Calendar No. 257

105TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 858

[Report No. 105–138]

AN ACT

To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to conduct a

these resource management activities.national forests to consider the incorporation ofland and resource management plans for thesethe Quincy Library Group and to amend currentthe resource management activities proposed byof California to demonstrate the effectiveness ofLassen, and Tahoe National Forests in the Statepilot project on designated lands within Plumas,

NOVEMBER 4, 1997

Reported with an amendment
II

Calendar No. 257

105TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 858

[Report No. 105–138]

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

JULY 10, 1997

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural

Resources

NOVEMBER 4, 1997

Reported by Mr. MURKOWSKI, with an amendment

[Strike out all after the enactng clause and insert the part printed in italic]

AN ACT

To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to conduct a pilot

project on designated lands within Plumas, Lassen, and

Tahoe National Forests in the State of California to

demonstrate the effectiveness of the resource management activities proposed by the Quincy Library Group

and to amend current land and resource management

plans for these national forests to consider the incorporation of these resource management activities.

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

HR 858 RS

1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Quincy Library Group

3 Forest Recovery and Economic Stability Act of 1997’’.

4 SEC. 2. PILOT PROJECT FOR PLUMAS, LASSEN, AND TAHOE

5 NATIONAL FORESTS TO IMPLEMENT QUINCY

6 LIBRARY GROUP PROPOSAL.

7 (a) DEFINITION.—For purposes of this section, the

8 term ‘‘Quincy Library Group-Community Stability Pro9 posal’’ means the agreement by a coalition of representa10 tives of fisheries, timber, environmental, county govern11 ment, citizen groups, and local communities that formed

12 in northern California to develop a resource management

13 program that promotes ecologic and economic health for

14 certain Federal lands and communities in the Sierra Ne15 vada area. Such proposal includes the map entitled

16 ‘‘QUINCY LIBRARY GROUP Community Stability Pro17 posal’’, dated June 1993, and prepared by VESTRA Re18 sources of Redding, California.

19 (b) PILOT PROJECT REQUIRED.—

20 (1) PILOT PROJECT AND PURPOSE.—The Sec21 retary of Agriculture (in this section referred to as

22 the ‘‘Secretary’’), acting through the Forest Service

23 and after completion of an environmental impact

24 statement (a record of decision for which shall be

25 adopted within 200 days), shall conduct a pilot

26 project on the Federal lands described in paragraph
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1 (2) to implement and demonstrate the effectiveness

2 of the resource management activities described in

3 subsection (d) and the other requirements of this

4 section, as recommended in the Quincy Library

5 Group-Community Stability Proposal.

6 (2) PILOT PROJECT AREA.—The Secretary shall

7 conduct the pilot project on the Federal lands within

8 Plumas National Forest, Lassen National Forest,

9 and the Sierraville Ranger District of Tahoe Na10 tional Forest in the State of California designated as

11 ‘‘Available for Group Selection’’ on the map entitled

12 ‘‘QUINCY LIBRARY GROUP Community Stability

13 Proposal’’, dated June 1993 (in this section referred

14 to as the ‘‘pilot project area’’). Such map shall be

15 on file and available for inspection in the appro16 priate offices of the Forest Service.

17 (c) EXCLUSION OF CERTAIN LANDS, RIPARIAN PRO18 TECTION AND COMPLIANCE.—

19 (1) EXCLUSION.—All spotted owl habitat areas

20 and protected activity centers located within the

21 pilot project area designated under subsection (b)(2)

22 will be deferred from resource management activities

23 required under subsection (d) and timber harvesting

24 during the term of the pilot project.

25 (2) RIPARIAN PROTECTION.—
4

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1 (A) IN GENERAL.—The Scientific Analysis

2 Team guidelines for riparian system protection

3 described in subparagraph (B) shall apply to all

4 resource management activities conducted

5 under subsection (d) and all timber harvesting

6 activities that occur in the pilot project area

7 during the term of the pilot project.

