49–006 

109TH CONGRESS REPT. 109–273 " ! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 1st Session Part 1 

PUBLIC LANDS CORPS HEALTHY FORESTS RESTORATION 

ACT OF 2005 

NOVEMBER 7, 2005.—Ordered to be printed 

Mr. POMBO, from the Committee on Resources, 

submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany H.R. 2875] 

[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office] 

The Committee on Resources, to whom was referred the bill 

(H.R. 2875) to amend the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993 to provide for the conduct of projects that protect forests, and for other 

purposes, having considered the same, report favorably thereon 

with an amendment and recommend that the bill as amended do 

pass. 

The amendment is as follows: 

Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the following: 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Public Lands Corps Healthy Forests Restoration 

Act of 2005’’. 

SEC. 2. AMENDMENTS TO THE PUBLIC LANDS CORPS ACT OF 1993. 

(a) DEFINITIONS.—Section 203 of the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993 (16 U.S.C. 

1722) is amended— 

(1) by redesignating paragraphs (8), (9), (10), and (11) as paragraphs (9), (10), 

(11), and (13), respectively; 

(2) by inserting after paragraph (7) the following: 

‘‘(8) PRIORITY PROJECT.—The term ‘priority project’ means an appropriate conservation project conducted on eligible service lands to further 1 or more of the 

purposes of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6501 et 

seq.), as follows: 

‘‘(A) To reduce wildfire risk to a community, municipal water supply, or 

other at-risk Federal land. 

‘‘(B) To protect a watershed or address a threat to forest and rangeland 

health, including catastrophic wildfire. 

‘‘(C) To address the impact of insect or disease infestations or other damaging agents on forest and rangeland health. 

‘‘(D) To protect, restore, or enhance forest ecosystem components to— 

‘‘(i) promote the recovery of threatened or endangered species; 

‘‘(ii) improve biological diversity; or 

2 

‘‘(iii) enhance productivity and carbon sequestration.’’; and 

(3) by inserting after paragraph (11) (as redesignated by paragraph (1)) the 

following: 

‘‘(12) SECRETARY.—The term ‘Secretary’ means—

‘‘(A) with respect to National Forest System land, the Secretary of Agriculture; and 

‘‘(B) with respect to Indian lands, Hawaiian home lands, or land administered by the Department of the Interior, the Secretary of the Interior.’’. 

(b) QUALIFIED YOUTH OR CONSERVATION CORPS.—Section 204(c) of the Public 

Lands Corps Act of 1993 (16 U.S.C. 1723(c)) is amended—

(1) by striking ‘‘The Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture 

are’’ and inserting the following: 

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary is’’; and 

(2) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(2) PREFERENCE.—

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—For purposes of entering into contracts and cooperative 

agreements under paragraph (1), the Secretary may give preference to 

qualified youth or conservation corps located in a specific area that have 

a substantial portion of members who are economically, physically, or educationally disadvantaged to carry out projects within the area. 

‘‘(B) PRIORITY PROJECTS.—In carrying out priority projects in a specific 

area, the Secretary shall, to the maximum extent practicable, give preference to qualified youth or conservation corps located in that specific area 

that have a substantial portion of members who are economically, physically, or educationally disadvantaged.’’. 

(c) CONSERVATION PROJECTS.—Section 204(d) of the Public Lands Corps Act of 

1993 (16 U.S.C. 1723(d)) is amended—

(1) in the first sentence—

(A) by striking ‘‘The Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture may each’’ and inserting the following: 

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may’’; and 

(B) by striking ‘‘such Secretary’’ and inserting ‘‘the Secretary’’; 

(2) in the second sentence, by striking ‘‘Appropriate conservation’’ and inserting the following: 

‘‘(2) PROJECTS ON INDIAN LANDS.—Appropriate conservation’’; and 

(3) by striking the third sentence and inserting the following: 

‘‘(3) DISASTER PREVENTION OR RELIEF PROJECTS.—The Secretary may authorize appropriate conservation projects and other appropriate projects to be carried out on Federal, State, local, or private land as part of a Federal disaster 

prevention or relief effort.’’. 

