(A) COMPOSITION.-The Council shall be composed of 15 members appointed by the Secretary, as follows:

(i) 2 members representing national nonprofit forestry and conservation citizen organizations,

(ii) 3 members, 1 each representing State, county, and city and town governments,

(iii) 1 member representing the forest products, nursery, or related industries,

(iv) 1 member representing urban forestry, landscape, or design consultants,

(v) 2 members representing academic institutions with an expertise in urban and community forestry activities,

(vi) 1 member representing State forestry agencies or equivalent State agencies,

(vii) 1 member representing a professional renewable natural resource or arboricultural society,

(viii) 1 member from the Extension Service,
(ix) 1 member from the Forest Service, and

(x) 2 members who are not officers or employees of any governmental body, 1 of whom is a resident of a community with a population of less than 50,000 as of the most recent census and both of whom have expertise and have been active in urban and community forestry.

(B) VACANCY.-A vacancy in the Council shall be filled in the manner in which the original appointment was made.

(C) CHAIRPERSON.-The Secretary shall select 1 member, from members appointed to the Council, who is not an officer or employee of the United States nor any State, county, city, or town government, who shall serve as the chairperson of the Council.

(D) TERMS.

(i) IN GENERAL.-Except as provided in clauses (ii) and (iii) of this paragraph, members shall be appointed for terms of 3 years, and no member may serve more than 2 consecutive terms on the Council. (ii) STAGGERED TERMS.-Of the members first appointed

(I) 5, including the chairperson and 2 governmental employees, shall be appointed for a term of 3 years,

(II) 5, including 2 governmental employees, shall be appointed for a term of 2 years, and

(III) 5, including 2 governmental employees, shall be appointed for a term of 1 year, as designated by the Secretary at the time of appoint

ment.

(iii) CONTINUATION.-Any member appointed to fill a vacancy occurring before the expiration of the term of the member's predecessor shall be appointed only for the remainder of such term. A member may

serve after the expiration of the member's term until
the member's successor has taken office.
(E) COMPENSATION.-

(i) IN GENERAL.-Except as provided in clause (ii), members of the Council shall serve without pay, but may be reimbursed for reasonable costs incurred while in the actual performance of duties vested in the Council.

(ii) FEDERAL OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES.-Members of the Council who are full-time officers or employees of the United States shall receive no additional pay, allowances, or benefits by reason of their service on the Council.

(iii) FINANCIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT.The Secretary shall provide financial and administrative support for the Council.

(3) URBAN AND COMMUNITY FORESTRY ACTION PLAN.-Within 1 year after the date of enactment of this subsection and every 10 years thereafter, the Council shall prepare a National Urban and Community Forestry Action Plan. The plan shall include (but not be limited to) the following:

(A) An assessment of the current status of urban forest resources in the United States.

(B) A review of urban and community forestry programs and activities in the United States, including education and technical assistance activities conducted by the Department of Agriculture, and other Federal agencies, the State forestry organizations, private industry, private nonprofit organizations, community and civic organizations and interested others.

(C) Recommendations for improving the status of the Nation's urban and community forest resources, including education and technical assistance and modifications required in existing programs and policies of relevant Federal agencies.

(D) A review of urban and community forestry research, including—

(i) a review of all ongoing research associated with urban and community forests, arboricultural practices, and the economic, social, and psychological benefits of trees and forest cover in urban and community environments being conducted by the Forest Service, other Federal agencies, and associated land grant colleges and universities;

(ii) recommendations for new and expanded research efforts directed toward urban and community forestry concerns; and

(iii) a summary of research priorities and an estimate of the funds needed to implement such research, on an annual basis, for the next 10 years.

(E) Proposed criteria for evaluating proposed projects under the urban and community forestry challenge cost share program under subsection (f), with special emphasis

improved forest management (including the maintenance and establishment of forest cover and trees) in urban areas and communities.

(F) An estimate of the resources needed to implement the National Urban and Community Forestry Action Plan for the succeeding 10 fiscal years.

(4) AMENDMENT OF THE PLAN.-The plan may be amended by a majority of the Council members. Such amendments shall be incorporated into the Council's annual review of the plan submitted to the Secretary pursuant to paragraph (5) of this

subsection.

(5) REVIEW OF THE PLAN.-The Council shall submit the plan to the Secretary and the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate upon its completion. Beginning no later than one year after the plan is submitted and annually thereafter, the Council shall submit a review of the plan to the Secretary no later than December 31. The review shall consist of—

(A) the Council's assessment of prior year accomplishments in research, education, technical assistance, and related activities in urban and community forestry;

(B) the Council's recommendations for research, education, technical assistance, and related activities in the succeeding year; and

(C) the Council's recommendations for the urban and community forestry challenge cost share projects to be funded during the succeeding year.

The review submitted to the Secretary shall be incorporated into the annual report required under section 3(d) of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C. 1601(d)).

