§1683 Pilot Projects; Requirements; Residue Removal Credits as Compensation; Implementation Guidelines

Summary

The Secretary may run pilot projects that make some buyers of National Forest timber (under contracts awarded before October 1, 1986) remove leftover wood pieces they did not buy and move them to points of prospective use. Buyers who do this get "residue removal credits" that count against the money they owe for the timber. These projects are allowed where they can teach useful ways to boost use of wood residues in homes, businesses, industry, or powerplants and where that information can’t be learned except by doing the pilots with regular timber sales. The projects must follow rules: removal shouldn’t be required if its cost is expected to be higher than the residue’s value unless needed for fire prevention, site preparation, wildlife habitat, or other land management; credits can’t exceed what the buyer still owes after other charges and credits; the Secretary may sell removed residues for no less than their appraised value; pilots must not hurt any program that gives free timber under other law; residue collection must avoid soil loss or erosion and protect wildlife habitat; and for section 500 of this title, residue removal credits count as money received, while money from selling removed residues equals the sale proceeds minus the residue removal credit applied and minus any Forest Service processing and storage costs.