H. R. 2720

One Hundred Ninth Congress

of the

United States of America 

AT THE SECOND SESSION 

Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday, 

the third day of January, two thousand and six 

An Act 

To further the purposes of the Reclamation Projects Authorization and Adjustment 

Act of 1992 by directing the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Commissioner of Reclamation, to carry out an assessment and demonstration program 

to control salt cedar and Russian olive, and for other purposes.

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 ‘‘Salt Cedar and Russian Olive 

Control Demonstration Act’’. 

SEC. 2. SALT CEDAR AND RUSSIAN OLIVE CONTROL DEMONSTRATION 

PROGRAM. 

(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary of the Interior (referred 

to in this Act as the ‘‘Secretary’’), acting through the Commissioner 

of Reclamation and the Director of the United States Geological 

Survey and in cooperation with the Secretary of Agriculture and 

the Secretary of Defense, shall carry out a salt cedar (Tamarix 

spp) and Russian olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia) assessment and 

demonstration program—

(1) to assess the extent of the infestation by salt cedar 

and Russian olive trees in the western United States; 

(2) to demonstrate strategic solutions for—

(A) the long-term management of salt cedar and Russian olive trees; and 

(B) the reestablishment of native vegetation; and 

(3) to assess economic means to dispose of biomass created 

as a result of removal of salt cedar and Russian olive trees. 

(b) MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING.—As soon as practicable 

after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary and the 

Secretary of Agriculture shall enter into a memorandum of understanding providing for the administration of the program established under subsection (a). 

(c) ASSESSMENT.— (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the date 

on which funds are made available to carry out this Act, the 

Secretary shall complete an assessment of the extent of salt 

cedar and Russian olive infestation on public and private land 

in the western United States. 

(2) REQUIREMENTS.—In addition to describing the acreage 

of and severity of infestation by salt cedar and Russian olive 

trees in the western United States, the assessment shall—

(A) consider existing research on methods to control 

salt cedar and Russian olive trees; 
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(B) consider the feasibility of reducing water consumption by salt cedar and Russian olive trees; 

(C) consider methods of and challenges associated with 

the revegetation or restoration of infested land; and 

(D) estimate the costs of destruction of salt cedar and 

Russian olive trees, related biomass removal, and revegetation or restoration and maintenance of the infested land. 

(3) REPORT.—

(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall submit to the 

Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate 

and the Committee on Resources and the Committee on 

Agriculture of the House of Representatives a report that 

includes the results of the assessment conducted under 

paragraph (1). 

(B) CONTENTS.—The report submitted under subparagraph (A) shall identify—

(i) long-term management and funding strategies 

identified under subsection (d) that could be implemented by Federal, State, tribal, and private land managers and owners to address the infestation by salt 

cedar and Russian olive; 

(ii) any deficiencies in the assessment or areas 

for additional study; and 

(iii) any field demonstrations that would be useful 

in the effort to control salt cedar and Russian olive. 

(d) LONG-TERM MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES.— (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall identify and document long-term management and funding strategies that—

(A) could be implemented by Federal, State, tribal, 

and private land managers in addressing infestation by 

salt cedar and Russian olive trees; and 

(B) should be tested as components of demonstration 

projects under subsection (e). 

(2) GRANTS.—

(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may provide grants 

to eligible entities to provide technical experience, support, 

and recommendations relating to the identification and 

documentation of long-term management and funding 

strategies under paragraph (1). 

(B) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—Institutions of higher education and nonprofit organizations with an established 

background and expertise in the public policy issues associated with the control of salt cedar and Russian olive trees 

shall be eligible for a grant under subparagraph (A). 

(C) MINIMUM AMOUNT.—The amount of a grant provided under subparagraph (A) shall be not less than 

$250,000. 

(e) DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS.— (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the date 

on which funds are made available to carry out this Act, the 

Secretary shall establish a program that selects and funds 

not less than 5 projects proposed by and implemented in 

collaboration with Federal agencies, units of State and local 

government, national laboratories, Indian tribes, institutions 

of higher education, individuals, organizations, or soil and water 

conservation districts to demonstrate and evaluate the most 
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effective methods of controlling salt cedar and Russian olive 

trees. 

