§3115 Cooperative Agreement Between Department of the Interior and Indian Tribes

Summary

The Secretary of the Interior can make cooperative agreements with Indian tribes to run job training programs, create and share environmental and natural resource planning materials, and do land and facility work like forest and fire protection, reforestation, timber improvement, debris removal, and other land-management tasks when it benefits the public. The Secretary may advance or reimburse money for such work from appropriated funds, or provide materials, supplies, facilities, or equipment, without following section 3324 of title 31. Tribes and their employees can do the agreed work under Interior supervision in emergencies or whenever both sides agree, but they are not federal employees except for the specific purposes covered by sections 2671–2680 of title 28 and 8101–8193 of title 5. The Secretary can also enter other cooperative agreements allowed by law.