§2109 General Provisions

Summary

The Secretary must run the programs in this chapter by working with and helping State foresters or similar state officials. The Secretary must encourage those state officials to cooperate with other state agencies that manage renewable natural resources. The Secretary should use and encourage private groups, consultants, firms, and individuals for needed work. The Secretary must coordinate these actions with other related federal programs to be efficient and save money. Money given under this chapter stays available until it is spent. Decisions about State forest programs, how funds are divided among participating States, administrative costs, and aid for non‑State partners must be made by the Secretary after consulting with a committee of not less than five State foresters or equivalent officials chosen by a majority of participating State foresters. The Secretary need not consult the committee for emergency spending. For this chapter, “United States” and “State” include the several States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Republic of Palau, and U.S. territories and possessions. “Forest resources” covers esthetics, fish and wildlife, forage, outdoor recreation, timber, and water. “Urban forestry” means planning, planting, protecting, and managing trees and related plants in cities, suburbs, and towns. The Secretary may make rules, grants, agreements, contracts, and other arrangements needed to carry out the chapter. The chapter supplements other Agriculture Department laws and does not limit other authorities except as cited in section 2111. The Secretary may also help other countries with certain listed activities (see sections 2102(b), 2104(b), and 2105(b)), treating “non‑Federal forest land” there as that country’s forest land and related resources, and must coordinate such help with other federal officials or international organizations as the President directs; references to State foresters do not apply to foreign assistance.