H. R. 2720
One Hundred Ninth Congress
of the
United States of America 
AT THE SECOND SESSION 
Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday, 
the third day of January, two thousand and six 
An Act 
To further the purposes of the Reclamation Projects Authorization and Adjustment 
Act of 1992 by directing the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Commis-
sioner of Reclamation, to carry out an assessment and demonstration program 
to control salt cedar and Russian olive, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Salt Cedar and Russian Olive 
Control Demonstration Act’’. 
SEC. 2. SALT CEDAR AND RUSSIAN OLIVE CONTROL DEMONSTRATION 
PROGRAM. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary of the Interior (referred 
to in this Act as the ‘‘Secretary’’), acting through the Commissioner 
of Reclamation and the Director of the United States Geological 
Survey and in cooperation with the Secretary of Agriculture and 
the Secretary of Defense, shall carry out a salt cedar (Tamarix 
spp) and Russian olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia) assessment and 
demonstration program—
(1) to assess the extent of the infestation by salt cedar 
and Russian olive trees in the western United States; 
(2) to demonstrate strategic solutions for—
(A) the long-term management of salt cedar and Rus-
sian olive trees; and 
(B) the reestablishment of native vegetation; and 
(3) to assess economic means to dispose of biomass created 
as a result of removal of salt cedar and Russian olive trees. 
(b) MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING.—As soon as practicable 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary and the 
Secretary of Agriculture shall enter into a memorandum of under-
standing providing for the administration of the program estab-
lished under subsection (a). 
(c) ASSESSMENT.—
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the date 
on which funds are made available to carry out this Act, the 
Secretary shall complete an assessment of the extent of salt 
cedar and Russian olive infestation on public and private land 
in the western United States. 
(2) REQUIREMENTS.—In addition to describing the acreage 
of and severity of infestation by salt cedar and Russian olive 
trees in the western United States, the assessment shall—
(A) consider existing research on methods to control 
salt cedar and Russian olive trees;
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(B) consider the feasibility of reducing water consump-
tion by salt cedar and Russian olive trees; 
(C) consider methods of and challenges associated with 
the revegetation or restoration of infested land; and 
(D) estimate the costs of destruction of salt cedar and 
Russian olive trees, related biomass removal, and revegeta-
tion or restoration and maintenance of the infested land. 
(3) REPORT.—
(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall submit to the 
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and the Com-
mittee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate 
and the Committee on Resources and the Committee on 
Agriculture of the House of Representatives a report that 
includes the results of the assessment conducted under 
paragraph (1). 
(B) CONTENTS.—The report submitted under subpara-
graph (A) shall identify—
(i) long-term management and funding strategies 
identified under subsection (d) that could be imple-
mented by Federal, State, tribal, and private land man-
agers and owners to address the infestation by salt 
cedar and Russian olive; 
(ii) any deficiencies in the assessment or areas 
for additional study; and 
(iii) any field demonstrations that would be useful 
in the effort to control salt cedar and Russian olive. 
(d) LONG-TERM MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall identify and docu-
ment long-term management and funding strategies that—
(A) could be implemented by Federal, State, tribal, 
and private land managers in addressing infestation by 
salt cedar and Russian olive trees; and 
(B) should be tested as components of demonstration 
projects under subsection (e). 
(2) GRANTS.—
(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may provide grants 
to eligible entities to provide technical experience, support, 
and recommendations relating to the identification and 
documentation of long-term management and funding 
strategies under paragraph (1). 
(B) ELIGIBLE
ENTITIES.—Institutions of higher edu-
cation and nonprofit organizations with an established 
background and expertise in the public policy issues associ-
ated with the control of salt cedar and Russian olive trees 
shall be eligible for a grant under subparagraph (A). 
(C) MINIMUM AMOUNT.—The amount of a grant pro-
vided under subparagraph (A) shall be not less than 
$250,000. 
(e) DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the date 
on which funds are made available to carry out this Act, the 
Secretary shall establish a program that selects and funds 
not less than 5 projects proposed by and implemented in 
collaboration with Federal agencies, units of State and local 
government, national laboratories, Indian tribes, institutions 
of higher education, individuals, organizations, or soil and water 
conservation districts to demonstrate and evaluate the most
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effective methods of controlling salt cedar and Russian olive 
trees. 
