§3113 Establishment of Indian and Alaska Native Forestry Education Assistance

Summary

The Secretary must create and keep at least 20 forester intern jobs in the Bureau of Indian Affairs for Indian and Alaska Native students, even if normal federal hiring rules would not allow it. A "forester intern" is an Indian or Alaska Native student training to become a forester and appointed to one of these jobs. The Bureau will cover tuition, books, fees, and living costs while the intern attends an approved full‑time forestry program. Each intern must sign an agreement to work as a professional forester or in a forestry job with the Bureau, an Indian tribe, or a tribal forest business for 2 years for every year the Bureau paid for school. Interns must also work for the Bureau during any school break longer than 3 weeks, and that time counts toward their service requirement. The Secretary must also run a cooperative education program, modeled on the program in effect on November 28, 1990, to recruit students from high schools, tribally controlled colleges, and other postsecondary schools. The Bureau will pay tuition, books, and fees for students in schools that have cooperative agreements; financial need is not required. Those students must agree to work 1 year for each year the Bureau paid. The Secretary may give scholarships to full‑time students in accredited forestry programs; scholarship recipients must agree to work 1 year per scholarship year for the Bureau, tribal programs, tribal enterprises, or programs under the Indian Self‑Determination Act. The Bureau must run outreach for Native youth about forest management careers and keep these programs going until enough qualified Indian foresters are trained to staff BIA and tribal forestry programs.