Forest Access Immediate Relief Act of 1999 (Introduced in the House)

HR 2295 IH

106th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 2295

To terminate the participation of the Forest Service in the Recreational Fee Demonstration Program and to offset the revenues lost by such termination by prohibiting the use of appropriated funds to finance engineering support for sales of timber from National Forest System lands.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

June 22, 1999

Mrs. CAPPS introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committee on Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

A BILL

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `Forest Access Immediate Relief Act of 1999'.

SEC. 2. TERMINATION OF FOREST SERVICE RECREATIONAL FEE DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM.

(a) TERMINATION- On and after the effective date of this section, the Secretary of Agriculture may not impose or collect any fee under the authority of the Recreational Fee Demonstration Program authorized by section 315 of the Department of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1996 (as contained in section 101(c) of Public Law 104-134; 16 U.S.C. 460l-6a note). Amounts collected before that date shall continue to be used by the Secretary in the manner provided in that section.

(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS- Section 315 of the Department of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1996 (as contained in section 101(c) of Public Law 104-134; 16 U.S.C. 460l-6a note), is amended as follows:

(1) In subsection (a), by striking `and the Secretary of Agriculture (acting through the Forest Service) shall each' and inserting `shall'.

(2) In subsection (b), by striking `appropriate Secretary' and inserting `Secretary'.

(3) In subsection (e), by striking `and the Secretary of Agriculture'.

SEC. 3. PROHIBITION ON FOREST SERVICE PAYMENT OF ENGINEERING SUPPORT FOR TIMBER SALES.

(a) PROHIBITION ON USE OF FEDERAL FUNDS- Funds appropriated or otherwise made available to the Forest Service in appropriation Acts may not be used to provide engineering support for the timber sales program for National Forest System lands, including engineering support to plan, oversee design, and administer road work funded by timber purchasers.

(b) PAYMENT BY TIMBER PURCHASERS- In appraising timber and setting a minimum bid for trees, portions of trees, or forest products located on National Forest System lands proposed for sale under section 14 of the National Forest Management Act of 1976 (16 U.S.C. 472a) or any other provision of law, the Secretary of Agriculture shall include an additional charge in an amount sufficient to cover the annual costs incurred by the Forest Service to provide engineering support for the timber sales program.

(c) USE OF PAYMENTS- Amounts collected from timber purchasers as required by subsection (b) shall be available to the Secretary of Agriculture, without further appropriation, to pay costs incurred by the Forest Service to provide engineering support for the timber sales program. All excess amounts collected under such subsection shall be used on National Forest System lands in the manner authorized by section 315(c)(3) of the Department of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1996 (as contained in section 101(c) of Public Law 104-134; 16 U.S.C. 460l-6a note), in order to offset at least partially the loss of revenues to the Forest Service as a result of the termination of Forest Service participation in the Recreational Fee Demonstration Program by section 2.

(d) EFFECTIVE DATE- This section take effect October 1, 1999.