(2) PROJECT REQUIREMENTS.—The demonstration projects 
under paragraph (1) shall—
(A) be carried out over a time period and to a scale 
designed to fully assess long-term management strategies; 
(B) implement salt cedar or Russian olive tree control 
using 1 or more methods for each project in order to assess 
the full range of control methods, including—
(i) airborne application of herbicides; 
(ii) mechanical removal; and 
(iii) biocontrol methods, such as the use of goats 
or insects; 
(C) individually or in conjunction with other dem-
onstration projects, assess the effects of and obstacles to 
combining multiple control methods and determine optimal 
combinations of control methods; 
(D) assess soil conditions resulting from salt cedar 
and Russian olive tree infestation and means to revitalize 
soils; 
(E) define and implement appropriate final vegetative 
states and optimal revegetation methods, with preference 
for self-maintaining vegetative states and native vegeta-
tion, and taking into consideration downstream impacts, 
wildfire potential, and water savings; 
(F) identify methods for preventing the regrowth and 
reintroduction of salt cedar and Russian olive trees; 
(G) monitor and document any water savings from 
the control of salt cedar and Russian olive trees, including 
impacts to both groundwater and surface water; 
(H) assess wildfire activity and management strategies; 
(I) assess changes in wildlife habitat; 
(J) determine conditions under which removal of bio-
mass is appropriate (including optimal methods for the 
disposal or use of biomass); and 
(K) assess economic and other impacts associated with 
control methods and the restoration and maintenance of 
land. 
(f) DISPOSITION OF BIOMASS.—
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the date 
on which funds are made available to carry out this Act, the 
Secretary, in cooperation with the Secretary of Agriculture, 
shall complete an analysis of economic means to use or dispose 
of biomass created as a result of removal of salt cedar and 
Russian olive trees. 
(2) REQUIREMENTS.—The analysis shall—
(A) determine conditions under which removal of bio-
mass is economically viable; 
(B) consider and build upon existing research by the 
Department of Agriculture and other agencies on beneficial 
uses of salt cedar and Russian olive tree fiber; and 
(C) consider economic development opportunities, 
including manufacture of wood products using biomass 
resulting from demonstration projects under subsection (e) 
as a means of defraying costs of control. 
(g) COSTS.—
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(1) IN GENERAL.—With respect to projects and activities 
carried out under this Act—
(A) the assessment under subsection (c) shall be carried 
out at a cost of not more than $4,000,000; 
(B) the identification and documentation of long-term 
management strategies under subsection (d)(1) and the 
provision of grants under subsection (d)(2) shall be carried 
out at a cost of not more than $2,000,000; 
(C) each demonstration project under subsection (e) 
shall be carried out at a Federal cost of not more than 
$7,000,000 
(including 
costs 
of 
planning, 
design, 
implementation, maintenance, and monitoring); and 
(D) the analysis under subsection (f) shall be carried 
out at a cost of not more than $3,000,000. 
(2) COST-SHARING.—
(A) IN
GENERAL.—The assessment under subsection 
(c), the identification and documentation of long-term 
management strategies under subsection (d), a demonstra-
tion project or portion of a demonstration project under 
subsection (e) that is carried out on Federal land, and 
the analysis under subsection (f) shall be carried out at 
full Federal expense. 
(B) DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS CARRIED OUT ON NON-
FEDERAL LAND.—
(i) IN GENERAL.—The Federal share of the costs 
of any demonstration project funded under subsection 
(e) that is not carried out on Federal land shall not 
exceed 75 percent. 
(ii) FORM OF NON-FEDERAL SHARE.—The non-Fed-
eral share of the costs of a demonstration project that 
is not carried out on Federal land may be provided 
in the form of in-kind contributions, including services 
provided by a State agency or any other public or 
private partner. 
(h) COOPERATION.—In carrying out the assessment under sub-
section (c), the demonstration projects under subsection (e), and 
the analysis under subsection (f), the Secretary shall cooperate 
with and use the expertise of Federal agencies and the other entities 
specified in subsection (e)(1) that are actively conducting research 
on or implementing salt cedar and Russian olive tree control activi-
ties. 
(i) INDEPENDENT REVIEW.—The Secretary shall subject to inde-
pendent review—
(1) the assessment under subsection (c); 
(2) the identification and documentation of long-term 
management strategies under subsection (d); 
(3) the demonstration projects under subsection (e); and 
(4) the analysis under subsection (f). 
(j) REPORTING.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall submit to Congress 
an annual report that describes the results of carrying out 
this Act, including a synopsis of any independent review under 
subsection (I) and details of the manner and purposes for 
which funds are expended. 
(2) PUBLIC ACCESS.—The Secretary shall facilitate public 
access to all information that results from carrying out this 
Act.
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(k) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be appropriated 
to carry out this Act—
(A) $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2006; and 
(B) $15,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2007 through 
2010. 
(2) ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.—Not more than 15 percent of 
amounts made available under paragraph (1) shall be used 
to pay the administrative costs of carrying out the program 
established under subsection (a). 
(l) TERMINATION OF AUTHORITY.—This Act and the authority 
provided by this Act terminate on the date that is 5 years after 
the date of the enactment of this Act.
Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Vice President of the United States and
President of the Senate.