§ 2113. Federal, State, and local coordination and cooperation
(a)
Forest Resource Coordinating Committee
(1)
Establishment
The Secretary shall establish a committee, to be known as the “Forest Resource Coordinating Committee” (in this section referred to as the “Coordinating Committee”), to coordinate nonindustrial private forestry activities within the Department of Agriculture and with the private sector.
(2)
Composition
The Coordinating Committee shall be composed of the following:
(E)
Non-Federal representatives appointed by the Secretary to 3 year terms, although initial appointees shall have staggered terms, including the following persons:
(i)
At least three State foresters or equivalent State officials from geographically diverse regions of the United States.
(viii)
A representative from a State Technical Committee established under section
3861 of this title.
(3)
Chairperson
The Chief of the Forest Service shall serve as chairperson of the Coordinating Committee.
(4)
Duties
The Coordinating Committee shall—
(A)
provide direction and coordination of actions within the Department of Agriculture, and coordination with State agencies and the private sector, to effectively address the national priorities specified in section
2101
(c) of this title, with specific focus [1] owners of nonindustrial private forest land;
(B)
clarify individual agency responsibilities of each agency represented on the Coordinating Committee concerning the national priorities specified in section
2101
(c) of this title, with specific focus on nonindustrial private forest land;
(6)
Compensation
(A)
Federal members
Members of the Coordinating Committee who are full-time officers or employees of the United States shall receive no additional pay, allowances, or benefits by reason of their service on the Coordinating Committee.
(B)
Non-Federal members
Non-federal [2] members of the Coordinating Committee shall serve without pay, but may be reimbursed for reasonable costs incurred while performing their duties on behalf of the Coordinating Committee.
(b)
State Coordinating Committees
(1)
Establishment
(A)
In general
The Secretary, in consultation with the State forester or equivalent State official of each State, shall establish a State Forest Stewardship Coordinating Committee (hereafter referred to in this section as the “State Coordinating Committee”) for each such State.
(B)
Composition
The State Coordinating Committee shall be chaired and administered by the State forester, or equivalent State official, or the designee thereof, and shall be composed, to the extent practicable, of—
(i)
representatives from the Forest Service, Soil Conservation Service, Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service, and National Institute of Food and Agriculture;
(C)
Terms
The members of the State Coordinating Committee appointed under subparagraph (B)(ii) shall serve 3-year terms, with the initial members serving staggered terms as determined by the State forester or equivalent State official, and may be reappointed for consecutive terms.
(D)
Existing committees
Existing State forestry committees may be used to complement, formulate, or replace the State Coordinating Committees to avoid duplication of efforts if such existing committees are made up of membership that is similar to that described in subparagraph (B)(ii), and if such existing committees include landowners and the general public in their memberships.
(2)
Duties
A State Coordinating Committee shall—
(A)
consult with other Department of Agriculture and State committees that address State and private forestry issues;
(B)
make recommendations to the Secretary concerning the assignment of priorities and the coordination of responsibilities for the implementation of this chapter by the various Federal and State forest management agencies that take into consideration the mandates of each such agency;
(C)
make recommendations to the State forester or equivalent State official concerning the development of the State-wide assessment and strategy regarding forest resource conditions under section
2101a of this title; and
(D)
make recommendations to the Secretary concerning those forest lands that should be given priority for inclusion in the Forest Legacy Program established pursuant to section
2103c of this title.
[1] So in original. The word “on” probably should appear after “focus”.
[2] So in original. Probably should be “Non-Federal”.