1) any services,
facilities, equipment, and supplies that the Secretary
determines to be necessary for the conservation center.
(3) Standards for conservation centers.--The
Secretary shall--
(A) establish basic standards of health,
nutrition, sanitation, and safety for all
conservation centers established under
paragraph (1); and
(B) ensure that the standards established
under subparagraph (A) are enforced.
(4) Management.--As the Secretary determines to be
appropriate, the Secretary may enter into a contract or
other appropriate arrangement with a State or local
government agency or private organization to provide
for the management of a conservation center.
(b) Logistical Support.--The [Secretary of the Interior and
the Secretary of Agriculture] Secretary may make arrangements
with the Secretary of Defense to have logistical support
provided by the Armed Forces to the Corps and any conservation
center established under this section, where feasible.
Logistical support may include the provision of temporary tent
shelters where needed, transportation, and residential
supervision.
(c) Use of Military Installations.--The [Secretary of the
Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture] Secretary may make
arrangements with the Secretary of Defense to identify military
installations and other facilities of the Department of Defense
and, in consultation with the adjutant generals of the State
National Guards, National Guard facilities that may be used, in
whole or in part, by the Corps for training or housing Corps
participants.
(d) Assistance.--The Secretary may provide any services,
facilities, equipment, supplies, technical assistance,
oversight, monitoring, or evaluations that are appropriate to
carry out this title.
SEC. 206. RESOURCE ASSISTANTS.
(a) Authorization.--The [Secretary of the Interior and the
Secretary of Agriculture are each] Secretary is authorized to
provide individual placements of resource assistants with any
Federal land managing agency under the jurisdiction of [such
Secretary] the Secretary to carry out research or resource
protection activities on behalf of the agency. To be eligible
for selection as a resource assistant, an individual must be at
least 17 years of age. The [Secretaries] Secretary may select
resource assistants without regard to the civil service and
classification laws, rules, or regulations of the United
States. The [Secretaries] Secretary shall give a preference to
the selection of individuals who are enrolled in an institution
of higher education or are recent graduates from an institution
of higher education, with particular attention given to ensure
full representation of women and participants from historically
black, Hispanic, and Native American schools.
(b) Use of Existing Nonprofit Organizations.--Whenever one
or more existing nonprofit organizations can provide, in the
judgment of the [Secretary of the Interior or Secretary of
Agriculture] the Secretary, appropriate recruitment and
placement services to fulfill the requirements of this section,
the Secretary may implement this section through such existing
organizations. Participating nonprofit organizations shall
contribute to the expenses of providing and supporting the
resource assistants, through private sources of funding, at a
level equal to 25 percent of the total costs of each
participant in the Resource Assistant program who has been
recruited and placed through that organization. Any such
participating nonprofit conservation service organization shall
be required, by the respective land managing agency, to submit
an annual report evaluating the scope, size, and quality of the
program, including the value of work contributed by the
Resource Assistants, to the mission of the agency.
SEC. 207. LIVING ALLOWANCES AND TERMS OF SERVICE.
[(a) Living Allowances.--The Secretary of the Interior and
the Secretary of Agriculture shall provide each participant in
the Public Lands Corps and each resource assistant with a
living allowance in an amount not to exceed the maximum living
allowance authorized by section 140(a)(3) of the National and
Community Service Act of 1990 for participants in a national
service program assisted under subtitle C of title I of such
Act.]
(a) Living Allowances.--The Secretary shall provide each
participant in the Public Lands Corps and each resource
assistant with a living allowance in an amount established by
the Secretary.
(b) Terms of Service.--Each participant in the Corps and
each resource assistant shall agree to participate in the Corps
or serve as a resource assistant, as the case may be, for such
term of service as may be established by the Secretary
enrolling or selecting the individual.
(c) Hiring.--The Secretary may--
(1) grant to a member of the Public Lands Corps
credit for time served with the Public Lands Corps,
which may be used toward future Federal hiring; and
(2) provide to a former member of the Public Lands
Corps noncompetitive hiring status for a period of not
more than 120 days after the date on which the member's
service with the Public Lands Corps is complete.
* * * * * * *
SEC. 210. FUNDING.
(a) Cost Sharing.--
(1) Projects by qualified youth or conservation
corps.--The [Secretary of the Interior and the
Secretary of Agriculture are each] Secretary is
authorized to pay not more than 75 percent of the costs
of any appropriate conservation project carried out
pursuant to this title on public lands by a qualified
youth or conservation corps. The remaining 25 percent
of the costs of such a project may be provided from
nonfederal sources in the form of funds, services,
facilities, materials, equipment, or any combination of
the foregoing. No cost sharing shall be required in the
case of any appropriate conservation project carried
out on Indian lands or Hawaiian home lands under this
title.
(2) Public lands corps projects.--The [Secretary of
the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture are each]
Secretary is authorized to accept donations of funds,
services, facilities, materials, or equipment for the
purposes of operating the Public Lands Corps and
carrying out appropriate conservation projects by the
Corps. However, nothing in this title shall be
construed to require any cost sharing for any project
carried out directly by the Corps.
(b) Funds Available Under National and Community Service
Act.--In order to carry out the Public Lands Corps or to
support resource assistants and qualified youth or conservation
corps under this title, the [Secretary of the Interior and the
Secretary of Agriculture] Secretary shall be eligible to apply
for and receive assistance under section 121(b) of the National
and Community Service Act of 1990.
(c) Other Funds.--Amounts appropriated pursuant to the
authorization of appropriations under section 211 are in
addition to amounts allocated to the Public Lands Corps through
other Federal programs or projects.
SEC. 211. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) In General.--There is authorized to be appropriated to
carry out this title $15,000,000 for each fiscal year, of which
$10,000,000 is authorized to carry out priority projects.
(b) Availability of Funds.--Notwithstanding any other
provision of law, amounts appropriated for any fiscal year to
carry out this title shall remain available for obligation and
expenditure until the end of the fiscal year following the
fiscal year for which the amounts are appropriated.