8 (B) GUIDELINES DESCRIBED.—The guide9 lines referred to in subparagraph (A) are those

10 in the document entitled ‘‘Viability Assessments

11 and Management Considerations for Species

12 Associated with Late-Successional and Old13 Growth Forests of the Pacific Northwest’’, a

14 Forest Service research document dated March

15 1993 and co-authored by the Scientific Analysis

16 Team, including Dr. Jack Ward Thomas.

17 (3) COMPLIANCE.—All resource management

18 activities required by subsection (d) shall be imple19 mented to the extent consistent with applicable Fed20 eral law and the standards and guidelines for the

21 conservation of the California spotted owl as set

22 forth in the California Spotted Owl Sierran Provence

23 Interim Guidelines, or the subsequently issued final

24 guidelines whichever is in effect.
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1 (d) RESOURCE MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES.—During

2 the term of the pilot project, the Secretary shall implement

3 and carry out the following resource management activi4 ties on an acreage basis on the Federal lands included

5 within the pilot project area designated under subsection

6 (b)(2):

7 (1) FUELBREAK CONSTRUCTION.—Construction

8 of a strategic system of defensible fuel profile zones,

9 including shaded fuelbreaks, utilizing thinning, indi10 vidual tree selection, and other methods of vegeta11 tion management consistent with the Quincy Library

12 Group-Community Stability Proposal, on not less

13 than 40,000, but not more than 60,000, acres per

14 year.

15 (2) GROUP SELECTION AND INDIVIDUAL TREE

16 SELECTION.—Utilization of group selection and indi17 vidual tree selection uneven-aged forest management

18 prescriptions described in the Quincy Library

19 Group-Community Stability Proposal to achieve a

20 desired future condition of all-age, multistory, fire

21 resilient forests as follows:

22 (A) GROUP SELECTION.—Group selection

23 on an average acreage of .57 percent of the

24 pilot project area land each year of the pilot

25 project.
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1 (B) INDIVIDUAL TREE SELECTION.—Indi2 vidual tree selection may also be utilized within

3 the pilot project area.

4 (3) TOTAL ACREAGE.—The total acreage on

5 which resource management activities are imple6 mented under this subsection shall not exceed

7 70,000 acres each year.

8 (4) RIPARIAN MANAGEMENT.—A program of ri9 parian management, including wide protection zones

10 and riparian restoration projects, consistent with ri11 parian protection guidelines in subsection (c)(2)(B).

12 (e) COST-EFFECTIVENESS.—In conducting the pilot

13 project, Secretary shall use the most cost-effective means

14 available, as determined by the Secretary, to implement

15 resource management activities described in subsection

16 (d).

17 (f) FUNDING.—

18 (1) SOURCE OF FUNDS.—In conducting the

19 pilot project, the Secretary shall use, subject to the

20 relevant reprogramming guidelines of the House and

21 Senate Committees on Appropriations—

22 (A) those funds specifically provided to the

23 Forest Service by the Secretary to implement

24 resource management activities according to the
7

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1 Quincy Library Group-Community Stability

2 Proposal; and

3 (B) excess funds that are allocated for the

4 administration and management of Plumas Na5 tional Forest, Lassen National Forest, and the

6 Sierraville Ranger District of Tahoe National

7 Forest.

8 (2) PROHIBITION ON USE OF CERTAIN

9 FUNDS.—The Secretary may not conduct the pilot

10 project using funds appropriated for any other unit

11 of the National Forest System.

12 (3) FLEXIBILITY.—Subject to normal re13 programming guidelines, during the term of the pilot

14 project, the forest supervisors of Plumas National

15 Forest, Lassen National Forest, and Tahoe National

16 Forest may allocate and use all accounts that con17 tain excess funds and all available excess funds for

18 the administration and management of Plumas Na19 tional Forest, Lassen National Forest, and the

20 Sierraville Ranger District of Tahoe National Forest

21 to perform the resource management activities de22 scribed in subsection (d).

23 (4) RESTRICTION.—The Secretary or the forest

24 supervisors, as the case may be, shall not utilize au25 thority provided under paragraphs (1)(B) and (3) if,
8

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1 in their judgment, doing so will limit other nontim2 ber related multiple use activities for which such

3 funds were available.