(d) CONSERVATION CENTERS AND PROGRAM SUPPORT.—Section 205 of the Public 

Lands Corps Act of 1993 (16 U.S.C. 1724) is amended—

(1) by striking the heading and inserting the following: 

‘‘SEC. 205. CONSERVATION CENTERS AND PROGRAM SUPPORT.’’; 

(2) by striking subsection (a) and inserting the following: 

‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT AND USE.—

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may establish and use conservation centers 

owned and operated by the Secretary for—

‘‘(A) use by the Public Lands Corps; and 

‘‘(B) the conduct of appropriate conservation projects under this title. 

‘‘(2) ASSISTANCE FOR CONSERVATION CENTERS.—The Secretary may provide to 

a conservation center established under paragraph (1) any services, facilities, 

equipment, and supplies that the Secretary determines to be necessary for the 

conservation center. 

‘‘(3) STANDARDS FOR CONSERVATION CENTERS.—The Secretary shall—

‘‘(A) establish basic standards of health, nutrition, sanitation, and safety 

for all conservation centers established under paragraph (1); and 

‘‘(B) ensure that the standards established under subparagraph (A) are 

enforced. 

‘‘(4) MANAGEMENT.—As the Secretary determines to be appropriate, the Secretary may enter into a contract or other appropriate arrangement with a State 

or local government agency or private organization to provide for the management of a conservation center.’’; and 

(3) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(d) ASSISTANCE.—The Secretary may provide any services, facilities, equipment, 

supplies, technical assistance, oversight, monitoring, or evaluations that are appropriate to carry out this title.’’. 

3 

(e) LIVING ALLOWANCES AND TERMS OF SERVICE.—Section 207 of the Public Lands 

Corps Act of 1993 (16 U.S.C. 1726) is amended—

(1) by striking subsection (a) and inserting the following: 

‘‘(a) LIVING ALLOWANCES.—The Secretary shall provide each participant in the 

Public Lands Corps and each resource assistant with a living allowance in an 

amount established by the Secretary.’’; and 

(2) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(c) HIRING.—The Secretary may—

‘‘(1) grant to a member of the Public Lands Corps credit for time served with 

the Public Lands Corps, which may be used toward future Federal hiring; and 

‘‘(2) provide to a former member of the Public Lands Corps noncompetitive 

hiring status for a period of not more than 120 days after the date on which 

the member’s service with the Public Lands Corps is complete.’’. 

(f) FUNDING.—The Public Lands Corps Act of 1993 is amended—

(1) in section 210 (16 U.S.C. 1729), by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(c) OTHER FUNDS.—Amounts appropriated pursuant to the authorization of appropriations under section 211 are in addition to amounts allocated to the Public 

Lands Corps through other Federal programs or projects.’’; and 

(2) by inserting after section 210 the following: 

‘‘SEC. 211. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

‘‘(a) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is authorized to be appropriated 

to carry out this title $15,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2007 through 2011. 

Of the amounts appropriated for any fiscal year to carry out this title, not less than 

two-thirds shall be used to conduct priority projects. 

‘‘(b) AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law, 

amounts appropriated for any fiscal year to carry out this title shall remain available for obligation and expenditure until the end of the fiscal year following the fiscal year for which the amounts are appropriated.’’. 

(g) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—The Public Lands Corps Act of 1993 is amended—

(1) in section 204 (16 U.S.C. 1723)—

(A) in subsection (b)—

(i) in the first sentence, by striking ‘‘Secretary of the Interior or the 

Secretary of Agriculture’’ and inserting ‘‘Secretary’’; 

(ii) in the third sentence, by striking ‘‘Secretaries’’ and inserting ‘‘Secretary’’; and 

(iii) in the fourth sentence, by striking ‘‘Secretaries’’ and inserting 

‘‘Secretary’’; and 

(B) in subsection (e), by striking ‘‘Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture’’ and inserting ‘‘Secretary’’; 

(2) in section 205 (16 U.S.C. 1724)—

(A) in subsection (b), by striking ‘‘Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture’’ and inserting ‘‘Secretary’’; and 

(B) in subsection (c), by striking ‘‘Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture’’ and inserting ‘‘Secretary’’; 

(3) in section 206 (16 U.S.C. 1725)—

(A) in subsection (a)—

(i) in the first sentence—

(I) by striking ‘‘Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture are each’’ and inserting ‘‘Secretary is’’; and 

