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Title 16 — ConservationRelease 119-73

§2109 General provisions

Title 16 › Chapter CHAPTER 41— - COOPERATIVE FORESTRY ASSISTANCE › § 2109

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary must carry out this chapter mainly by working with State foresters or similar State officials. The Secretary must encourage those officials to coordinate with other State natural resource agencies. The Secretary must use and urge use of private groups, consultants, and others for needed services. The Secretary must coordinate these efforts with related programs to save money and be more effective. Money given under this chapter stays available until spent. Rules about how States make forest plans, share funds, pay administrative costs, and help non‑State partners will be set by the Secretary after talking with a committee of at least five State foresters chosen by a majority of the participating State foresters. The Secretary does not have to consult that committee for money spent under emergency conditions the Secretary decides. “United States” and “State”: includes the 50 States, DC, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Republic of Palau, and other U.S. territories. “Forest resources”: includes things like beauty, fish and wildlife, forage, outdoor recreation, timber, and water. “Urban forestry”: planning and caring for trees and related plants in cities, suburbs, and towns. The Secretary may make rules and enter grants, contracts, and other agreements to carry out the chapter. The chapter adds to other Agriculture Department laws and does not remove other authorities except where section 2111 says so. The Secretary may also help other countries with the activities listed in sections 2102(b)(1)–(10), 2104(b)(1)–(5), and 2105(b)(1)–(3). For foreign help, “non‑Federal forest land” means forest land in those countries, the Secretary must coordinate with other federal officials or international groups as the President directs, and State forester references do not apply.

Full Legal Text

Title 16, §2109

Conservation — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)In implementing this chapter, the Secretary shall, to the maximum extent practicable—
(1)work through, cooperate with, and assist State foresters or equivalent State officials;
(2)encourage cooperation and coordination between State foresters or equivalent State officials and other State agencies that manage renewable natural resources;
(3)use and encourage cooperators under this chapter to use, private agencies, consult­ants, organizations, firms, and individuals to furnish necessary materials and services; and
(4)promote effectiveness and economy by coordinating the direct actions and assistance authorized under this chapter with related programs the Secretary administers, and with cooperative programs of other agencies.
(b)Money appropriated under this chapter shall remain available until expended.
(c)Requirements for the development of State forest resources programs and State participation in management assistance, planning assistance, and technology implementation, the apportionment of funds among States participating under this chapter, the administrative expenses in connection with activities and programs under this chapter, and the amounts to be expended by the Secretary to assist non-State cooperators under this chapter, shall be determined by the Secretary in consultation with a committee of not less than five State foresters or equivalent State officials selected by a majority of the State foresters or equivalent State officials from States participating in programs under this chapter. However, the Secretary need not consult with such committee regarding funds to be expended under emergency conditions that the Secretary may determine.
(d)For the purposes of this chapter—
(1)The terms “United States” and “State” shall include each of the several States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands of the United States, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Republic of Palau, and the territories and possessions of the United States;
(2)The term “forest resources” shall include esthetics, fish and wildlife, forage, outdoor recreation opportunities, timber, and water; and
(3)The term “urban forestry” means the planning, establishment, protection, and management of trees and associated plants, individually, in small groups, or under forest conditions within cities, their suburbs, and towns.
(e)The Secretary may prescribe rules and regulations, as the Secretary deems appropriate, to implement the provisions of this chapter.
(f)The Secretary is authorized to make grants, agreements, contracts, and other arrangements the Secretary deems necessary to implement this chapter.
(g)This chapter shall be construed as supplementing all other laws relating to the Department of Agriculture and shall not be construed as limiting or repealing any existing law or authority of the Secretary, except as specifically cited in section 2111 of this title.
(h)In addition to the authority provided elsewhere in this chapter, the Secretary may provide assistance to other countries with respect to the activities described in paragraphs (1) through (10) of section 2102(b) of this title, paragraphs (1) through (5) of section 2104(b) 11 See References in Text note below. of this title, and paragraphs (1) through (3) of section 2105(b) of this title. For the purposes of providing assistance to other countries under this subsection, the term “non-Federal forest land” shall mean any forest land and related renewable natural resources in such countries. In providing the assistance authorized under this subsection, the Secretary shall coordinate with other Federal officials, departments, agencies, or international organizations, as the President may direct. The references to “State foresters or equivalent State officials” in this chapter shall not apply to the assistance provided by the Secretary to other countries under this subsection.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

section 2104(b) of this title, referred to in subsec. (h), was in the original a reference to section 7(b), meaning section 7(b) of Pub. L. 95–313, which has been translated as reading section 8(b) of Pub. L. 95–313 as the probable intent of Congress. section 7(b) of Pub. L. 95–313, which is classified to section 2103c of this title, does not contain pars. (1) to (5). Codification Pub. L. 110–234 and Pub. L. 110–246 made identical

Amendments

to this section. The

Amendments

by Pub. L. 110–234 were repealed by section 4(a) of Pub. L. 110–246.

Prior Provisions

A prior section 13 of Pub. L. 95–313 was renumbered section 16 and is classified to section 2111 of this title.

Amendments

2008—Subsec. (d)(1). Pub. L. 110–246, § 8004, substituted “the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Republic of Palau,” for “the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands,”. 1990—Subsec. (g). Pub. L. 101–624, § 1224(3), made technical amendment to reference to section 2111 of this title to reflect renumbering of corresponding section of original act. Subsec. (h). Pub. L. 101–513, which directed amendment of section 12 of Pub. L. 95–313 by adding a new subsec. (h), was executed to this section to reflect the probable intent of Congress.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2008 AmendmentAmendment of this section and repeal of Pub. L. 110–234 by Pub. L. 110–246 effective May 22, 2008, the date of enactment of Pub. L. 110–234, see section 4 of Pub. L. 110–246, set out as an

Effective Date

note under section 8701 of Title 7, Agriculture.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

16 U.S.C. § 2109

Title 16 — Conservation

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73