(6) DETAIL OF PERSONNEL.-Upon request of the Council, the Secretary is authorized to detail, on a reimbursable basis, any of the personnel of the Department of Agriculture to the Council to assist the Council in carrying out its duties under this Act.

(h) DEFINITIONS.-For the purposes of this section

(1) the term "Council" means the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council established under subsection (g);

(2) the term "plan" means the National Urban and Community Forestry Action Plan developed under subsection (g)(3); and

(3) the term "urban and community area" includes cities, their suburbs, and towns.

(i) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.-There are hereby authorized to be appropriated $30,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 1991 through 1995, and such sums as may be necessary for each fiscal year thereafter, for the implementation of this section.

RURAL FIRE PREVENTION AND CONTROL

SEC. 10. [16 U.S.C. 2106] (a) Congress finds that

(1) significant accomplishments have been made by the Secretary and cooperating States in the prevention and control of fires on forest lands and on nonforested watersheds for more than fifty years;

(2) progress is being made by the Secretary and cooperating States and rural communities in the protection of human lives, agricultural crops and livestock, property and other improvements, and natural resources from fires in rural areas;

(3) notwithstanding the accomplishments and progress that have been made, fire prevention and control on rural lands and in rural communities are of continuing high priority to protect human lives, agricultural crops and livestock, property and other improvements, and natural resources;

(4) the effective cooperative relationships between the Secretary and the States regarding fire prevention and control on rural lands and in rural communities should be retained and improved;

(5) efforts in fire prevention and control in rural areas should be coordinated among Federal, State, and local agencies; and

(6) in addition to providing assistance to State and local rural fire prevention and control programs, the Secretary should provide prompt and adequate assistance whenever a rural fire emergency overwhelms, or threatens to overwhelm, the firefighting capability of the affected State or rural area. (b) Notwithstanding the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974, the Secretary is authorized, under whatever conditions the Secretary may prescribe to

(1) cooperate with State foresters or equivalent State officials in developing systems and methods for the prevention, control, suppression, and prescribed use of fires on rural lands and in rural communities that will protect human lives, agricultural crops and livestock, property and other improvements, and natural resources;

(2) provide financial, technical, and related assistance to State foresters or equivalent State officials, and through them to other agencies and individuals, for the prevention, control, suppression, and prescribed use of fires on non-Federal forest lands and other non-Federal lands;

(3) provide financial, technical, and related assistance to State foresters or equivalent State officials in cooperative efforts to organize, train, and equip local firefighting forces, including those of Indian tribes or other native groups, to prevent, control, and suppress fires threatening human lives, crops, livestock, farmsteads or other improvements, pastures, orchards, wildlife, rangeland, woodland, and other resources in rural areas. As used herein, the term "rural areas" shall have the meaning set out in the first clause of section 306(a)(7) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act; and

(4) provide financial, technical, and related assistance to State foresters or equivalent State officials, and through them to other agencies and individuals, including rural volunteer fire departments, to conduct preparedness and mobilization ac

State and local firefighting agencies to respond to requests for fire suppression assistance.

(c) The Secretary, with the cooperation and assistance of the Administrator of General Services, shall encourage the use of excess personal property (within the meaning of the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949) by State and local fire forces receiving assistance under this section.

(d) To promote maximum effectiveness and economy, the Secretary shall seek to coordinate the assistance the Secretary provides under this section with the assistance by the Secretary of Commerce under the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974.

(e)(1) There are hereby authorized to be appropriated annually such sums as may be needed to implement paragraphs (1), (2) and (3) of subsection (b) of this section.

(2)(A) There are hereby authorized to be appropriated annually $70,000,000 to carry out subsection (b)(4). Of the total amount appropriated to carry out subsection (b)(4)

(i) one-half shall be available only for State foresters or equivalent State officials, and through them to other agencies and individuals, of which not less than $100,000 shall be made available to each State; and

(ii) one-half shall be available only for rural volunteer fire departments.

(B) The Federal share of the cost of any activity carried out with funds made available pursuant to this paragraph may not exceed 50 percent of the cost of that activity. The non-Federal share for such activity may be in the form of cash, services, or in kind contributions.

(f) There shall be established in the Treasury a special rural fire disaster fund that shall be immediately available to and used by the Secretary to supplement any other money available to carry out this section with respect to rural fire emergencies, as determined by the Secretary. The Secretary shall determine that State and local resources are fully used or will be fully used before expending money in the disaster fund to assist a State in which one or more rural fire emergencies exist. There are hereby authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be needed to establish and replenish the disaster fund established by this subsection.

(g) As used in this section

(1) the term "rural volunteer fire department" means any organized, not for profit, fire protection organization that provides service primarily to a community or city with a population of 10,000 or less or to a rural area, as defined by the Secretary, whose firefighting personnel is 80 percent or more volunteer, and that is recognized as a fire department by the laws of the State; and

(2) the term "mobilization" means any activity in which one firefighting organization assists another that has requested assistance.