104 STAT. 718 PUBLIC LAW 101-382—AUG. 20, 1990 applicant proposes to process timber originating from Federal lands. The prohibition contained in subsection (a) shall not apply to a person before the date which is 1 month after the procedures referred to in this paragraph are prescribed. With respect to any person who submits an application in accordance with such procedures by the end of the time period set forth in the preceding sentence, the prohibition contained in subsection (a) shall not apply to such person before the date on which the Secretary concerned approves or disapproves such application. (3) GRANT OF APPROVAL. —For each applicant, the Secretary concerned shall, on the record and after an opportunity for a hearing, not later than 4 months after receipt of the application for a sourcing area, either approve or disapprove the application. The Secretary concerned may approve such application only if the Secretary determines that the area that is the subject of the application, in which the timber manufacturing facilities at which the applicant desires to process timber originating from Federal lands are located, is geographically and economically separate from any geographic area from which that person harvests for export any unprocessed timber originating from private lands. In making a determination referred to in this paragraph, the Secretary concerned shall consider equally the timber purchasing patterns, on private and Federal lands, of the applicant as well as other persons in the same local vicinity as the applicant, and the relative similarity of such purchasing patterns. (4) DENIAL OF APPLICATION.— (A) Subject to subparagraph (B), and notwithstanding any other provision of law, in the 9-month period after receiving disapproval of an application submitted pursuant to this subsection, the applicant may purchase unprocessed timber originating from Federal lands in the area which is the subject of the application in an amount not to exceed 75 percent of the annual average of such person's purchases of unprocessed timber originating from Federal lands in the same area during the 5 full fiscal years immediately prior to submission of the application. In the subsequent 6-month period, such person may purchase' not more than 25 percent of such annual average, after which time the prohibitions contained in subsection (a) shall fully apply. (B) If a person referred to in subparagraph (A) certifies to the Secretary concerned, within 90 days after receiving disapproval of such application, that such person shall, within 15 months after such disapproval, cease the export of unprocessed timber originating from private lands from the geographic area determined by the Secretary for which the application would have been approved, such person may continue to purchase unprocessed timber originating from Federal lands in the area which is the subject of the application, without being subject to the restrictions of subparagraph (A), except that such purchases during that 15-month period may not exceed 125 percent of the emnual average of such person's purchases of unprocessed timber originating from Federal lands in the same area during the 5 full fiscal years immediately prior to submission of the application which was denied. (C) Any person to whom subparagraph (B) applies may not, during the 15-month period after the person's application for
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