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The FY 2004 President’s Budget contains several legislative proposals that significantly advance common sense forest health efforts of the President’s Healthy Forest Initiative to prevent the damage caused by catastrophic wildfires and move past “process gridlock” to improve the efficiency of agency land management.

Hazardous Fuels: The Administration will propose legislation that authorizes emergency fuels reduction projects in priority areas of Federal forests outside of wilderness areas. This would allow for timely treatment of forests at risk of catastrophic fire posing the greatest risk to people, communities, and the environment. First priority would be given to wildland-urban interface areas, municipal watersheds, and areas affected by disease, insect activity, wind throw, and susceptibility to catastrophic reburn. Projects would be selected through collaborative processes consistent with the 10-year Comprehensive Strategy and Implementation Plan.

Stewardship End Results Contracting: Legislation will be proposed to expand or clarify the agency’s authorities to work more efficiently and effectively with non-Federal entities. The complex patchwork of authorities and agreements associated with national forest management and timber of nominal commercial value has provided significant disincentives for private entities to engage in forest health restoration work. P.L. 106-291, the FY 2001 Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations, authorizes the USDA Forest Service to enter into 56 stewardship end result contracts. These contracts allow private parties to perform forest health work in exchange for forest products. The authority, expanded in the House version of the recent 2002 Farm Bill but dropped in conference, is slated to expire on September 30, 2004.

Partnership Authorities: To improve the agency’s ability to work with a wide variety of partners and optimize the use of limited Federal funds, legislation will be proposed to expand or clarify the agency’s authorities to work more efficiently and effectively with non-Federal entities. There are over 30 different laws relating to partnerships cited in Forest Service directives, and 14 different types of agreement instruments are used to document partnership relationships. Navigating this complex patchwork of authorities and agreements has hindered the agency’s ability to work efficiently and effectively with nonprofit and community partners. Future agency budgets cannot be expected to significantly increase, although demands for agency programs, forest and rangeland related research, and use of the national forests and national grasslands are predicted to grow. Legislation would help to clarify Congress’ intent, broaden the types of partnerships, complete projects amid budget constraints, and clarify the partnership role of the agency and its employees. Implementing programs and projects in partnership will be one way of meeting these increasing demands while releasing appropriated dollars for other priorities.

Repeal Appeals Reform Act: This proposed legislation would repeal Section 322 of the Department of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1993 (commonly known as the “Appeals Reform Act,” 16 U.S.C. 1612 note) that imposed procedural requirements on the Forest Service that are not required of any other Federal agency.

Standards of Judicial Review: To ensure that courts consider the public interest in avoiding irreparable harm to ecosystems and that the public interest in avoiding the short-term effects of such action is outweighed by the public interest in avoiding long-term harm to such ecosystems, the Administration will propose legislation to establish revised rules for courts in decisions that relate to activities necessary to restore fire-adapted forest and rangeland ecosystems.

Permanent Authority for Recreation Fee Demonstration Program: Proposed legislation would make permanent the current demonstration program and would authorize the Forest Service to retain and use recreation fees collected under the program.

Transfer Titles Acquired through Forest Legacy: To provide for consistent and rational ownership of lands previously acquired by the Forest Service through the Forest Legacy Program, legislation will be proposed to authorize properties originally acquired by the Forest Service in the name of the United States prior to the establishment of the State grant option to be more efficiently and effectively managed with title vested in the States.

Watershed Restoration and Enhancement Agreements: This proposal promotes the efficient and effective work associated with watershed restoration and enhancement as well as reducing fire hazards across multiple ownerships.

Facilities Acquisition and Enhancement Fund: In an attempt to improve efficiency and make the most economical use of limited funds, legislation will be proposed to authorize the Secretary to dispose of certain National Forest System lands and improvements and permit the use of proceeds for acquiring or developing land and for improvements for administrative purposes.

Pacific Islands: Restore Eligibility of the Three Entities in “Compacts of Free Association” for State and Private Forestry Programs: This proposed legislation would clarify Pacific Islands participation in State and Private Forestry (S&PF) programs. The proposal would authorize continued assistance.

Eliminate Requirements of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act that Duplicate the Government Performance and Results Act: A proposal to repeal selected parts of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 (RPA) would eliminate provisions that are duplicative of the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA). The proposal would bring older legislative authorities into accord with more recent enactments, while retaining reporting requirements and assessments.

Streamlined Management of Proclaimed Forests and Other Management Areas within Administrative Units: The proposed legislation would streamline management of proclaimed forests and other management areas within administrative units in order to reduce accounting transactions, improve productivity of financial staff, and support the Presidential Management Agenda by reducing indirect costs. Where several proclaimed forests have been combined into a single administrative unit, they would be financially managed by the same staff. However, some accounts must, by law, be tracked according to proclaimed forest while others are tracked according to administrative unit. This proposal seeks to streamline the accounting system by recording all transactions at the administrative unit level.