4 (5) OVERHEAD.—Of amounts available to carry

5 out this section—

6 (A) not more than 12 percent may be used

7 or allocated for general administration or other

8 overhead; and

9 (B) at least 88 percent shall be used to im10 plement and carry out activities required by

11 this section.

12 (6) AUTHORIZED SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDS.—

13 There are authorized to be appropriated to imple14 ment and carry out the pilot project such sums as

15 are necessary.

16 (7) BASELINE FUNDS.—Amounts available for

17 resource management activities authorized under

18 subsection (d) shall at a minimum include existing

19 baseline funding levels.

20 (g) TERM OF PILOT PROJECT.—The Secretary shall

21 conduct the pilot project during the period beginning on

22 the date of the enactment of this Act and ending on the

23 later of the following:

24 (1) The date on which the Secretary completes

25 amendment or revision of the land and resource
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1 management plans for Plumas National Forest,

2 Lassen National Forest, and Tahoe National Forest

3 pursuant to subsection (i).

4 (2) The date that is five years after the date of

5 the commencement of the pilot project.

6 (h) CONSULTATION.—(1) Each statement required

7 by subsection (b)(1) shall be prepared in consultation with

8 the Quincy Library Group.

9 (2) CONTRACTING.—The Forest Service, subject to

10 the availability of appropriations, may carry out any (or

11 all) of the requirements of this section using private con12 tracts.

13 (i) CORRESPONDING FOREST PLAN AMENDMENTS.—

14 Within 180 days after the date of the enactment of this

15 Act, the Regional Forester for Region 5 shall initiate the

16 process to amend or revise the land and resource manage17 ment plans for Plumas National Forest, Lassen National

18 Forest, and Tahoe National Forest. The process shall in19 clude preparation of at least one alternative that—

20 (1) incorporates the pilot project and area des21 ignations made by subsection (b), the resource man22 agement activities described in subsection (d), and

23 other aspects of the Quincy Library Group Commu24 nity Stability Proposal; and
10

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1 (2) makes other changes warranted by the anal2 yses conducted in compliance with section 102(2) of

3 the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42

4 U.S.C. 4332(2)), section 6 of the Forest and Range5 land Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 (16

6 U.S.C. 1604), and other applicable laws.

7 (j) REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.—

8 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than February 28

9 of each year during the term of the pilot project, the

10 Secretary after consultation with the Quincy Library

11 Group, shall submit to Congress a report on the sta12 tus of the pilot project. The report shall include at

13 least the following:

14 (A) A complete accounting of the use of

15 funds made available under subsection (f)(1)(A)

16 until such funds are fully expended.

17 (B) A complete accounting of the use of

18 funds and accounts made available under sub19 section (f)(1) for the previous fiscal year, in20 cluding a schedule of the amounts drawn from

21 each account used to perform resource manage22 ment activities described in subsection (d).

23 (C) A description of total acres treated for

24 each of the resource management activities re25 quired under subsection (d), forest health im-
11

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1 provements, fire risk reductions, water yield in2 creases, and other natural resources-related

3 benefits achieved by the implementation of the

4 resource management activities described in

5 subsection (d).

6 (D) A description of the economic benefits

7 to local communities achieved by the implemen8 tation of the pilot project.

9 (E) A comparison of the revenues gen10 erated by, and costs incurred in, the implemen11 tation of the resource management activities de12 scribed in subsection (d) on the Federal lands

13 included in the pilot project area with the reve14 nues and costs during each of the fiscal years

15 1992 through 1997 for timber management of

16 such lands before their inclusion in the pilot

17 project.

18 (F) A schedule for the resource manage19 ment activities to be undertaken in the pilot

20 project area during the calendar year.

21 (2) LIMITATION ON EXPENDITURES.—The

22 amount of Federal funds expended on each annual

23 report under this subsection shall not exceed

24 $50,000.

