(1) researchers at colleges and universities in 
the States of Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado 
that have a demonstrated capability to conduct re-
search described in subsection (c); and 
(2) other organizations and entities in the inte-
rior West (such as the Western Governors’ Associa-
tion). 
(e) ANNUAL WORK PLANS.—As a condition of the 
receipt of funds made available under this Act, for each 
fiscal year, each Institute shall submit to the Secretary, 
for review by the Secretary, in consultation with the Sec-
retary of the Interior, an annual work plan that includes 
assurances, satisfactory to the Secretaries, that the pro-
posed work of the Institute will serve the informational 
needs of affected entities. 
SEC. 6. COOPERATION BETWEEN INSTITUTES AND FED-
ERAL AGENCIES. 
In carrying out this Act, the Secretary, in consulta-
tion with the Secretary of the Interior—
(1) shall ensure that adequate financial and 
technical assistance is provided to the Institutes to 
enable the Institutes to carry out the purposes of the 
Institutes under section 5, including prevention ac-
tivities and ecological restoration for wildfires and 
affected ecosystems;
(2) shall use information and expertise provided 
by the Institutes; 
(3) shall encourage Federal agencies to use, on 
a cooperative basis, information and expertise pro-
vided by the Institutes; 
(4) shall encourage cooperation and coordina-
tion between Federal programs relating to—
(A) ecological restoration; 
(B) wildfire risk reduction; and 
(C) wildfire management technologies; 
(5) notwithstanding chapter 63 of title 31, 
United States Code, may—
(A) enter into contracts, cooperative agree-
ments, interagency personal agreements to 
carry out this Act; and 
(B) carry out other transactions under this 
Act; 
(6) may accept funds from other Federal agen-
cies to supplement or fully fund grants made, and 
contracts entered into, by the Secretaries; 
(7) may support a program of internships for 
qualified individuals at the undergraduate and grad-
uate levels to carry out the educational and training 
objectives of this Act;
(8) shall encourage professional education and 
public information activities relating to the purposes 
of this Act; and 
(9) may promulgate such regulations as the 
Secretaries determine are necessary to carry out this 
Act. 
SEC. 7. MONITORING AND EVALUATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 5 years after the 
date of enactment of this Act, and every 5 years there-
after, the Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of 
Interior, shall complete and submit to the appropriate 
committees of Congress a detailed evaluation of the pro-
grams and activities of each Institute—
(1) to ensure, to the maximum extent prac-
ticable, that the research, communication tools, and 
information transfer activities of each Institutes 
meet the needs of affected entities; and 
(2) to determine whether continued provision of 
Federal assistance to each Institute is warranted. 
(b) TERMINATION OF ASSISTANCE.—If, as a result 
of an evaluation under subsection (a), the Secretary, in 
consultation with the Secretary of the Interior, determines 
that an Institute does not qualify for further Federal as-
sistance under this Act, the Institute shall receive no fur-
ther Federal assistance under this Act until such time as
the qualifications of the Institute are reestablished to the 
satisfaction of the Secretaries. 
SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out 
this Act $15,000,000 for each fiscal year.
Æ