(II) by striking ‘‘such Secretary’’ and inserting ‘‘the Secretary’’; 

(ii) in the third sentence, by striking ‘‘Secretaries’’ and inserting ‘‘Secretary’’; and 

(iii) in the fourth sentence, by striking ‘‘Secretaries’’ and inserting 

‘‘Secretary’’; and 

(B) in the first sentence of subsection (b), by striking ‘‘Secretary of the 

Interior or the Secretary of Agriculture’’ and inserting ‘‘the Secretary’’; and 

(4) in section 210 (16 U.S.C. 1729)—

(A) in subsection (a)—

(i) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘Secretary of the Interior and the 

Secretary of Agriculture are each’’ and inserting ‘‘Secretary is’’; and 

(ii) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘Secretary of the Interior and the 

Secretary of Agriculture are each’’ and inserting ‘‘Secretary is’’; and 

(B) in subsection (b), by striking ‘‘Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture’’ and inserting ‘‘Secretary’’. 

4 

PURPOSE OF THE BILL

The purpose of H.R. 2875 is to amend the Public Lands Corps 

Act of 1993 to provide for the conduct of projects that protect forests, and for other purposes. 

BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

H.R. 2875 allows the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary 

of Agriculture to enter into contracts or cooperative agreements 

with existing State, local, and non-profit youth conservation corps 

to carry out land management initiatives relating to forestry conservation and fire prevention projects consistent with the Healthy 

Forests Restoration Act (HFRA, Public Law 108–148). Under the 

legislation, restoration projects consistent with the HFRA or 

projects furthering one or more of the purposes under the HFRA 

would be considered ‘‘priority projects.’’

The bill also updates the Public Lands Corps Act by allowing the 

Secretaries to give preference to disadvantaged youth or conservation corps for general projects and directs the Secretaries to give 

preference to such youth (to the maximum extent practicable) for 

priority projects. This does not prohibit other youth from participating in such programs. 

H.R. 2875 also expands Public Lands Corps projects to disaster 

prevention and relief programs and allows the Secretaries to make 

existing conservation centers and services available for Public 

Lands Corps use. 

Each participant in the Public Lands Corps would be provided 

with a living allowance, and the Secretaries may give members 

credits for time served (to be used towards future federal hiring). 

The Secretaries may also provide a noncompetitive hiring status for 

120 days after a member’s service is complete. 

Additionally, the bill, as amended during the Committee markup, 

authorizes appropriations of $15 million for each of fiscal years 

2007 through 2011. Of this, $10 million is authorized for priority 

projects. 

COMMITTEE ACTION

H.R. 2875 was introduced on June 14, 2005, by Congressman 

Greg Walden (R–OR). The bill was referred to the Committee on 

Resources, and within the Committee to the Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health. The bill was also referred to the Committee 

on Agriculture and the Committee on Education and the Workforce. On July 14, 2005, the Subcommittee held a hearing on the 

bill. On September 22, 2005, the Full Resources Committee met to 

consider the bill. The Subcommittee was discharged from further 

consideration of the bill by unanimous consent. Congressman Walden offered an amendment sunsetting the authorization of appropriations. It was adopted by unanimous consent and the bill as 

amended was then ordered favorably reported to the House of Representatives by unanimous consent. 

COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Regarding clause 2(b)(1) of rule X and clause 3(c)(1) of rule XIII 

of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the Committee on ReVerDate Aug 31 2005 04:31 Nov 11, 2005 Jkt 049006 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6602 E:\HR\OC\HR273P1.XXX HR273P1
5 

sources’ oversight findings and recommendations are reflected in 

the body of this report. 

CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY STATEMENT

Article I, section 8 of the Constitution of the United States 

grants Congress the authority to enact this bill. 

COMPLIANCE WITH HOUSE RULE XIII 

1. Cost of Legislation. Clause 3(d)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of 

the House of Representatives requires an estimate and a comparison by the Committee of the costs which would be incurred in carrying out this bill. However, clause 3(d)(3)(B) of that rule provides 

that this requirement does not apply when the Committee has included in its report a timely submitted cost estimate of the bill prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget Office under section 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974. 