25 (k) FINAL REPORT.—
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1 (1) IN GENERAL.—Beginning after completion

2 of 6 months of the second year of the pilot project,

3 the Secretary shall compile a science-based assess4 ment of, and report on, the effectiveness of the pilot

5 project in meeting the stated goals of this pilot

6 project. Such assessment and report—

7 (A) shall include watershed monitoring of

8 lands treated under this section, that should ad9 dress the following issues on a priority basis:

10 timing of water releases, water quality changes,

11 and water yield changes over the short and long

12 term in the pilot project area;

13 (B) shall be compiled in consultation with

14 the Quincy Library Group; and

15 (C) shall be submitted to the Congress by

16 July 1, 2002.

17 (2) LIMITATIONS ON EXPENDITURES.—The

18 amount of Federal funds expended for the assess19 ment and report under this subsection, other than

20 for watershed monitoring under paragraph (1)(A),

21 shall not exceed $150,000. The amount of Federal

22 funds expended for watershed monitoring under

23 paragraph (1)(A) shall not exceed $75,000 for each

24 of fiscal years 2000, 2001, and 2002.
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1 (l) RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER LAWS.—Nothing in

2 this section exempts the pilot project from any Federal

3 environmental law.

4 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

5 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Quincy Library Group

6 Forest Recovery and Economic Stability Act of 1997’’.

7 SEC. 2. PILOT PROJECT FOR PLUMAS, LASSEN, AND TAHOE

8 NATIONAL FORESTS TO IMPLEMENT QUINCY

9 LIBRARY GROUP PROPOSAL.

10 (a) DEFINITION.—For purposes of this section, the

11 term ‘‘Quincy Library Group-Community Stability Pro12 posal’’ means the agreement by a coalition of representa13 tives of fisheries, timber, environmental, county govern14 ment, citizen groups, and local communities that formed

15 in northern California to develop a resource management

16 program that promotes ecologic and economic health for cer17 tain Federal lands and communities in the Sierra Nevada

18 area. Such proposal includes the map entitled ‘‘QUINCY

19 LIBRARY GROUP Community Stability Proposal’’, dated

20 October 12, 1993, and prepared by VESTRA Resources of

21 Redding, California.

22 (b) PILOT PROJECT REQUIRED.—

23 (1) PILOT PROJECT AND PURPOSE.—The Sec24 retary of Agriculture (in this section referred to as the

25 ‘‘Secretary’’), acting through the Forest Service and
14

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1 after completion of an environmental impact state2 ment (a record of decision for which shall be adopted

3 within 300 days), shall conduct a pilot project on the

4 Federal lands described in paragraph (2) to imple5 ment and demonstrate the effectiveness of the resource

6 management activities described in subsection (d) and

7 the other requirements of this section, as recommended

8 in the Quincy Library Group-Community Stability

9 Proposal.

10 (2) PILOT PROJECT AREA.—The Secretary shall

11 conduct the pilot project on the Federal lands within

12 Plumas National Forest, Lassen National Forest, and

13 the Sierraville Ranger District of Tahoe National

14 Forest in the State of California designated as

15 ‘‘Available for Group Selection’’ on the map entitled

16 ‘‘QUINCY LIBRARY GROUP Community Stability

17 Proposal’’, dated October 12, 1993 (in this section re18 ferred to as the ‘‘pilot project area’’). Such map shall

19 be on file and available for inspection in the appro20 priate offices of the Forest Service.

21 (c) EXCLUSION OF CERTAIN LANDS, RIPARIAN PRO22 TECTION AND COMPLIANCE.—

23 (1) EXCLUSION.—All spotted owl habitat areas

24 and protected activity centers located within the pilot

25 project area designated under subsection (b)(2) will be
15

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1 deferred from resource management activities required

2 under subsection (d) and timber harvesting during

3 the term of the pilot project.

4 (2) RIPARIAN PROTECTION.—

5 (A) IN GENERAL.—The Scientific Analysis

6 Team guidelines for riparian system protection

7 described in subparagraph (B) shall apply to all

8 resource management activities conducted under

9 subsection (d) and all timber harvesting activi10 ties that occur in the pilot project area during

11 the term of the pilot project.

