II

103D CONGRESS

2D SESSION S. 2492

To ensure that all timber-dependent communities qualify for loans and grants

from the Rural Development Administration.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

OCTOBER 3 (legislative day, SEPTEMBER 12), 1994

Mrs. MURRAY introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred

to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry

A BILL

To ensure that all timber-dependent communities qualify for

loans and grants from the Rural Development Administration.

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

3 SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

4 The Congress finds that—

5 (1) timber-dependent communities including

6 those in the Pacific Northwest have contributed sig7 nificantly to the economic needs of the United

8 States, and have helped ensure an adequate national

9 supply of timber and timber products;
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1 (2) a significant portion of the timber tradition2 ally harvested in the United States, including the

3 Pacific Northwest, derived from Federal forest

4 lands, and these forests have played an important

5 role in sustaining local economies;

6 (3) a number of traditionally timber-dependent

7 communities are experiencing significant economic

8 difficulties, particularly those located in proximity to

9 the range of the northern Spotted Owl; and

10 (4) timber-dependent communities need eco11 nomic assistance to help them diversify, including

12 support from water and waste facility loans and

13 grants and community facilities loans and grants

14 funded through the Rural Development Administra15 tion.

16 SEC. 2. ELIGIBILITY OF TIMBER-DEPENDENT COMMU17 NITIES FOR CERTAIN RURAL DEVELOPMENT

18 GRANTS.

19 Section 306(a)(7) of the Consolidated Farm and

20 Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1926(a)(7)) is amended

21 to read as follows:

22 ‘‘(7)(A) As used in this title, the terms ‘rural’ and

23 ‘rural area’ shall not include any area in any city or town

24 which has a population in excess of 10,000 inhabitants,

25 except as otherwise provided in this paragraph.
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1 ‘‘(B) For purposes of loans for essential community

2 facilities under subsection (a)(1), the terms ‘rural’ and

3 ‘rural area’ may include any area in any city or town that

4 has a population not in excess of 20,000 inhabitants.

5 ‘‘(C) For purposes of loans and grants for private

6 business enterprises under sections 304(b) and 310B, and

7 subsections (b), (c), and (d) of section 312, the terms

8 ‘rural’ and ‘rural area’ may include all territory of a State

9 that is not within the outer boundary of any city having

10 a population of 50,000 or more inhabitants and its imme11 diately adjacent urbanized and urbanizing areas with a

12 population density of more than 100 inhabitants per

13 square mile, as determined by the Secretary of Agriculture

14 according to the latest decennial census of the United

15 States, and special consideration for such loans and grants

16 shall be given to areas other than cities having a popu17 lation of more than 25,000 inhabitants.

18 ‘‘(D) As used in this title, the terms ‘rural’ and rural

19 area’ shall include any town, city, or municipality—

20 ‘‘(i) part or all of which lies within 100 miles

21 of the boundary of a national forest;

22 ‘‘(ii) that is located in a county in which at

23 least 15 percent of the total primary and secondary

24 labor and proprietor income is derived from forestry,
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1 wood products, or forest-related industries such as

2 recreation and tourism; and

3 ‘‘(iii) that has a population of not more than

4 25,000 inhabitants.’’.

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