I 

108TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2707

To direct the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture, acting through 

the U.S. Forest Service, to carry out a demonstration program to assess 

potential water savings through control of Salt Cedar and Russian Olive 

on forests and public lands administered by the Department of the 

Interior and the U.S. Forest Service. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 10, 2003

Mr. PEARCE (for himself, Mr. STENHOLM, Mr. MCINNIS, Mrs. WILSON of 

New Mexico, Mr. HUNTER, Mr. BONILLA, Mr. RENZI, Mr. CANNON, Mr. 

MATHESON, Mr. THORNBERRY, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. MORAN of Kansas, 

and Mr. OSBORNE) introduced the following bill; which was referred to 

the Committee on Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, 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

To direct the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture, 

acting through the U.S. Forest Service, to carry out 

a demonstration program to assess potential water savings through control of Salt Cedar and Russian Olive 

on forests and public lands administered by the Department of the Interior and the U.S. Forest Service.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
2

HR 2707 IH 

1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Salt Cedar and Rus3 sian Olive Control Demonstration Act’’. 

4 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

5 (a) SECRETARY CONCERNED.—The term ‘‘Secretary 

6 concerned’’ means the Secretary of Agriculture with re7 spect to National Forest System lands; and the Secretary 

8 of the Interior with respect to Federal lands under the 

9 jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Interior and Indian 

10 lands. 

11 (b) FEDERAL LANDS.—The term ‘‘Federal lands’’ 

12 means the lands managed, administered, or owned by the 

13 Department of the Interior and the Department of Agri14 culture, National Forest System. 

15 (c) WESTERN UNITED STATES.—As defined by the 

16 1902 Reclamation Act (43 U.S.C. Chapter 12), which in17 cludes Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Mon18 tana, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Nevada, New Mexico, 

19 Oregon, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. 

20 SEC. 3. DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM FOR ASSESSMENT AND 

21 CONTROL OF SALT CEDAR AND RUSSIAN 

22 OLIVE IN WESTERN STATES. 

23 (a) ASSESSMENT.—Not later than 1 year after the 

24 date when funds are made available to carry out this sec25 tion, the Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with the 

26 Secretary of Agriculture through the United States Forest 
3

HR 2707 IH 

1 Service, shall complete an assessment of the extent of Salt 

2 Cedar and Russian Olive invasion in those States in which 

3 the Bureau of Reclamation operates, past and present as4 sessments and management options to control these 

5 phreatophytes, the feasibility of reducing water consump6 tion, methods and challenges in land restoration estimated 

7 costs of all aspects of destruction, biomass removal, and 

8 restoration and maintenance, and shall identify long-term 

9 management and funding strategies that could be imple10 mented by Federal, State and private land managers on 

11 all land management types, including national forest sys12 tem lands created from the public domain. 

13 (b) DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS.—The Secretary will 

14 initiate a program of not fewer than 3 projects, one which 

15 must be on national forest system land created from the 

16 public domain, to demonstrate and evaluate the most ef17 fective control methods, including at least one project pri18 marily using air-born application of herbicides, at least 

19 one project using mechanical removal and at least one 

20 project using biocontrol such as goats or insects or any 

21 combination thereof. Each demonstration project shall be 

22 designed with integrated methods and carried over time 

23 frames and spatial scales large enough to accomplish the 

24 following: 
4

HR 2707 IH 

1 (1) Monitor and fully document the water saved 

2 due to control of Salt Cedar and Russian Olive in3 festation and what portions of the saved water re4 turns to surface water or groundwater supplies and 

5 at what rates. 

6 (2) Assess the optimum application approach 

7 and tools for an array of control methods. 

8 (3) Assess all costs and benefits associated with 

9 the control methods, land restoration and mainte10 nance. 

11 (4) Determine what conditions indicate the 

12 need to remove biomass and the optimal methods for 

13 disposal of use of biomass. 

14 (5) Define appropriate final vegetative states 

15 and optimal re-vegetation methods. 

16 (6) Develop methods to prevent re-growth and 

17 reintroduction of the invasive species. 

18 (c) COST.—The total cost of each project may not 

19 exceed $7,000,000, including the costs of planning, design, 

20 implementation, maintenance, and monitoring. The Fed21 eral share of the costs of any activity funded under this 

22 program shall be no more than 65 percent of the total 

23 cost. The Secretary may apply the value of in-kind con24 tribution, including State agency provided services, to the 

25 non-Federal share of the costs. The Secretary shall report 
5

HR 2707 IH 

1 to Congress each year how funds are being spent, includ2 ing what agencies receive grants. 

3 (d) COOPERATION.—The Secretary shall use the ex4 pertise of institutions of higher education, State agencies, 

5 and soil water conservation districts that are actively con6 ducting assessments on or implementing Salt Cedar and 

7 Russian Olive control activities and shall cooperate with 

8 other Federal agencies, including the Department of Agri9 culture and Army Corps of Engineers, affected States, 

10 local units of government, and Indian Tribes. 

11 (e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

12 are authorized to be appropriated to carry out the provi13 sions of this Act $25,000,000 each year for fiscal year 

14 2004 through fiscal year 2007.

Æ