12 (B) GUIDELINES DESCRIBED.—The guide13 lines referred to in subparagraph (A) are those

14 in the document entitled ‘‘Viability Assessments

15 and Management Considerations for Species As16 sociated with Late-Successional and Old-Growth

17 Forests of the Pacific Northwest’’, a Forest Serv18 ice research document dated March 1993 and co19 authored by the Scientific Analysis Team, in20 cluding Dr. Jack Ward Thomas.

21 (C) LIMITATION.—Nothing in this section

22 shall be construed to require the application of

23 the Scientific Analysis Team guidelines to any

24 livestock grazing in the pilot project area during

25 the term of the pilot project, unless the livestock
16

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1 grazing is being conducted in the specific loca2 tion at which the Scientific Analysis Team

3 guidelines are being applied to an activity under

4 subsection (d).

5 (3) COMPLIANCE.—All resource management ac6 tivities required by subsection (d) shall be imple7 mented to the extent consistent with applicable Fed8 eral law and the standards and guidelines for the

9 conservation of the California spotted owl as set forth

10 in the California Spotted Owl Sierran Provence In11 terim Guidelines or the subsequently issued guide12 lines, whichever are in effect.

13 (4) ROADLESS AREA PROTECTION.—The Re14 gional Forester for Region 5 shall direct that any re15 source management activity required by subsection

16 (d)(1) and (2), all road building, all timber harvest17 ing activities, and any riparian management under

18 subsection (d)(4) that utilizes road construction or

19 timber harvesting shall not be conducted on Federal

20 lands within the Plumas National Forest, Lassen Na21 tional Forest, and the Sierraville Ranger District of

22 the Tahoe National Forest that are designated as ei23 ther ‘‘Off Base’’ or ‘‘Deferred’’ on the map referred to

24 in subsection (a). Such direction shall be effective

25 during the term of the pilot project.
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1 (d) RESOURCE MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES.—During

2 the term of the pilot project, the Secretary shall implement

3 and carry out the following resource management activities

4 on an acreage basis on the Federal lands included within

5 the pilot project area designated under subsection (b)(2):

6 (1) FUELBREAK CONSTRUCTION.—Construction

7 of a strategic system of defensible fuel profile zones,

8 including shaded fuelbreaks, utilizing thinning, indi9 vidual tree selection, and other methods of vegetation

10 management consistent with the Quincy Library

11 Group-Community Stability Proposal, on not less

12 than 40,000, but not more than 60,000, acres per

13 year.

14 (2) GROUP SELECTION AND INDIVIDUAL TREE

15 SELECTION.—Utilization of group selection and indi16 vidual tree selection uneven-aged forest management

17 prescriptions described in the Quincy Library Group18 Community Stability Proposal to achieve a desired

19 future condition of all-age, multistory, fire resilient

20 forests as follows:

21 (A) GROUP SELECTION.—Group selection on

22 an average acreage of .57 percent of the pilot

23 project area land each year of the pilot project.
18

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1 (B) INDIVIDUAL TREE SELECTION.—Indi2 vidual tree selection may also be utilized within

3 the pilot project area.

4 (3) TOTAL ACREAGE.—The total acreage on

5 which resource management activities are imple6 mented under this subsection shall not exceed 70,000

7 acres each year.

8 (4) RIPARIAN MANAGEMENT.—A program of ri9 parian management, including wide protection zones

10 and riparian restoration projects, consistent with ri11 parian protection guidelines in subsection (c)(2)(B).

12 (e) COST-EFFECTIVENESS.—In conducting the pilot

13 project, Secretary shall use the most cost-effective means

14 available, as determined by the Secretary, to implement re15 source management activities described in subsection (d).

16 (f) FUNDING.—

17 (1) SOURCE OF FUNDS.—In conducting the pilot

18 project, the Secretary shall use, subject to the relevant

19 reprogramming guidelines of the House and Senate

20 Committees on Appropriations—

21 (A) those funds specifically provided to the

22 Forest Service by the Secretary to implement re23 source management activities according to the

24 Quincy Library Group-Community Stability

25 Proposal; and
19

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1 (B) year-end excess funds that are allocated

2 for the administration and management of

3 Plumas National Forest, Lassen National Forest,

4 and the Sierraville Ranger District of Tahoe Na5 tional Forest.

