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 Agri-
culture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 
each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdic-
tion 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 sav-
ings through control of Salt Cedar and Russian Olive 
on forests and public lands administered by the Depart-
ment of the Interior and the U.S. Forest Service.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Salt Cedar and Rus-
sian Olive Control Demonstration Act’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
(a) SECRETARY CONCERNED.—The term ‘‘Secretary 
concerned’’ means the Secretary of Agriculture with re-
spect to National Forest System lands; and the Secretary 
of the Interior with respect to Federal lands under the 
jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Interior and Indian 
lands. 
(b) FEDERAL LANDS.—The term ‘‘Federal lands’’ 
means the lands managed, administered, or owned by the 
Department of the Interior and the Department of Agri-
culture, National Forest System. 
(c) WESTERN UNITED STATES.—As defined by the 
1902 Reclamation Act (43 U.S.C. Chapter 12), which in-
cludes Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Mon-
tana, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Nevada, New Mexico, 
Oregon, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. 
SEC. 3. DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM FOR ASSESSMENT AND 
CONTROL OF SALT CEDAR AND RUSSIAN 
OLIVE IN WESTERN STATES. 
(a) ASSESSMENT.—Not later than 1 year after the 
date when funds are made available to carry out this sec-
tion, the Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with the 
Secretary of Agriculture through the United States Forest
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Service, shall complete an assessment of the extent of Salt 
Cedar and Russian Olive invasion in those States in which 
the Bureau of Reclamation operates, past and present as-
sessments and management options to control these 
phreatophytes, the feasibility of reducing water consump-
tion, methods and challenges in land restoration estimated 
costs of all aspects of destruction, biomass removal, and 
restoration and maintenance, and shall identify long-term 
management and funding strategies that could be imple-
mented by Federal, State and private land managers on 
all land management types, including national forest sys-
tem lands created from the public domain. 
(b) DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS.—The Secretary will 
initiate a program of not fewer than 3 projects, one which 
must be on national forest system land created from the 
public domain, to demonstrate and evaluate the most ef-
fective control methods, including at least one project pri-
marily using air-born application of herbicides, at least 
one project using mechanical removal and at least one 
project using biocontrol such as goats or insects or any 
combination thereof. Each demonstration project shall be 
designed with integrated methods and carried over time 
frames and spatial scales large enough to accomplish the 
following:
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(1) Monitor and fully document the water saved 
due to control of Salt Cedar and Russian Olive in-
festation and what portions of the saved water re-
turns to surface water or groundwater supplies and 
at what rates. 
(2) Assess the optimum application approach 
and tools for an array of control methods. 
(3) Assess all costs and benefits associated with 
the control methods, land restoration and mainte-
nance. 
(4) Determine what conditions indicate the 
need to remove biomass and the optimal methods for 
disposal of use of biomass. 
(5) Define appropriate final vegetative states 
and optimal re-vegetation methods. 
(6) Develop methods to prevent re-growth and 
reintroduction of the invasive species. 
(c) COST.—The total cost of each project may not 
exceed $7,000,000, including the costs of planning, design, 
implementation, maintenance, and monitoring. The Fed-
eral share of the costs of any activity funded under this 
program shall be no more than 65 percent of the total 
cost. The Secretary may apply the value of in-kind con-
tribution, including State agency provided services, to the 
non-Federal share of the costs. The Secretary shall report
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to Congress each year how funds are being spent, includ-
ing what agencies receive grants. 
(d) COOPERATION.—The Secretary shall use the ex-
pertise of institutions of higher education, State agencies, 
and soil water conservation districts that are actively con-
ducting assessments on or implementing Salt Cedar and 
Russian Olive control activities and shall cooperate with 
other Federal agencies, including the Department of Agri-
culture and Army Corps of Engineers, affected States, 
local units of government, and Indian Tribes. 
(e) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to carry out the provi-
sions of this Act $25,000,000 each year for fiscal year 
2004 through fiscal year 2007.
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