§620f Regulations and Review

Summary

The Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior must work together to write matching rules for the lands they manage to carry out the laws in sections 620 to 620j. The Secretary of Commerce must also write any rules or guidance needed. New rules and guidance had to be issued by June 1, 1998, and any rules that were in effect before September 8, 1995 stayed in place until the new ones were issued. The Secretary in charge can require painting, branding, or other marks on raw logs and similar unprocessed timber if the benefits are greater than the cost and if marking will help stop illegal exports or stop federal timber from being swapped for private timber from west of the 100th Meridian. Marks cannot be required on a log face under 7 inches in diameter, or on timber under 8 feet long or under one‑third sound wood. The Secretary can waive marks or documentation in low‑risk areas, for private timber that will be processed at a named U.S. mill, or under approved yard agreements. Any waivers should be reviewed once a year when possible and stay in effect until ended. The Secretary must weigh risk factors (like species, size, location, and past compliance) when deciding. The Secretaries of Agriculture and Interior must also review the law’s definition of “unprocessed timber” and send recommendations to Congress within 18 months after August 20, 1990, including a report on keeping two size standards in section 620e(B)(ii) and (iii).