Renewable Resources Extension Act of
1978
Act of June 30, 1978,
Public Law 95-306, 92 Stat. 349, 16 U.S.C.
1671 et seq.
AN ACT To provide for an
expanded and comprehensive extension program
for forest and rangeland renewable resources
Be it enacted by the Senate and House
of Representatives of the United States
of America in Congress assembled,
That this Act may be cited as the "Renewable
Resources Extension Act of 1978".
FINDINGS
SEC. 2. Congress finds that--
(1) the extension program of the Department
of Agriculture and the extension activities
of each State provide useful and productive
educational programs for private forest
and range landowners and processors and
consumptive and nonconsumptive users of
forest and rangeland renewable resources,
and these educational programs complement
research and assistance programs conducted
by the Department of Agriculture;
(2) to meet national goals, it is essential
that all forest and rangeland renewable
resources (hereinafter in this Act referred
to as "renewable resources"),
including fish and wildlife, forage, outdoor
recreation opportunities, timber, and water,
be fully considered in designing educational
programs for landowners, processors, and
users;
(3) more efficient utilization and marketing
of renewable resources extend available
supplies of such resources, provide products
to consumers at prices less than they would
otherwise be and promote reasonable returns
on the investments of landowners, processors,
and users;
(4) trees and forests in urban areas improve
the esthetic quality, reduce noise, filter
impurities from the air and add oxygen
to it, save energy by moderating temperature
extremes, control wind and water erosion,
and provide habitat for wildlife; and
(5) trees and shrubs used as shelterbelts
protect farm lands from wind and water
erosion, promote moisture accumulation
in the soil, and provide habitat for wildlife.
TYPES OF PROGRAMS; ELIGIBLE
COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES
SEC. 3. (1)(a)
The Secretary of Agriculture (hereinafter
in this Act referred to as the "Secretary"),
under conditions the Secretary may prescribe
and in cooperation with the State directors
of cooperative extension service programs
and eligible colleges and universities,
shall--
(1) provide educational programs that
enable individuals to recognize, analyze,
and resolve problems dealing with renewable
resources, including forest- and range-based
outdoor recreation opportunities, trees,
and forests in urban areas, and trees and
shrubs in shelterbelts;
(2) use educational programs to disseminate
the results of research on renewable resources;
(3) conduct educational programs that
transfer the best available technology
to those involved in the management and
protection of forests and rangelands and
the processing and use of their associated
renewable resources;
(4) develop and implement educational
programs that give special attention to
the educational needs of small, private
non-industrial forest landowners;
(5) develop and implement educational
programs in range and fish and wildlife
management;
(6) assist in providing continuing education
programs for professionally trained individuals
in fish and wildlife, forest, range, and
watershed management and related fields;
(7) help forest and range landowners in
securing technical and financial assistance
to bring appropriate expertise to bear
on their problems; and
(8) help identify areas of needed research
regarding renewable resources.
(b) As used in this Act, the term "eligible
colleges and universities" means colleges
and universities eligible to be supported
and maintained, in whole or in part, with
funds made available under the provisions
of the Act of July 2, 1862 (12 Stat. 503-505,
as amended; 7 U.S.C. 301-305, 307, 308),
and the Act of August 30, 1890 (26 Stat.
417-419, as amended; 7 U.S.C. 321-326,
328), including Tuskegee Institute, and
colleges and universities eligible for
assistance under the Act of October 10,
1962 (76 Stat. 806-807, as amended; 16
U.S.C. 582a-1-582a-7).
(c) In implementing this section, all
appropriate educational methods may be
used, including, but not limited to, meetings,
short courses, workshops, tours, demonstrations,
publications, news releases, and radio
and television programs.
STATE RENEWABLE RESOURCES
EXTENSION PROGRAMS
SEC. 4.(2)(a)
The State director of cooperative extension
programs (hereinafter in this Act referred
to as the "State director") and
the administrative heads of extension for
eligible colleges and universities in each
State shall jointly develop, by mutual
agreement, a single comprehensive and coordinated
renewable resources extension program in
which the role of each eligible college
and university is well defined. In meeting
this responsibility, the State director
and the administrative heads of extension
for eligible colleges and universities
shall consult and seek agreement with the
administrative technical representatives
and the forestry representatives provided
for by the Secretary in implementation
of the Act of October 10, 1962 (76 Stat.
806-807, as amended; 16 U.S.C. 582a, 582a-1-582a-7),
in the State. Each State's renewable resources
extension program shall be submitted to
the Secretary annually. The National Agricultural
Research, Extension, Education, and Economics
Advisory Board(3) established under section 1408 of the Food and Agriculture
Act of 1977 shall review and make recommendations
to the Secretary pertaining to programs
conducted under this Act.
(b) The State director and the administrative
heads of extension for eligible colleges
and universities in each State shall encourage
close cooperation between extension staffs
at the county and State levels, and State
and Federal research organizations dealing
with renewable resources, State and Federal
agencies that manage forests and rangelands
and their associated renewable resources,
State and Federal agencies that have responsibilities
associated with the processing or use of
renewable resources, and other agencies
or organizations the State director and
administrative heads of extension deem
appropriate.
(c) Each State renewable resources extension
program shall be administered and coordinated
by the State director, except that, in
States having colleges eligible to receive
funds under the Act of August 30, 1890
(26 Stat. 417-419, as amended; 7 U.S.C.
321-326, 328), including Tuskegee Institute,
the State renewable resources extension
program shall be administered by the State
director and the administrative head or
heads of extension for the college or colleges
eligible to receive such funds.