2. Congressional Budget Act. As required by clause 3(c)(2) of rule 

XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and section 

308(a) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, this bill does not 

contain any new budget authority, spending authority, credit authority, or an increase or decrease in revenues or tax expenditures. 

3. General Performance Goals and Objectives. As required by 

clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII, the general performance goal or objective 

of this bill is to amend the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993 to provide for the conduct of projects that protect forests, and for other 

purposes. 

4. Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate. Under clause 

3(c)(3) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and 

section 403 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Committee has received the following cost estimate for this bill from the 

Director of the Congressional Budget Office: 

H.R. 2875—Public Lands Corps Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 

2005 

Summay: H.R. 2875 would authorize the appropriation of $75 

million for fiscal year 2007 through 2011 for implementing restoration, conservation, and fire-prevention projects in national parks. 

Under the bill, the Public Lands Corps would administer the 

projects, and youth conservation organizations would carry out the 

projects. Assuming appropriation of the specified amounts, CBO estimates that implementing the bill would cost $5 million in 2007 

and $45 million over the 2006–2010 period. Enacting the bill would 

not affect direct spending or revenues. 

H.R. 2875 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA) 

and would impose no costs on state, local, or tribal governments. 

Estimated cost to the Federal Government: The estimated budgetary impact of H.R. 2875 is shown in the following table. The cost 

of this legislation fall within budget function 300 (natural resources 

and environment). CBO assumes that the bill will be enacted in fiscal year 2006, that the specified amounts will be appropriated for 

each fiscal year, and that outlays will follow historical trends. CBO 

estimates that implementing the bill would cost $5 million in 2007 

and by $45 million over the 2006–2010 period for administering 

6 

restoration, conservation, and fire-prevention projects in natural 

parks. Spending of the additional $30 million authorized by the bill 

would occur after 2010. 

By fiscal year, in millions of dollars— 

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 

CHANGES IN SPENDING SUBJECT TO APPROPRIATION 

Authorization Level 1 ...................................................................................... 0 15 15 15 15 

Estimated Outlays ......................................................................................... 0 5 10 15 15 

1 The bill would also authorize the appropriation of an additional $15 million for 2011. 

Intergovernmental and private-sector impact: H.R. 2875 contains 

no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in 

UMRA and would impose no costs on state, local, or tribal governments. 

Previous CBO estimate: On October 18, 2005, CBO transmitted 

a cost estimate for S. 1238, the Public Lands Corps Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2005, as ordered reported by the Senate 

Committee on Energy and Natural Resources on September 28, 

2005. The two pieces of legislation are almost identical. However, 

S. 1238 would specify a permanent authorization of appropriation, 

while H.R. 2875 would specify the authorization of appropriation 

for 2007 through 2011. The cost estimates reflect that difference. 

Estimate prepared by: Federal Costs: Megan Carroll and Melissa 

Z. Petersen. Impact on State, Local, and Tribal Governments: Marjory Miller. Impact on the Private Sector: Craig Cammarata. 

Estimate approved by: Peter H. Fontaine, Deputy Assistant Director for Budget Analysis. 

COMPLIANCE WITH PUBLIC LAW 104–4 

This bill contains no unfunded mandates. 

PREEMPTION OF STATE, LOCAL OR TRIBAL LAW

This bill is not intended to preempt any State, local or tribal law. 

CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW MADE BY THE BILL, AS REPORTED

In compliance with clause 3(e) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 

House of Representatives, changes in existing law made by the bill, 

as reported, are shown as follows (existing law proposed to be omitted is enclosed in black brackets, new matter is printed in italic, 

existing law in which no change is proposed is shown in 

roman): 

PUBLIC LANDS CORPS ACT OF 1993 

TITLE II—PUBLIC LANDS CORPS 

SEC. 201. SHORT TITLE. 

This title may be cited as the ‘‘Public Lands Corps Act of 1993’’. 

* * * * * * * 

SEC. 203. DEFINITIONS. 

For purposes of this title: 

7 

(1) * * * 

* * * * * * * 

(8) PRIORITY PROJECT.—The term ‘‘priority project’’ means an 

appropriate conservation project conducted on eligible service 

lands to further 1 or more of the purposes of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6501 et seq.), as follows: 

(A) To reduce wildfire risk to a community, municipal 

water supply, or other at-risk Federal land. 

