A bill to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to carry out an inventory and management program for forests derived from public domain land.

Bill: 108-s-1910
Sponsor: Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR]
Introduced: 2003-11-20 in the Senate
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Acid rain
Animals
Emergency Management
Environmental Protection
Environmental assessment
Fire prevention
Forest conservation
Forest ecology
Forest fires
Forest health
Forest management
Forestry research
Forests, forestry, trees
Geodesy
Geographic information systems
Insect control
Insects
National forests
Non-native species
Oregon
Private forests
Remote sensing
Science, Technology, Communications
Space activities
Tree diseases
Weather
Weather forecasting

Summary:
action_date: 2003-11-20
text: 
Amends the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978 to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to use geospatial and information management technologies (including remote sensing imaging and decision support systems) to inventory, monitor, and identify National Forest System and private (with consent) forest stands. 
 
Directs the Secretary to carry out such program through: (1) remote sensing technology of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the United States Geological Survey; (2) emerging geospatial capabilities in research activities; (3) validating techniques; and (4) integration of results into pilot operational systems.
 
Directs the Secretary to address: (1) environmental threats (including insect, disease, invasive species, fire, acid deposition, and weather-related risks and other episodic events); (2) forest degradation, and preventive management practices; and (3) characterization of vegetation types, density, fire regimes, and post-fire effects. Directs the Secretary to designate a facility in the Ochoco National Forest headquarters in Prineville, Oregon, to address such issues, with particular emphasis on coniferous forest stands in the Western United States.
 
Directs the Secretary develop an early warning system for catastrophic environmental forest threats. 

action_date: 2004-04-26
text: 

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.)

 
(Sec. 1) Amends the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978 to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to use geospatial and information management technologies (including remote sensing imaging and decision support systems) to inventory, monitor, and identify National Forest System and private (with consent) forest stands. 
 
Directs the Secretary to carry out such program through: (1) remote sensing technology of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the United States Geological Survey; (2) emerging geospatial capabilities in research activities; (3) validating techniques; and (4) integration of results into pilot operational systems.
 
Directs the Secretary to address: (1) environmental threats (including insect, disease, invasive species, fire, acid deposition, and weather-related risks and other episodic events); (2) forest degradation, and preventive management practices; (3) management practices; and (4) characterization of vegetation types, density, fire regimes, and post-fire effects. Directs the Secretary to designate a facility in the Ochoco National Forest headquarters in Prineville, Oregon, to address such issues, with particular emphasis on coniferous forest stands in the Western United States.
 
Directs the Secretary to develop an early warning system for catastrophic environmental forest threats.
 
Authorizes appropriations.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2004-04-26
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 477.
action_date: 2004-04-26
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Reported by Senator Domenici without amendment. With written report No. 108-254.
action_date: 2004-04-26
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Reported by Senator Domenici without amendment. With written report No. 108-254.
action_date: 2004-03-24
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
action_date: 2004-02-12
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 108-416.
action_date: 2003-11-20
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2003-11-20
text: Introduced in Senate