I 
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2720 
To further the purposes of the Reclamation Projects Authorization and Ad-
justment Act of 1992 by directing the Secretary of the Interior, acting 
through the Commissioner of Reclamation, to carry out an assessment 
and demonstration program to control salt cedar and Russian olive, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 26, 2005 
Mr. PEARCE (for himself, Mr. OSBORNE, Mr. BONILLA, Mr. CONAWAY, Mr. 
HUNTER, Mr. SALAZAR, Mr. UDALL of Colorado, and Mrs. CUBIN) intro-
duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Re-
sources, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period 
to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consider-
ation of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
concerned 
A BILL 
To further the purposes of the Reclamation Projects Author-
ization 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 Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Salt Cedar and Rus-
sian Olive Control Demonstration Act’’. 
SEC. 2. SALT CEDAR AND RUSSIAN OLIVE CONTROL DEM-
ONSTRATION PROGRAM. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary of the Interior 
(referred to in this Act as the ‘‘Secretary’’), acting 
through the Commissioner of Reclamation and the Direc-
tor of the United States Geological Survey and in coopera-
tion 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 Russian olive trees; and 
(B) the reestablishment of native vegeta-
tion; and 
(3) to assess economic means to dispose of bio-
mass 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 understanding providing for the admin-
istration of the program established 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 assess-
ment 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; 
(B) consider the feasibility of reducing 
water consumption by salt cedar and Russian 
olive trees; 
(C) consider methods of and challenges as-
sociated with the revegetation or restoration of 
infested land; and 
(D) estimate the costs of destruction of 
salt cedar and Russian olive trees, related bio-
mass removal, and revegetation or restoration 
and maintenance of the infested land. 
(3) REPORT.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary shall 
submit to the Committee on Energy and Nat-
ural Resources and the Committee on Agri-
culture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate 
and the Committee on Resources and the Com-
mittee on Agriculture of the House of Rep-
resentatives a report that includes the results of 
the assessment conducted under paragraph (1). 
(B) CONTENTS.—The report submitted 
under subparagraph (A) shall identify— 
(i) long-term management and fund-
ing strategies identified under subsection 
(d) that could be implemented by Federal, 
State, tribal, and private land managers 
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 document long-term management and funding 
strategies that— 
(A) could be implemented by Federal, 
State, tribal, and private land managers in ad-
dressing 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 recommenda-
tions relating to the identification and docu-
mentation of long-term management and fund-
ing strategies under paragraph (1). 
(B) ELIGIBLE
ENTITIES.—Institutions of 
higher education and nonprofit organizations 
with an established background and expertise in 
the public policy issues associated with the con-
trol of salt cedar and Russian olive trees shall 
be eligible for a grant under subparagraph (A). 
(C) MINIMUM AMOUNT.—The amount of a 
grant provided 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 collabora-
tion with Federal agencies, units of State and local 
government, national laboratories, Indian tribes, in-
stitutions of higher education, individuals, organiza-
tions, or soil and water conservation districts to 
demonstrate and evaluate the most effective methods 
of controlling salt cedar and Russian olive trees. 
(2) PROJECT REQUIREMENTS.—The demonstra-
tion 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 con-
trol 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 demonstration 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 vegetation, and tak-
ing into consideration downstream impacts, 
wildfire potential, and water savings; 
(F) identify methods for preventing the re-
growth and reintroduction of salt cedar and 
Russian olive trees; 
(G) monitor and document any water sav-
ings from the control of salt cedar and Russian 
olive trees, including impacts to both ground-
water and surface water; 
(H) assess wildfire activity and manage-
ment strategies; 
(I) assess changes in wildlife habitat;
(J) determine conditions under which re-
moval of biomass is appropriate (including opti-
mal methods for the disposal or use of bio-
mass); and 
(K) assess economic and other impacts as-
sociated with control methods and the restora-
tion 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 cre-
ated as a result of removal of salt cedar and Russian 
olive trees. 
(2) REQUIREMENTS.—The analysis shall— 
(A) determine conditions under which re-
moval of biomass is economically viable; 
(B) consider and build upon existing re-
search by the Department of Agriculture and 
other agencies on beneficial uses of salt cedar 
and Russian olive tree fiber; and 
(C) consider economic development oppor-
tunities, including manufacture of wood prod-
ucts using biomass resulting from demonstra-
tion projects under subsection (e) as a means of 
defraying costs of control. 
(g) COSTS.— 
(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 sub-
section (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 sub-
section (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 docu-
mentation of long-term management strategies
under subsection (d), a demonstration 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 ex-
ceed 75 percent. 
(ii) 
FORM
OF
NON-FEDERAL 
SHARE.—The non-Federal share of the 
costs of a demonstration project that is not 
carried out on Federal land may be pro-
vided in the form of in-kind contributions, 
including services provided by a State 
agency or any other public or private part-
ner. 
(h) COOPERATION.—In carrying out the assessment 
under subsection (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 sub-
section (e)(1) that are actively conducting research on or 
implementing salt cedar and Russian olive tree control ac-
tivities. 
(i) INDEPENDENT REVIEW.—The Secretary shall 
subject to independent 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 re-
sults 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 fa-
cilitate public access to all information that results 
from carrying out this Act. 
(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 15 
percent of amounts made available under paragraph 
(1) shall be used to pay the administrative costs of 
carrying out the program established under sub-
section (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. 
Æ