6 (2) PROHIBITION ON USE OF CERTAIN FUNDS.—

7 The Secretary may not conduct the pilot project using

8 funds appropriated for any other unit of the National

9 Forest System.

10 (3) FLEXIBILITY.—Subject to normal reprogram11 ming guidelines, during the term of the pilot project,

12 the forest supervisors of Plumas National Forest,

13 Lassen National Forest, and Tahoe National Forest

14 may allocate and use all accounts that contain year15 end excess funds and all available excess funds for the

16 administration and management of Plumas National

17 Forest, Lassen National Forest, and the Sierraville

18 Ranger District of Tahoe National Forest to perform

19 the resource management activities described in sub20 section (d).

21 (4) RESTRICTION.—The Secretary or the forest

22 supervisors, as the case may be, shall not utilize au23 thority provided under paragraphs (1)(B) and (3) if,

24 in their judgment, doing so will limit other nontimber
20

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1 related multiple use activities for which such funds

2 were available.

3 (5) OVERHEAD.—The Secretary shall seek to en4 sure that of amounts available to carry out this sec5 tion—

6 (A) not more than 12 percent is used or al7 located for general administration or other over8 head; and

9 (B) at least 88 percent is used to implement

10 and carry out activities required by this section.

11 (6) AUTHORIZED SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDS.—There

12 are authorized to be appropriated to implement and

13 carry out the pilot project such sums as are necessary.

14 (7) BASELINE FUNDS.—Amounts available for

15 resource management activities authorized under sub16 section (d) shall at a minimum include existing base17 line funding levels.

18 (g) TERM OF PILOT PROJECT.—The Secretary shall

19 conduct the pilot project until the earlier of: (1) the date

20 on which the Secretary completes amendment or revision

21 of the land and resource management plans for the Plumas

22 National Forest, Lassen National Forest, and Tahoe Na23 tional Forest; or (2) five years after the date of the com24 mencement of the pilot project.
21

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1 (h) CONSULTATION.—(1) The statement required by

2 subsection (b)(1) shall be prepared in consultation with in3 terested members of the public, including the Quincy Li4 brary Group.

5 (2) CONTRACTING.—The Forest Service, subject to the

6 availability of appropriations, may carry out any (or all)

7 of the requirements of this section using private contracts.

8 (i) CORRESPONDING FOREST PLAN AMENDMENTS.—

9 Within 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act,

10 the Regional Forester for Region 5 shall initiate the process

11 to amend or revise the land and resource management plans

12 for Plumas National Forest, Lassen National Forest, and

13 Tahoe National Forest. The process shall include prepara14 tion of at least one alternative that—

15 (1) incorporates the pilot project and area des16 ignations made by subsection (b), the resource man17 agement activities described in subsection (d), and

18 other aspects of the Quincy Library Group-Commu19 nity Stability Proposal; and

20 (2) makes other changes warranted by the analy21 ses conducted in compliance with section 102(2) of the

22 National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42

23 U.S.C. 4332(2)), section 6 of the Forest and Range24 land Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 (16

25 U.S.C. 1604), and other applicable laws.
22

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1 (j) STATUS REPORTS.—

2 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than February 28 of

3 each year during the term of the pilot project, the Sec4 retary shall submit to Congress a report on the status

5 of the pilot project. The report shall include at least

6 the following:

7 (A) A complete accounting of the use of

8 funds made available under subsection (f)(1)(A)

9 until such funds are fully expended.

10 (B) A complete accounting of the use of

11 funds and accounts made available under sub12 section (f)(1) for the previous fiscal year, includ13 ing a schedule of the amounts drawn from each

14 account used to perform resource management

15 activities described in subsection (d).

16 (C) A description of total acres treated for

17 each of the resource management activities re18 quired under subsection (d), forest health im19 provements, fire risk reductions, water yield in20 creases, and other natural resources-related bene21 fits achieved by the implementation of the re22 source management activities described in sub23 section (d).
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1 (D) A description of the economic benefits to

2 local communities achieved by the implementa3 tion of the pilot project.

