(1) PROJECTS REQUIRED.—Based on the re-
sults of the assessment and report in section 3, the
Secretaries shall initiate a program of not fewer
than three demonstration projects in the Western
United States designed to address the deficiencies
and areas for further study to address the invasion
of Salt Cedar and Russian Olive, including the test
of additional control methods, identified by the re-
port.
(2) IMPLEMENTATION.—The Secretaries may
enter into an agreement with a State in the Western
United States to carry out a demonstration project.
If the Secretaries select a demonstration project for
implementation on National Forest System lands,
the Secretary of Agriculture shall be responsible for
implementation of the project.
(b) ELEMENTS OF PROJECTS.—
(1) DESIGN AND SCALE.—Each demonstration
project shall be designed with integrated methods
and adaptive management strategies and carried out
over time frames and spatial scales large enough to
accomplish the goals laid out in the report.
(2) SCIENTIFIC REVIEW.—Before being carried
out, the methods and strategies proposed for each
demonstration project shall be subject to review by
scientific experts, including non-Federal experts, se-
lected by the Secretaries. The Secretaries may use
existing scientific review processes to the extent they
comply with this requirement.
(c) PROJECT COSTS AND COST SHARING.—The total
cost of each demonstration project may not exceed
$7,000,000, including the costs of planning, design, imple-
mentation, revegetation, maintenance, and monitoring. In
the case of a demonstration project conducted on lands
under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Interior or
the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretaries may accept,
but not require, funds or in-kind contributions, including
State agency provided services. The Federal share of the
costs of any activity on private lands funded under the
project shall be no more than 75 percent of the total cost
of the activity.
(d) REPORTING REQUIREMENT.—During the period
in which the demonstration projects are carried out, the
Secretaries shall submit to the congressional committees
specified in section 3(c)(2) an annual report describing—
(1) the demonstration projects;
(2) the progress made in carrying out the
projects during the period covered by the report; and
(3) the costs of the projects under subsection
(c).
(e) MONITORING.—Demonstration projects shall in-
clude the following:
(1) Documentation of the quantity of water
saved due to various control methods, including the
portion of water saved that returns to surface water
or groundwater supplies and at what rates.
(2) Optimal revegetative states to prevent the
regrowth and reintroduction of Salt Cedar and Rus-
sian Olive and to reestablish native species.
(f) COOPERATION.—The Secretaries shall use the ex-
pertise of their various agencies, as well as other Federal
agencies, institutions of higher education, State and local
governments and political subdivisions thereof, including
soil and water conservation districts, and Indian tribes,
which are actively conducting assessments on or imple-
menting Salt Cedar and Russian Olive control activities.
SEC. 5. RELATION TO OTHER AUTHORITY.
Nothing in this Act shall be construed to affect, or
otherwise bias, the use by the Secretaries of other statu-
tory or administrative authorities to plan or conduct Salt
Cedar or Russian Olive control and eradication that is not
planned or conducted under this Act.
SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) ASSESSMENT.—There are authorized to be appro-
priated to the Secretaries $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2005
to conduct the assessment required by section 3.
(b) GRANTS.—There are authorized to be appro-
priated to the Secretaries $1,000,000 for fiscal year 2005
to award as grants under section 3(d).
(c) DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS.—There are author-
ized to be appropriated to the Secretaries $18,000,000 for
each of the fiscal years 2005 through 2009 to carry out
the program of demonstration projects under section 4.
Passed the House of Representatives February 24,
2004.
Attest:
Clerk.