PUBLIC LAW 101-624—NOV. 28, 1990 104 STAT. 3525 "(6) protect or improve soil fertility on non-Federal forest lands and the quality, quantity, and timing of water jdelds therefrom. "(c) IMPLEMENTATION. —In implementing this section, the Secretary shall cooperate with other Federal, State, and local natural resource management agencies, universities and the private sector. "(d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—T here are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this section.". SEC. 1214. FOREST INCENTIVES PROGRAM. Section 4 of the Act (16 U.S.C. 2103) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection: "(k) The program developed by the Secretary under this section shall terminate on December 31, 1995.". SEC. 1215. FOREST STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM. The Act (16 U.S.C. 2101 et seq.) is amended— (1) by redesignating sections 5 through 15 as sections 8 through 18, respectively; and (2) by inserting after section 4 the following new section: "SEC. 5. FOREST STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM. "(a) ESTABLISHMENT.— The Secretary, in consultation with State foresters or equivalent State officials, shall establish a Forest Stewardship Program (hereafter referred to in this section as the 'Program') to encourage the long-term stewardship of nonindustrial private forest lands by assisting owners of such lands to more actively manage their forest and related resources by utilizing existing State, Federal, and private sector resource management expertise and assistance programs. (b) GrOAL. —The goal of the Program shall be to enter at least 25,000,000 acres of nonindustrial private forest lands in the Program by December 31, 1995. "(c) DEFINITION. —For the purposes of this section, the term 'nonindustrial private forest lands' means rural, as determined by the Secretary, lands with existing tree cover, or suitable for growing trees, and owned by any private individual, group, association, corporation, Indian tribe, or other private legal entity. "(d) IMPLEMENTATION. — In carrying out the Program the Secretary, in consultation with State Foresters or equivalent State ofRcials, shall provide financial, technical, educational, and related assistance to State Foresters or equivalent State officials, including assistance to help such State Foresters or equivalent officials to provide financial assistance to other State and local natural resource entities, both public and private, and land-grant universities for the delivery of information and professional assistance to owners of nonindustrial private forest lands. Such information and assistance shall be directed to help such owners understand and evaluate alternative actions they might take, including— "(1) managing and enhancing the productivity of timber, fish and wildlife habitat, water quality, wetlands, recreational resources, and the aesthetic value of forest lands; "(2) investing in practices to protect, maintain, and enhance th!e resources identified in paragraph (1); "(3) ensuring that afforestation, reforestation, improvement of poorly stocked stands, timber stand improvement, practices Termination date. 16 USC 2104-2112. 16 USC 2103a.
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