(2) PROJECT REQUIREMENTS.—The demonstration projects 

under paragraph (1) shall—

(A) be carried out over a time period and to a scale 

designed to fully assess long-term management strategies; 

(B) implement salt cedar or Russian olive tree control 

using 1 or more methods for each project in order to assess 

the full range of control methods, including—

(i) airborne application of herbicides; 

(ii) mechanical removal; and 

(iii) biocontrol methods, such as the use of goats 

or insects; 

(C) individually or in conjunction with other demonstration projects, assess the effects of and obstacles to 

combining multiple control methods and determine optimal 

combinations of control methods; 

(D) assess soil conditions resulting from salt cedar 

and Russian olive tree infestation and means to revitalize 

soils; 

(E) define and implement appropriate final vegetative 

states and optimal revegetation methods, with preference 

for self-maintaining vegetative states and native vegetation, and taking into consideration downstream impacts, 

wildfire potential, and water savings; 

(F) identify methods for preventing the regrowth and 

reintroduction of salt cedar and Russian olive trees; 

(G) monitor and document any water savings from 

the control of salt cedar and Russian olive trees, including 

impacts to both groundwater and surface water; 

(H) assess wildfire activity and management strategies; 

(I) assess changes in wildlife habitat; 

(J) determine conditions under which removal of biomass is appropriate (including optimal methods for the 

disposal or use of biomass); and 

(K) assess economic and other impacts associated with 

control methods and the restoration and maintenance of 

land. 

(f) DISPOSITION OF BIOMASS.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the date 

on which funds are made available to carry out this Act, the 

Secretary, in cooperation with the Secretary of Agriculture, 

shall complete an analysis of economic means to use or dispose 

of biomass created as a result of removal of salt cedar and 

Russian olive trees. 

(2) REQUIREMENTS.—The analysis shall—

(A) determine conditions under which removal of biomass is economically viable; 

(B) consider and build upon existing research by the 

Department of Agriculture and other agencies on beneficial 

uses of salt cedar and Russian olive tree fiber; and 

(C) consider economic development opportunities, 

including manufacture of wood products using biomass 

resulting from demonstration projects under subsection (e) 

as a means of defraying costs of control. 

(g) COSTS.—
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(1) IN GENERAL.—With respect to projects and activities 

carried out under this Act—

(A) the assessment under subsection (c) shall be carried 

out at a cost of not more than $4,000,000; 

(B) the identification and documentation of long-term 

management strategies under subsection (d)(1) and the 

provision of grants under subsection (d)(2) shall be carried 

out at a cost of not more than $2,000,000; 

(C) each demonstration project under subsection (e) 

shall be carried out at a Federal cost of not more than 

$7,000,000 (including costs of planning, design, 

implementation, maintenance, and monitoring); and 

(D) the analysis under subsection (f) shall be carried 

out at a cost of not more than $3,000,000. 

(2) COST-SHARING.— (A) IN GENERAL.—The assessment under subsection 

(c), the identification and documentation of long-term 

management strategies under subsection (d), a demonstration project or portion of a demonstration project under 

subsection (e) that is carried out on Federal land, and 

the analysis under subsection (f) shall be carried out at 

full Federal expense. 

(B) DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS CARRIED OUT ON NON- FEDERAL LAND.— (i) IN GENERAL.—The Federal share of the costs 

of any demonstration project funded under subsection 

(e) that is not carried out on Federal land shall not 

exceed 75 percent. 

(ii) FORM OF NON-FEDERAL SHARE.—The non-Federal share of the costs of a demonstration project that 

is not carried out on Federal land may be provided 

in the form of in-kind contributions, including services 

provided by a State agency or any other public or 

private partner. 

(h) COOPERATION.—In carrying out the assessment under subsection (c), the demonstration projects under subsection (e), and 

the analysis under subsection (f), the Secretary shall cooperate 

with and use the expertise of Federal agencies and the other entities 

specified in subsection (e)(1) that are actively conducting research 

on or implementing salt cedar and Russian olive tree control activities. 

(i) INDEPENDENT REVIEW.—The Secretary shall subject to independent review—

(1) the assessment under subsection (c); 

(2) the identification and documentation of long-term 

management strategies under subsection (d); 

(3) the demonstration projects under subsection (e); and 

(4) the analysis under subsection (f). 

(j) REPORTING.— (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall submit to Congress 

an annual report that describes the results of carrying out 

this Act, including a synopsis of any independent review under 

subsection (I) and details of the manner and purposes for 

which funds are expended. 

(2) PUBLIC ACCESS.—The Secretary shall facilitate public 

access to all information that results from carrying out this 

Act. 
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(k) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be appropriated 

to carry out this Act—

(A) $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2006; and 

(B) $15,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2007 through 

2010. 

(2) ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.—Not more than 15 percent of 

amounts made available under paragraph (1) shall be used 

to pay the administrative costs of carrying out the program 

established under subsection (a). 

(l) TERMINATION OF AUTHORITY.—This Act and the authority 

provided by this Act terminate on the date that is 5 years after 

the date of the enactment of this Act.

Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Vice President of the United States and

President of the Senate.