Title 16ConservationRelease 119-73

§4503a Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry

Title 16 › Chapter CHAPTER 65— - INTERNATIONAL FORESTRY COOPERATION › § 4503a

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary must expand work and build new facilities, as Congress provides money, at the Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry and at tropical forests in Hawaii. Within 1 year after the Secretary receives the action plan required by section 5(b) of the Hawaii Tropical Forest Recovery Act, the Secretary must write and send a tropical forestry plan to the House Committees on Agriculture and on Natural Resources, the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, and the House and Senate Appropriations Committees. The plan must set up a model center for research, teaching, training, and outreach to help government and non‑government groups; provide buildings for research, classrooms, and housing near an experimental Hawaiian tropical forest; create facilities to study and restore endangered tropical species and their habitats; study biological control of harmful non‑native species; research climate change and greenhouse gas reduction using Hawaii’s unique atmosphere; review how current federal forestry programs can help; and establish experimental tropical forests as allowed by section 4503b. When looking at existing federal programs, the Secretary must explain how the plan can improve understanding of tropical ecosystems and conservation, show the benefits of reserves, support good watershed and forest management, guide land uses next to protected areas, and develop ways to restore damaged lands.

Full Legal Text

Title 16, §4503a

Conservation — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Secretary shall expand the capabilities of and construct additional facilities, as funds are appropriated for the expansion and construction, at—
(1)the Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry; and
(2)tropical forests in the State of Hawaii.
(b)(1)Not later than 1 year after the date of receipt by the Secretary of the action plan required by section 5(b) 11 See References in Text note below. of the Hawaii Tropical Forest Recovery Act, the Secretary shall prepare and submit to the Committee on Agriculture and the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives, the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate, and to the Committees on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and Senate, a tropical forestry plan to expand the capabilities of and construct additional facilities under subsection (a).
(2)The plan shall provide for—
(A)the establishment of a model center for research, demonstration, education, training, and outreach activities suitable for transferring scientific, technical, managerial, and administrative assistance to governmental and non-governmental organizations seeking to address problems associated with tropical forests within and outside the United States;
(B)the acquisition or construction of facilities for research, classroom instruction, and housing near an experimental tropical forest in the State of Hawaii;
(C)the acquisition or construction of facilities for the study and recovery of endangered tropical wildlife, fish, and plant species and the restoration of their habitats;
(D)the study of biological control of non-native species that degrade or destroy native forest ecosystems;
(E)achieving a better understanding of global climate change and the significance of achieving a reduction of greenhouse gases through research associated with the unique atmospheric conditions found in Hawaii and the Pacific Ocean;
(F)a review of the extent to which existing Federal forestry programs can be utilized to achieve the purposes of the plan; and
(G)the establishment of experimental tropical forests in the State of Hawaii as authorized by section 4503b of this title.
(3)In preparing elements of the plan that address paragraph (2)(F), the Secretary shall identify the capability of the plan—
(A)to promote a greater understanding of tropical forest ecosystem processes, conservation biology, and biodiversity management;
(B)to demonstrate the various benefits of maintaining a tropical forest reserve system;
(C)to promote sound watershed and forest management;
(D)to develop compatible land uses adjacent to protected natural areas; and
(E)to develop new methods of reclaiming and restoring degraded lands.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

section 5(b) of the Hawaii Tropical Forest Recovery Act, referred to in subsec. (b)(1), probably means section 4(b) of that Act, Pub. L. 102–574, which contains provisions regarding an action plan, and which is set out as a note below. section 5 of that Act, which is set out as a note under section 4502a of this title, does not contain a subsec. (b).

Prior Provisions

A prior section 605 of Pub. L. 101–513 was renumbered section 609 and is classified to section 4504 of this title.

Amendments

1994—Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 103–437 substituted “Natural Resources” for “Interior and Insular Affairs” after “Committee on”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Hawaii Tropical Forest Recovery Task Force Pub. L. 102–574, § 4, Oct. 29, 1992, 106 Stat. 4597, established the Hawaii Tropical Forest Recovery Task Force to study Hawaii’s tropical forests, required the Task Force to submit an action plan for rejuvenating the forests one year after its first meeting, and terminated the Task Force 180 days after submission of the action plan.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

16 U.S.C. § 4503a

Title 16Conservation

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73