(B) To protect a watershed or address a threat to forest 

and rangeland health, including catastrophic wildfire. 

(C) To address the impact of insect or disease infestations 

or other damaging agents on forest and rangeland health. 

(D) To protect, restore, or enhance forest ecosystem components to—

(i) promote the recovery of threatened or endangered 

species; 

(ii) improve biological diversity; or 

(iii) enhance productivity and carbon sequestration. 

ø(8)¿ (9) PUBLIC LANDS.—The term ‘‘public lands’’ means any 

lands or waters (or interest therein) owned or administered by 

the United States, except that such term does not include any 

Indian lands. 

ø(9)¿ (10) QUALIFIED YOUTH OR CONSERVATION CORPS.—The 

term ‘‘qualified youth or conservation corps’’ means any program established by a State or local government, by the governing body of any Indian tribe, or by a nonprofit organization 

that—

(A) is capable of offering meaningful, full-time, productive work for individuals between the ages of 16 and 25, 

inclusive, in a natural or cultural resource setting; 

(B) gives participants a mix of work experience, basic 

and life skills, education, training, and support services; 

and 

(C) provides participants with the opportunity to develop 

citizenship values and skills through service to their community and the United States. 

ø(10)¿ (11) RESOURCE ASSISTANT.—The term ‘‘resource assistant’’ means a resource assistant selected under section 206. 

(12) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means— (A) with respect to National Forest System land, the Secretary of Agriculture; and 

(B) with respect to Indian lands, Hawaiian home lands, 

or land administered by the Department of the Interior, the 

Secretary of the Interior. 

ø(11)¿ (13) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means any State of the 

United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of 

Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands of the United States, 

American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern 

Mariana Islands. 

SEC. 204. PUBLIC LANDS CORPS PROGRAM. 

(a) * * * 

(b) PARTICIPANTS.—The Corps shall consist of individuals between the ages of 16 and 25, inclusive, who are enrolled as participants in the Corps by the øSecretary of the Interior or the SecVerDate Aug 31 2005 04:31 Nov 11, 2005 Jkt 049006 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6601 E:\HR\OC\HR273P1.XXX HR273P1
8 

retary of Agriculture¿ Secretary. To be eligible for enrollment in 

the Corps, an individual shall satisfy the criteria specified in section 137(b) of the National and Community Service Act of 1990. 

The øSecretaries¿ Secretary may enroll such individuals in the 

Corps without regard to the civil service and classification laws, 

rules, or regulations of the United States. The øSecretaries¿ Secretary may establish a preference for the enrollment in the Corps 

of individuals who are economically, physically, or educationally 

disadvantaged. 

(c) QUALIFIED YOUTH OR CONSERVATION CORPS.—øThe Secretary 

of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture are¿ 

(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary is authorized to enter into 

contracts and cooperative agreements with any qualified youth 

or conservation corps to perform appropriate conservation 

projects referred to in subsection (d). 

(2) PREFERENCE.—

(A) IN GENERAL.—For purposes of entering into contracts 

and cooperative agreements under paragraph (1), the Secretary may give preference to qualified youth or conservation corps located in a specific area that have a substantial 

portion of members who are economically, physically, or 

educationally disadvantaged to carry out projects within 

the area. 

(B) PRIORITY PROJECTS.—In carrying out priority projects 

in a specific area, the Secretary shall, to the maximum extent practicable, give preference to qualified youth or conservation corps located in that specific area that have a 

substantial portion of members who are economically, physically, or educationally disadvantaged. 

(d) PROJECTS TO BE CARRIED OUT.—øThe Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture may each¿ 

(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may utilize the Corps or any 

qualified youth or conservation corps to carry out appropriate 

conservation projects which øsuch Secretary¿ the Secretary is 

authorized to carry out under other authority of law on public 

lands. øAppropriate conservation¿ 

(2) PROJECTS ON INDIAN LANDS.—Appropriate conservation 

projects may also be carried out under this title on Indian 

lands with the approval of the Indian tribe involved and on 

Hawaiian home lands with the approval of the Department of 

Hawaiian Home Lands of the State of Hawaii. øThe Secretaries may also authorize appropriate conservation projects 

and other appropriate projects to be carried out on Federal, 

State, local, or private lands as part of disaster prevention or 

relief efforts in response to an emergency or major disaster declared by the President under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster 

Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.).¿ 

(3) DISASTER PREVENTION OR RELIEF PROJECTS.—The Secretary may authorize appropriate conservation projects and 

other appropriate projects to be carried out on Federal, State, 

local, or private land as part of a Federal disaster prevention 

or relief effort. 