(d) In meeting the provisions of this
section, each State director and administrative
heads of extension for eligible colleges
and universities shall appoint and use
one or more advisory committees comprised
of forest and range landowners, professionally
trained individuals in fish and wildlife,
forest, range, and watershed management,
and related fields, as appropriate, and
other suitable persons.
(e) For the purposes of this Act, the
term "State" means any one of
the fifty States, the Commonwealth of Puerto
Rico, Guam, the District of Columbia, and
the Virgin Islands of the United States.
NATIONAL RENEWABLE RESOURCES
EXTENSION PROGRAM
SEC. 5.(4)(a)
The Secretary shall prepare a five-year
plan for implementing this Act, which is
to be called the "Renewable Resources
Extension Program" and shall submit
such plan to the Committee on Agriculture
of the House of Representatives and the
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and
Forestry of the Senate(5) no later than the last day of the first half of the
fiscal year ending September 30, 1980,
and the last day of the first half of each
fifth fiscal year thereafter. The Renewable
Resources Extension Program shall provide
national emphasis and direction as well
as guidance to State directors and administrative
heads of extension for eligible colleges
and universities in the development of
their respective State renewable resources
extension programs which are to be appropriate
in terms of the conditions, needs, and
opportunities in each State. The Renewable
Resources Extension Program shall contain,
but not be limited to, brief outlines of
general extension programs for fish and
wildlife management (for both game and
nongame species), range management, timber
management (including brief outlines of
general extension programs for timber utilization,
timber harvesting, timber marketing, wood
utilization, and wood products marketing),
and watershed management (giving special
attention to water quality protection),
as well as brief outlines of general extension
programs for recognition and enhancement
of forest- and range-based outdoor recreation
opportunities, for planting and management
of trees and forests in urban areas, and
for planting and management of trees and
shrubs in shelterbelts.
(b) In preparing the Renewable Resources
Extension Program, the Secretary shall
take into account the respective capabilities
of private forests and rangelands for yielding
renewable resources and the relative needs
for such resources identified in the periodic
Renewable Resource Assessment provided
for in section 3 of the Forest and Rangeland
Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974
and the periodic appraisal of land and
water resources provided for in section
5 of the Soil and Water Resources Conservation
Act of 1977.
(c) To provide information that will aid
Congress in its oversight responsibilities
and to provide accountability in implementing
this Act, the Secretary shall prepare an
annual report, which shall be furnished
to Congress at the time of submission of
each annual fiscal budget, beginning with
the annual fiscal budget for the fiscal
year ending September 30, 1981. The annual
report shall set forth accomplishments
of the Renewable Resources Extension Program,
its strengths and weaknesses, recommendations
for improvement, and costs of program administration,
each with respect to the preceding fiscal
year.
(d)(6)To
assist Congress and the public in evaluating
the Renewable Resources Extension Program,
the program shall include a review of activities
undertaken in response to the preceding
five-year plan and an evaluation of the
progress made toward accomplishing the
goals and objectives set forth in such
preceding plan. Such review and evaluation
shall be displayed in the program, for
the Nation as a whole, and for each State.
APPROPRIATION AUTHORIZATION
SEC. 6.(7) There
are authorized to be appropriated to implement
this Act $15,000,000 for each of the fiscal
years 1987 through 2002.(8) Generally,
States shall be eligible for funds appropriated
under this Act according to the respective
capabilities of their private forests and
rangelands for yielding renewable resources
and relative needs for such resources identified
in the periodic Renewable Resource Assessment
provided for in section 3 of the Forest
and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning
Act of 1974 and the periodic appraisal
of land and water resources provided for
in section 5 of the Soil and Water Resources
Conservation Act of 1977.
REGULATIONS AND COORDINATION
SEC. 7.(9)The
Secretary is authorized to issue such rules
and regulations as the Secretary deems
necessary to implement the provisions of
this Act and to coordinate this Act with
title XIV of the Food and Agriculture Act
of 1977.
EFFECTIVE DATES
SEC. 8.(10)The
provisions of this Act shall be effective
for the period beginning October 1, 1978,
and ending September 30, 2000.
(1) 16 U.S.C. 1672.
(2) 16 U.S.C. 1673.
(3) The Federal Agriculture
Improvement and Reform Act of 1996, Public
Law 104-127, April 4, 1996, 110 Stat.
1159, section 802(b)(3), amends this
section by striking "The National
Agricultural Research and Extension Users
Advisory Board" and inserting "The
National Agricultural Research, Extension,
Education, and Economics Advisory Board."
(4) 16 U.S.C. 1674.
(5) Amended by Section 3, of
the Renewable Resources Extension Act Amendments
of 1987, Public Law 100-231, January 5,
1988, 101 Stat. 1565 to delete "Congress" and
insert in lieu thereof "the Committee
on Agriculture of the House of Representatives
and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition,
and Forestry of the Senate".
(6) Added by Section 3(2)
of Public Law 100-231, 101 Stat. 1565.
(7) 16 U.S.C. 1675.
(8) Amended by Section 2, of
the Renewable Resources Extension Act Amendments
of 1987, Public Law 100-231, January 5,
1988, 101 Stat. 1565 by deleting the first
sentence and inserting language to authorize
appropriations through the year 2000. The
Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education
Reform Act of 1998, Public Law 105- 185,
112 Stat. 563, section 301(h), amends the
first sentence by striking the fiscal
year ending September 30, 1988, and
all that follows through the period at
the end and inserting each of fiscal
years 1987 through 2002".
(9) 16 U.S.C. 1676.
(10) 16 U.S.C. 1671 note. Amended
by Section 2, of the Renewable Resources
Extension Act Amendments of 1987, Public
Law 100-231, January 5, 1988, 101 Stat.
1565 by striking out "1988" and
inserting in lieu thereof "2000". |