Source: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2017-title16/html/USCODE-2017-title16-chap36-subchapI-sec1604.htm
Timestamp: 2019-04-18 15:22:32+00:00

Document:
As a part of the Program provided for by section 1602 of this title, the Secretary of Agriculture shall develop, maintain, and, as appropriate, revise land and resource management plans for units of the National Forest System, coordinated with the land and resource management planning processes of State and local governments and other Federal agencies.
In the development and maintenance of land management plans for use on units of the National Forest System, the Secretary shall use a systematic interdisciplinary approach to achieve integrated consideration of physical, biological, economic, and other sciences.
The Secretary shall begin to incorporate the standards and guidelines required by this section in plans for units of the National Forest System as soon as practicable after October 22, 1976, and shall attempt to complete such incorporation for all such units by no later than September 30, 1985. The Secretary shall report to the Congress on the progress of such incorporation in the annual report required by section 1606(c) of this title. Until such time as a unit of the National Forest System is managed under plans developed in accordance with this subchapter, the management of such unit may continue under existing land and resource management plans.
The Secretary shall provide for public participation in the development, review, and revision of land management plans including, but not limited to, making the plans or revisions available to the public at convenient locations in the vicinity of the affected unit for a period of at least three months before final adoption, during which period the Secretary shall publicize and hold public meetings or comparable processes at locations that foster public participation in the review of such plans or revisions.
(2) determine forest management systems, harvesting levels, and procedures in the light of all of the uses set forth in subsection (c)(1), the definition of the terms "multiple use" and "sustained yield" as provided in the Multiple-Use Sustained-Yield Act of 1960, and the availability of lands and their suitability for resource management.
(5) be revised (A) from time to time when the Secretary finds conditions in a unit have significantly changed, but at least every fifteen years, and (B) in accordance with the provisions of subsections (e) and (f) of this section and public involvement comparable to that required by subsection (d) of this section.
(v) such cuts are carried out in a manner consistent with the protection of soil, watershed, fish, wildlife, recreation, and esthetic resources, and the regeneration of the timber resource.
(1) In carrying out the purposes of subsection (g) of this section, the Secretary of Agriculture shall appoint a committee of scientists who are not officers or employees of the Forest Service. The committee shall provide scientific and technical advice and counsel on proposed guidelines and procedures to assure that an effective interdisciplinary approach is proposed and adopted. The committee shall terminate upon promulgation of the regulations, but the Secretary may, from time to time, appoint similar committees when considering revisions of the regulations. The views of the committees shall be included in the public information supplied when the regulations are proposed for adoption.
(2) Clerical and technical assistance, as may be necessary to discharge the duties of the committee, shall be provided from the personnel of the Department of Agriculture.
(3) While attending meetings of the committee, the members shall be entitled to receive compensation at a rate of $100 per diem, including traveltime, and while away from their homes or regular places of business they may be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, as authorized by section 5703 of title 5, for persons in the Government service employed intermittently.
Resource plans and permits, contracts, and other instruments for the use and occupancy of National Forest System lands shall be consistent with the land management plans. Those resource plans and permits, contracts, and other such instruments currently in existence shall be revised as soon as practicable to be made consistent with such plans. When land management plans are revised, resource plans and permits, contracts, and other instruments, when necessary, shall be revised as soon as practicable. Any revision in present or future permits, contracts, and other instruments made pursuant to this section shall be subject to valid existing rights.
Land management plans and revisions shall become effective thirty days after completion of public participation and publication of notification by the Secretary as required under subsection (d) of this section.
In developing land management plans pursuant to this subchapter, the Secretary shall identify lands within the management area which are not suited for timber production, considering physical, economic, and other pertinent factors to the extent feasible, as determined by the Secretary, and shall assure that, except for salvage sales or sales necessitated to protect other multiple-use values, no timber harvesting shall occur on such lands for a period of 10 years. Lands once identified as unsuitable for timber production shall continue to be treated for reforestation purposes, particularly with regard to the protection of other multiple-use values. The Secretary shall review his decision to classify these lands as not suited for timber production at least every 10 years and shall return these lands to timber production whenever he determines that conditions have changed so that they have become suitable for timber production.
(2) exceptions to these standards for the harvest of particular species of trees in management units after consideration has been given to the multiple uses of the forest including, but not limited to, recreation, wildlife habitat, and range and after completion of public participation processes utilizing the procedures of subsection (d) of this section.