(e) PREFERENCE FOR CERTAIN PROJECTS.—In selecting appropriate conservation projects to be carried out under this title, the 

9 

øSecretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture¿ Secretary shall give preference to those projects which— (1) * * * 

* * * * * * * 

øSEC. 205. CONSERVATION CENTERS. 

ø(a) ESTABLISHMENT AND USE.—The Secretary of the Interior 

and the Secretary of Agriculture are each authorized to provide 

such quarters, board, medical care, transportation, and other services, facilities, supplies, and equipment as such Secretary deems 

necessary in connection with the Public Lands Corps and appropriate conservation projects carried out under this title and to establish and use conservation centers owned and operated by such 

Secretary for purposes of the Corps and such projects. The Secretaries shall establish basic standards of health, nutrition, sanitation, and safety for all conservation centers established under this 

section and shall assure that such standards are enforced. Where 

necessary or appropriate, the Secretaries may enter into contracts 

and other appropriate arrangements with State and local government agencies and private organizations for the management of 

such conservation centers.¿ 

SEC. 205. CONSERVATION CENTERS AND PROGRAM SUPPORT. 

(a) ESTABLISHMENT AND USE.— (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may establish and use conservation centers owned and operated by the Secretary for— (A) use by the Public Lands Corps; and 

(B) the conduct of appropriate conservation projects 

under this title. 

(2) ASSISTANCE FOR CONSERVATION CENTERS.—The Secretary 

may provide to a conservation center established under paragraph (1) any services, facilities, equipment, and supplies that 

the Secretary determines to be necessary for the conservation 

center. 

(3) STANDARDS FOR CONSERVATION CENTERS.—The Secretary 

shall—

(A) establish basic standards of health, nutrition, sanitation, and safety for all conservation centers established 

under paragraph (1); and 

(B) ensure that the standards established under subparagraph (A) are enforced. 

(4) MANAGEMENT.—As the Secretary determines to be appropriate, the Secretary may enter into a contract or other appropriate arrangement with a State or local government agency or 

private organization to provide for the management of a conservation center. 

(b) LOGISTICAL SUPPORT.—The øSecretary of the Interior and the 

Secretary of Agriculture¿ Secretary may make arrangements with 

the Secretary of Defense to have logistical support provided by the 

Armed Forces to the Corps and any conservation center established 

under this section, where feasible. Logistical support may include 

the provision of temporary tent shelters where needed, transportation, and residential supervision. 

(c) USE OF MILITARY INSTALLATIONS.—The øSecretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture¿ Secretary may make arrangements with the Secretary of Defense to identify military inVerDate Aug 31 2005 04:31 Nov 11, 2005 Jkt 049006 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6601 E:\HR\OC\HR273P1.XXX HR273P1
10 

stallations and other facilities of the Department of Defense and, 

in consultation with the adjutant generals of the State National 

Guards, National Guard facilities that may be used, in whole or in 

part, by the Corps for training or housing Corps participants. 

(d) ASSISTANCE.—The Secretary may provide any services, facilities, equipment, supplies, technical assistance, oversight, monitoring, or evaluations that are appropriate to carry out this title. 

SEC. 206. RESOURCE ASSISTANTS. 

(a) AUTHORIZATION.—The øSecretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture are each¿ Secretary is authorized to provide 

individual placements of resource assistants with any Federal land 

managing agency under the jurisdiction of øsuch Secretary¿ the 

Secretary to carry out research or resource protection activities on 

behalf of the agency. To be eligible for selection as a resource assistant, an individual must be at least 17 years of age. The øSecretaries¿ Secretary may select resource assistants without regard to 

the civil service and classification laws, rules, or regulations of the 

United States. The øSecretaries¿ Secretary shall give a preference 

to the selection of individuals who are enrolled in an institution of 

higher education or are recent graduates from an institution of 

higher education, with particular attention given to ensure full representation of women and participants from historically black, Hispanic, and Native American schools. 

