Title 16, ConservationRelease 119-110

§6553 Accelerated Information Gathering Regarding Forest-damaging Insects

Title 16 › CHAPTER 84 — HEALTHY FOREST RESTORATION › SUBCHAPTER IV — INSECT INFESTATIONS AND RELATED DISEASES › § 6553

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary, through the Forest Service and the U.S. Geological Survey, must start a faster program to gather and publish information on insects and diseases that harm forests. The program must study prevention and control, ecosystem effects, restoration, uses for infested trees, and models to predict outbreaks, and help land managers on Federal, State, and private land develop treatments. The Secretary must run this with scientists (including forestry schools, land‑grant and 1890 institutions), government agencies, and landowners, and name colleges to help.

Full Legal Text

Title 16, §6553

Conservation, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Information gathering

The Secretary, acting through the Forest Service and United States Geological Survey, as appropriate, shall establish an accelerated program—

(1)to plan, conduct, and promote comprehensive and systematic information gathering on forest-damaging insects and associated diseases, including an evaluation of—

(A)infestation prevention and suppression methods;

(B)effects of infestations and associated disease interactions on forest ecosystems;

(C)restoration of forest ecosystem efforts;

(D)utilization options regarding infested trees; and

(E)models to predict the occurrence, distribution, and impact of outbreaks of forest-damaging insects and associated diseases;

(2)to assist land managers in the development of treatments and strategies to improve forest health and reduce the susceptibility of forest ecosystems to severe infestations of forest-damaging insects and associated diseases on Federal land and State and private land; and

(3)to disseminate the results of the information gathering, treatments, and strategies.

(b)Cooperation and assistance

The Secretary shall—

(1)establish and carry out the program in cooperation with—

(A)scientists from colleges and universities (including forestry schools, land grant colleges and universities, and 1890 Institutions);

(B)Federal, State, and local agencies; and

(C)private and industrial landowners; and

(2)designate such colleges and universities to assist in carrying out the program.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

16 U.S.C. § 6553

Title 16, Conservation

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110