SEC. 209. [16 U.S.C. 6700] (a) There are authorized to be appropriated $4,000,000 for each of fiscal years 1998 through 2003, to enable the Secretary of the Interior to carry out his functions and responsibilities under this title, including data collection, research, planning, and conservation and rehabilitation programs on public lands. Such funds shall be in addition to those authorized for wildlife, range, soil, and water management pursuant to section 318 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1748), or other provisions of law. (b) There are authorized to be appropriated $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 1998 through 2003, to enable the Secretary of Agriculture to carry out his functions and responsibilities under this title. Such funds shall be in addition to those provided under other provisions of law. In requesting funds under this subsection the Secretary shall take into account fish and wildlife program needs, including those for projects, identified in the State comprehensive plans as contained in the program developed pursuant to the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1601-1610). (c) The Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture may each use any authority available to him under other laws relating to fish, wildlife, or plant conservation or rehabilitation for purposes of carrying out the provisions of this title. (d) The Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture may each make purchases and contracts for property and services from, or provide assistance to, the State agencies concerned, if such property, services or assistance is required to implement those projects and programs carried out on, or of benefit to, Federal lands and identified in the comprehensive plans or cooperative agreements developed under section 202, without regard to title III (other than section 304) of the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 (41 U.S.C. 251-260). Contract authority provided in this section is effective only to such extent or in such amounts as are provided in appropriation Acts. 19. EMERGENCY SALVAGE TIMBER SALE PROGRAM (Section 2001 of Public Law 104-19; Approved July 27, 1995) EMERGENCY SALVAGE TIMBER SALE PROGRAM SEC. 2001. [16 U.S.C. 1611 note] (a) DEFINITIONS.-For purposes of this section: (1) The term "appropriate committees of Congress" means the Committee on Resources, the Committee on Agriculture, and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate. (2) The term "emergency period" means the period beginning on the date of the enactment of this section and ending on September 30, 1997. (3) The term "salvage timber sale” means a timber sale for which an important reason for entry includes the removal of disease- or insect-infested trees, dead, damaged, or down trees, or trees affected by fire or imminently susceptible to fire or insect attack. Such term also includes the removal of associated trees or trees lacking the characteristics of a healthy and viable ecosystem for the purpose of ecosystem improvement or rehabilitation, except that any such sale must include an identifiable salvage component of trees described in the first sentence. (4) The term "Secretary concerned" means (A) the Secretary of Agriculture, with respect to lands within the National Forest System; and (B) the Secretary of the Interior, with respect to Federal lands under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management. (b) COMPLETION OF SALVAGE TIMBER SALES. (1) SALVAGE TIMBER SALES.-Using the expedited procedures provided in subsection (c), the Secretary concerned shall prepare, advertise, offer, and award contracts during the emergency period for salvage timber sales from Federal lands described in subsection (a)(4). During the emergency period, the Secretary concerned is to achieve, to the maximum extent feasible, a salvage timber sale volume level above the programmed level to reduce the backlogged volume of salvage timber. The preparation, advertisement, offering, and awarding of such contracts shall be performed utilizing subsection (c) and notwithstanding any other provision of law, including a law under the authority of which any judicial order may be outstanding on or after the date of the enactment of this Act. (2) USE OF SALVAGE SALE FUNDS.-To conduct salvage timber sales under this subsection, the Secretary concerned may use salvage sale funds otherwise available to the Secretary concerned. (3) SALES IN PREPARATION.-Any salvage timber sale in preparation on the date of the enactment of this Act shall be subject to the provisions of this section. (c) EXPEDITED PROCEDURES FOR EMERGENCY SALVAGE TIMBER SALES. (1) SALE DOCUMENTATION. (A) PREPARATION.-For each salvage timber sale conducted under subsection (b), the Secretary concerned shall prepare a document that combines an environmental assessment under section 102(2) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332(2)) (including regulations implementing such section) and a biological evaluation under section 7(a)(2) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1536(a)(2)) and other applicable Federal law and implementing regulations. A document embodying decisions relating to salvage timber sales proposed under authority of this section shall, at the sole discretion of the Secretary concerned and to the extent the Secretary concerned considers appropriate and feasible, consider the environmental effects of the salvage timber sale and the effect, if any, on threatened or endangered species, and to the extent the Secretary concerned, at his sole discretion, considers appropriate and feasible, be consistent with any standards and guidelines from the management plans applicable to the National Forest or Bureau of Land Management District on which the salvage timber sale occurs. (B) USE OF EXISTING MATERIALS.-In lieu of preparing a new document under this paragraph, the Secretary concerned may use a document prepared pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) before the date of the enactment of this Act, a biological evaluation written before such date, or information collected for such a document or evaluation if the document, evaluation, or information applies to the Federal lands covered by the proposed sale. (C) SCOPE AND CONTENT.-The scope and content of the documentation and information prepared, considered, and relied on under this paragraph is at the sole discretion of the Secretary concerned. (2) REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.-Not later than August 30, 1995, the Secretary concerned shall submit a report to the appropriate committees of Congress on the implementation of this section. The report shall be updated and resubmitted to the appropriate committees of Congress every six months thereafter until the completion of all salvage timber sales conducted under subsection (b). Each report shall contain the following: |