(b) USE OF EXISTING NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS.—Whenever one 

or more existing nonprofit organizations can provide, in the judgment of the øSecretary of the Interior or the Secretary of Agriculture¿ the Secretary, appropriate recruitment and placement 

services to fulfill the requirements of this section, the Secretary 

may implement this section through such existing organizations. 

Participating nonprofit organizations shall contribute to the expenses of providing and supporting the resource assistants, through 

private sources of funding, at a level equal to 25 percent of the 

total costs of each participant in the Resource Assistant program 

who has been recruited and placed through that organization. Any 

such participating nonprofit conservation service organization shall 

be required, by the respective land managing agency, to submit an 

annual report evaluating the scope, size, and quality of the program, including the value of work contributed by the Resource Assistants, to the mission of the agency. 

SEC. 207. LIVING ALLOWANCES AND TERMS OF SERVICE. 

ø(a) LIVING ALLOWANCES.—The Secretary of the Interior and the 

Secretary of Agriculture shall provide each participant in the Public Lands Corps and each resource assistant with a living allowance 

in an amount not to exceed the maximum living allowance authorized by section 140(a)(3) of the National and Community Service 

Act of 1990 for participants in a national service program assisted 

under subtitle C of title I of such Act.¿ 

(a) LIVING ALLOWANCES.—The Secretary shall provide each participant in the Public Lands Corps and each resource assistant with 

a living allowance in an amount established by the Secretary. 

* * * * * * * 

(c) HIRING.—The Secretary may—

11 

(1) grant to a member of the Public Lands Corps credit for 

time served with the Public Lands Corps, which may be used 

toward future Federal hiring; and 

(2) provide to a former member of the Public Lands Corps 

noncompetitive hiring status for a period of not more than 120 

days after the date on which the member’s service with the Public Lands Corps is complete. 

* * * * * * * 

SEC. 210. FUNDING. 

(a) COST SHARING.—

(1) PROJECTS BY QUALIFIED YOUTH OR CONSERVATION

CORPS.—The øSecretary of the Interior and the Secretary of 

Agriculture are each¿ Secretary is authorized to pay not more 

than 75 percent of the costs of any appropriate conservation 

project carried out pursuant to this title on public lands by a 

qualified youth or conservation corps. The remaining 25 percent of the costs of such a project may be provided from nonfederal sources in the form of funds, services, facilities, materials, equipment, or any combination of the foregoing. No cost 

sharing shall be required in the case of any appropriate conservation project carried out on Indian lands or Hawaiian 

home lands under this title. 

(2) PUBLIC LANDS CORPS PROJECTS.—The øSecretary of the 

Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture are each¿ Secretary 

is authorized to accept donations of funds, services, facilities, 

materials, or equipment for the purposes of operating the Public Lands Corps and carrying out appropriate conservation 

projects by the Corps. However, nothing in this title shall be 

construed to require any cost sharing for any project carried 

out directly by the Corps. 

(b) FUNDS AVAILABLE UNDER NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE

ACT.—In order to carry out the Public Lands Corps or to support 

resource assistants and qualified youth or conservation corps under 

this title, the øSecretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture¿ Secretary shall be eligible to apply for and receive assistance under section 121(b) of the National and Community Service 

Act of 1990. 

(c) OTHER FUNDS.—Amounts appropriated pursuant to the authorization of appropriations under section 211 are in addition to 

amounts allocated to the Public Lands Corps through other Federal 

programs or projects. 

SEC. 211. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

(a) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is authorized to 

be appropriated to carry out this title $15,000,000 for each of the 

fiscal years 2007 through 2011. Of the amounts appropriated for 

any fiscal year to carry out this title, not less than two-thirds shall 

be used to conduct priority projects. 

(b) AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law, amounts appropriated for any fiscal year to carry out 

this title shall remain available for obligation and expenditure until 

the end of the fiscal year following the fiscal year for which the 

amounts are appropriated. 

12 


Insert offset folio 16 here HR273.001
13 


Insert offset folio 17 here HR273.002
14 


Insert offset folio 18 here HR273.003
15 


Insert offset folio 19 here HR273.004
16 


Insert offset folio 20 here HR273.005
17 


Insert offset folio 21 here HR273.006