The Multiple-Use Sustained-Yield Act of 1960, referred to in subsecs. (e) and (g), is Pub. L. 86–517, June 12, 1960, 74 Stat. 215, as amended, which is classified generally to sections 528 to 531 of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 528 of this title and Tables.
The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, referred to in subsec. (g)(1), is Pub. L. 91–190, Jan. 1, 1970, 83 Stat. 852, as amended, which is classified generally to chapter 55 (§4321 et seq.) of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 4321 of Title 42 and Tables.
1976—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 94–588, §12(a), substituted "section 4" for "section 3" in the original, which, because of the translation as "section 1602 of this title" required no change in text.
Subsecs. (c) to (m). Pub. L. 94–588, §6, added subsecs. (c) to (m).
Pub. L. 115–31, div. G, title IV, §407, May 5, 2017, 131 Stat. 495, provided that: "The Secretary of Agriculture shall not be considered to be in violation of subparagraph 6(f)(5)(A) of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C. 1604(f)(5)(A)) solely because more than 15 years have passed without revision of the plan for a unit of the National Forest System. Nothing in this section exempts the Secretary from any other requirement of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act (16 U.S.C. 1600 et seq.) or any other law: Provided, That if the Secretary is not acting expeditiously and in good faith, within the funding available, to revise a plan for a unit of the National Forest System, this section shall be void with respect to such plan and a court of proper jurisdiction may order completion of the plan on an accelerated basis."
Pub. L. 114–113, div. G, title IV, §407, Dec. 18, 2015, 129 Stat. 2575.
Pub. L. 113–235, div. F, title IV, §408, Dec. 16, 2014, 128 Stat. 2445.
Pub. L. 113–76, div. G, title IV, §407, Jan. 17, 2014, 128 Stat. 338.
Pub. L. 112–74, div. E, title IV, §409, Dec. 23, 2011, 125 Stat. 1039.
Pub. L. 111–88, div. A, title IV, §410, Oct. 30, 2009, 123 Stat. 2957.
Pub. L. 111–8, div. E, title IV, §410, Mar. 11, 2009, 123 Stat. 746.
Pub. L. 110–161, div. F, title IV, §410, Dec. 26, 2007, 121 Stat. 2146.
Pub. L. 109–54, title IV, §415, Aug. 2, 2005, 119 Stat. 551.
Pub. L. 108–447, div. E, title III, §320, Dec. 8, 2004, 118 Stat. 3097.
Pub. L. 108–108, title III, §320, Nov. 10, 2003, 117 Stat. 1306.
Pub. L. 108–7, div. F, title III, §320, Feb. 20, 2003, 117 Stat 274.
Pub. L. 107–63, title III, §327, Nov. 5, 2001, 115 Stat. 470.
Pub. L. 101–121, title III, §312, Oct. 23, 1989, 103 Stat. 743, provided that: "The Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management are to continue to complete as expeditiously as possible development of their respective Forest Land and Resource Management Plans to meet all applicable statutory requirements. Notwithstanding the date in section 6(c) of the NFMA (16 U.S.C. 1600) [16 U.S.C. 1604(c)], the Forest Service, and the Bureau of Land Management under separate authority, may continue the management of lands within their jurisdiction under existing land and resource management plans pending the completion of new plans. Nothing shall limit judicial review of particular activities on these lands: Provided, however, That there shall be no challenges to any existing plan on the sole basis that the plan in its entirety is outdated, or in the case of the Bureau of Land Management, solely on the basis that the plan does not incorporate information available subsequent to the completion of the existing plan: Provided further, That any and all particular activities to be carried out under existing plans may nevertheless be challenged."
Pub. L. 100–446, title III, §314, Sept. 27, 1988, 102 Stat. 1825.
Pub. L. 100–202, §101(g) [title III, §314], Dec. 22, 1987, 101 Stat. 1329–213, 1329–254.
Pub. L. 99–500, §101(h) [title II], Oct. 18, 1986, 100 Stat. 1783–242, 1783–268, and Pub. L. 99–591, §101(h) [title II], Oct. 30, 1986, 100 Stat. 3341–242, 3341–268.
1 So in original. Probably should be "long-term".
2 So in original. The "; and" probably should be a period.

References: §12
 §6
 §407
 §407
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 §407
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 §415
 §320
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 §320
 §327
 §312
 §314
 §101
 §314
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 §101