§651 — Title 15 Commerce and Trade | U.S. Code

Summary

Authorizes the Administrator to give grants or make contracts with States so the States can hire small businesses to plant trees on land the State or local government owns or controls. Grantees must put up at least 25% of each project’s cost from non‑Federal sources; that can include in‑kind help like paying for care and maintenance for three years, but it cannot include the value of the land or pay for land. At least half of the money must be split among the States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico by population using the Census Bureau’s latest estimate or census. The remaining funds can be given with priority to applicants who provide more than the 25% match, and must be given priority to projects that restore areas the President declared a major disaster within the three years before the application’s fiscal year. The law authorizes $15,000,000 for fiscal year 1991 and $30,000,000 for each of fiscal years 1995 through 1997; those amounts stay available until spent. The Administrator had to publish proposed rules within 60 days after November 5, 1990, and final rules within 120 days after that date. The Administrator must create a national small business tree planting program with help from federal agencies, and States may submit detailed proposals under that program. Grantees should use small business contractors and, when possible, split projects so more than one small business can work. Federal agencies may give technical help for free. Definitions: local government — counties, parishes, cities, towns, municipalities; planting — watering, fertilizer, herbicides, pruning, and other care for three years after planting; State — includes State agencies. The Administrator must report yearly to the President and Congress about program activities.

Title 15, §651

Commerce and Trade — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Administrator is authorized to make grants to or to enter into contracts with any State for the purpose of contracting with small businesses to plant trees on land owned or controlled by such State or local government. The Administrator shall require as a condition of any grant (or amendment or modification thereof) under this section that the applicant also contribute to the project a sum equal to at least 25 per centum of a particular project cost from sources other than the Federal Government. Such non-Federal money may include inkind contributions, including the cost or value of providing care and maintenance for a period of three years after the planting of the trees, but shall not include any value attributable to the land on which the trees are to be planted, nor may any part of any grant be used to pay for land or land charges: Provided, That not less than one-half of the amounts appropriated under this section shall be allocated to each State, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico on the basis of the population in each area as compared to the total population in all areas as provided by the Census Bureau of the Department of Commerce in the annual population estimate or the decennial census, whichever is most current. The Administrator may give a priority in awarding the remaining one-half of appropriated amounts to applicants who agree to contribute more than the requisite 25 per centum, and shall give priority to a proposal to restore an area determined to be a major disaster by the President on a date not more than three years prior to the fiscal year for which the application is made.

(b)In order to accomplish the objectives of this section, the Administrator, in consultation with appropriate Federal agencies, shall be responsible for formulating a national small business tree planting program. Based on this program, a State may submit a detailed proposal for tree planting by contract.

(c)To encourage and develop the capacity of small business concerns, to utilize this important segment of our economy, and to permit rapid increases in employment opportunities in local communities, grantees are directed to utilize small business contractors or concerns in connection with the program established by this section, and shall, to the extent practicable, divide the project to allow more than one small business concern to perform the work under the project.

(d)For purposes of this section, agencies of the Federal Government are hereby authorized to cooperate with all grantees and with State foresters or other appropriate officials by providing without charge, in furtherance of this program, technical services with respect to the planting and growing of such trees.

(e)There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out the objectives of this section, $15,000,000 for fiscal year 1991 and $30,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 1995 through 1997, and all of such sums may remain available until expended.

(f)Notwithstanding any other law, rule, or regulation, the administration shall publish in the Federal Register proposed rules and regulations implementing this section within sixty days after November 5, 1990, and shall publish final rules and regulations within one hundred and twenty days of November 5, 1990.

(g)As used in this section:

(1)the term “local government” includes political subdivisions of a State such as counties, parishes, cities, towns and municipalities;

(2)the term “planting” includes watering, application of fertilizer and herbicides, pruning and shaping, and other subsequent care and maintenance for a period of three years after the trees are planted; and

(3)the term “State” includes any agency thereof.

(h)The Administrator shall submit annually to the President and the Congress a report on activities within the scope of this section.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

A prior section 651, act July 30, 1953, ch. 282, § 225, as added Aug. 9, 1955, ch. 628, § 14, 69 Stat. 551, prohibited duplication of activities, and was omitted as superseded by section 647 of this title. See Codification note set out under section 631 of this title.

Amendments

1994—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 103–211 inserted at end “, and shall give priority to a proposal to restore an area determined to be a major disaster by the President on a date not more than three years prior to the fiscal year for which the application is made”. Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 103–317 substituted “fiscal years 1995 through 1997” for “fiscal years 1992 through 1994”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Termination of Reporting RequirementsFor termination, effective May 15, 2000, of provisions in subsec. (h) of this section relating to submitting annual report to Congress, see section 3003 of Pub. L. 104–66, as amended, set out as a note under section 1113 of Title 31, Money and Finance, and page 191 of House Document No. 103–7.

§651 National Small Business Tree Planting Program