4 (E) A comparison of the revenues generated

5 by, and costs incurred in, the implementation of

6 the resource management activities described in

7 subsection (d) on the Federal lands included in

8 the pilot project area with the revenues and costs

9 during each of the fiscal years 1992 through

10 1997 for timber management of such lands before

11 their inclusion in the pilot project.

12 (F) A proposed schedule for the resource

13 management activities to be undertaken in the

14 pilot project area during the 1-year period begin15 ning on the date of submittal of the report.

16 (G) A description of any adverse environ17 mental impacts from the pilot project.

18 (2) LIMITATION ON EXPENDITURES.—The

19 amount of Federal funds expended on each annual re20 port under this subsection shall not exceed $125,000.

21 (k) FINAL REPORT.—

22 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall establish

23 an independent scientific panel to review and report

24 on whether, and to what extent, implementation of the

25 pilot project under this section achieved the goals stat-
24

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1 ed in the Quincy Library Group-Community Stabil2 ity Proposal, including improved ecological health

3 and community stability. The membership of the

4 panel shall reflect expertise in diverse disciplines in

5 order to adequately address all of those goals.

6 (2) PREPARATION.—The panel shall initiate such

7 review no sooner than 18 months after the first day

8 of the term of the pilot project under subsection (g).

9 The panel shall prepare the report in consultation

10 with interested members of the public, including the

11 Quincy Library Group. The report shall include, but

12 not be limited to, the following:

13 (A) A description of any adverse environ14 mental impacts resulting from implementation

15 of the pilot project.

16 (B) An assessment of watershed monitoring

17 data on lands treated pursuant to this section.

18 Such assessment shall address the following is19 sues on a priority basis: timing of water releases;

20 water quality changes; and water yield changes

21 over the short- and long-term in the pilot project

22 area.

23 (3) SUBMISSION TO THE CONGRESS.—The panel

24 shall submit the final report to the Congress as soon
25

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1 as practicable, but in no case later than 18 months

2 after completion of the pilot project.

3 (4) LIMITATION ON EXPENDITURES.—The

4 amount of Federal funds expended for the report

5 under this subsection, other than for watershed mon6 itoring, shall not exceed $350,000. The amount of

7 Federal funds expended for watershed monitoring

8 under this subsection shall not exceed $175,000 for

9 each fiscal year in which the report is prepared.

10 (l) RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER LAWS.—Nothing in this

11 section exempts the pilot project from any Federal environ12 mental law.

13 (m) LOANS FOR DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS FOR

14 WOOD WASTE OR LOW-QUALITY WOOD BYPRODUCTS.—

15 (1) EVALUATION OF LOAN ADVISABILITY.—The

16 Alternative Agricultural Research and Commer17 cialization Corporation established under section

18 1658 of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and

19 Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5902) (in this section re20 ferred to as the ‘‘Corporation’’) shall evaluate the ad21 visability of making commercialization assistance

22 loans under section 1661 of such Act (7 U.S.C. 5905)

23 to support a minimum of 2 demonstration projects

24 for the development and demonstration of commercial

25 application of technology to convert wood waste or
26

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1 low-quality wood byproducts into usable, higher value

2 products.

3 (2) LOCATION OF DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS.—

4 If the Corporation determines to make loans under

5 this subsection to support the development and dem6 onstration of commercial application of technology to

7 convert wood waste or low-quality wood byproducts

8 into usable, higher value products, the Corporation

9 shall consider making one loan with regard to a dem10 onstration project to be conducted in the pilot project

11 area and one loan with regard to a demonstration

12 project to be conducted in southeast Alaska.

13 (3) ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS.—To be eligible

14 for a loan under this subsection, a demonstration

15 project shall be required to satisfy the eligibility re16 quirements imposed by the Corporation under section

17 1661 of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and

18 Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5905).

Passed the House of Representatives July 9, 1997.

Attest: ROBIN H. CARLE,

Clerk.