FY 2010 Congressional Directives Responses

Official responses to Congressional requests for information are provided below along with short descriptions of the requests.

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New Energy Frontier - Balancing Energy Development on Federal Lands

Congressional request: Relating to a Congressional Directive in House Report 111-316. Congress directs the Department of the Interior to submit a report in consultation with the Forest Service on the criteria used for siting renewable energy projects, including the extent to which protection of scenic landscapes, ridgetops, water resources, habitat including that for endangered species, and shorelines.

New Energy Frontier Report Bill Language (pdf, 256 kb)

New Energy Frontier Letters (pdf, 162 kb)

New Energy Frontier Report (pdf, 8,932 kb)

September Federal Land Assistance, Management and Enhancement (FLAME) Act Forecast For the USDA Forest Service

Congressional request: Relating to a Congressional Directive in House Report 111-316. Congress requests the Forest Service to provide an estimate of anticipated wildfire suppression costs to improve budgeting and funding during the first weeks of March, May and July of each year, as well as during the first weeks of September of each year where appropriations for the Department of the Interior and the Forest Service have not been passed for the coming fiscal year by September 1.

FY2010 FLAME September Bill Language (pdf, 174 kb)

FY2010 FLAME September Letters (pdf, 432 kb)

FY2010 FLAME September Report (pdf, 459 kb)

Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy

Congressional request: Relating to a Congressional Directive in House Report 111-316, Title V -FLAME Act of 2009, Section 503, Cohesive Wildfire Management Strategy. Not later than one year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture, acting jointly, shall submit to Congress a report that contains a cohesive wildfire management strategy, consistent with the recommendations described in recent reports of the Government Accountability Office regarding management strategies.

A National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy (pdf, 1765 kb)

Cohesive Strategy Bill Language (pdf, 111 kb)

Cohesive Strategy Letters (pdf, 1165 kb)

The Fed Land Assistance Mgmt and Enhancement Act of 2009 (pdf, 1330 kb)

Travel Management Rule

Congressional request: Relating to a Congressional Directive in Senate Report 111-38, Recreation, Heritage, and Wilderness. Within 60 days of enactment, the Service is directed to provide a report to the Committee outlining the process that it will use, by region, to ensure compliance of conducting a science-based analysis of the roads system, identifying unneeded roads, and complying with appropriate criteria to designate roads and trails, as defined by 36 CFR 212.5 and 212.55, including a timeline for implementation.

Travel Management Rule Bill Language (pdf, 82.3 kb)

Travel Management Rule Letters and Report (pdf, 550 kb)

Pineros/Guest Workers

Congressional request: Relating to a Congressional Directive in Senate Report 111-38, Committee Recommendation, Other. The Committee is concerned by reports of employment and workplace safety violations related to the employment of foreign guest workers, known as pineros, by contractors operating on national forest lands. By March 1, 2010, the Service is directed to provide a report to the Committee detailing planned and actual monitoring, investigation and enforcement activities, including information regarding violations of employment or safety standards, for fiscal years 2009 and 2010. The Service is also directed to make this report available to the general public on its website.

Pineros Workers Letters (pdf, 148 kb)

Pineros Workers Report (pdf. 1.63 mb)

Pineros Workers Bill Language (pdf, 119 kb)

Large Fire Cost Review for 2009

Congressional request: Relating to a Congressional Directive in House Report 111-316, Wildfire Suppression Operations. The conferees reiterate that both the Interior Department and the Forest Service should ensure that cost containment is an important priority when suppressing wildland fires. Both Departments must examine and report promptly to the Congress and on agency websites, using independent panels, on each and every individual wildfire incident which results in suppression expenses greater than $10,000,000.

Large Fire Costs Review for 2009 Report (pdf, 1.80 mb)

Large Fire Cost Review for 2009 Letters & Errata Sheet (pdf, 2.50 mb)

Large Fire Cost Review Bill Language (pdf, 171 kb)

Quincy Library Group, Herger-Feinstein QLG

Congressional request: Relating to a Congressional Directive in Public Law 105-277, Title IV - The Herger-Feinstein Quincy Library Group, Forest Recovery Act, and Senate Report 111-38. The Committee directs the Secretary of Agriculture to submit to Congress a report on the status of the pilot project, including the source and use of funds, the acres treated, a description of the results, a description of the economic benefits to the local communities, a comparison of the revenues generated by, and costs incurred in, the implementation of the resource management activities, and activities planned for the following year.

Quincy Library Group Report (pdf, 4.12 mb)

Quincy Library Group Bill Language (pdf, 172 kb)

Quincy Library Group Letters (pdf, 256 kb)

National Environmental Policy Act - Analysis for Grazing Permits

Congressional request: Relating to a Congressional Directive in Public Law 108-108, Title III - General Provisions, Section 325. Beginning in November 2004, and every year thereafter, the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture shall report to Congress the extent to which they are completing analysis required under applicable laws prior to the expiration of grazing permits, and beginning in May 2004, and every two years thereafter, the Secretaries shall provide Congress recommendations for legislative provisions necessary to ensure all permit renewals are completed in a timely manner.

NEPA Accomplishments Report and Letters (pdf, 523 kb)

NEPA Accomplishments Bill Language (pdf, 184 kb)

Unobligated Land and Water Conservation Fund Balances

Congressional request: Relating to a Congressional Directive in Senate Report 108-89, Land Acquisition. The Committee directs the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Park Service, and the Forest Service to report to the Committee by May 1 of each year on any unobligated balances remaining at the field unit level. The report should identify carryover by the fiscal year appropriated, and should specifically quantify appropriations made more than 3 fiscal years prior.

LWCF - Unobligated Balances as of 033110 Letters and Report (pdf, 2.63mb)

LWCF - Unobligated Balances as of 033110 Bill Language (pdf, 65.4 kb)

Fire Suppression Cost Estimate for FY 2010

Fire Suppression Cost Estimate for FY2010 - Bill Language (pdf, 125kb)

FY2010 FLAME Report Letters (pdf, 604kb)

FY2010 FLAME Report Enclosure 1 (pdf, 3589kb)

FY2010 FLAME Report Enclosure 2 (pdf, 70kb)

Heritage Resource Accomplishments and Funding Allocations

Congressional request: Relating to a Congressional Directive in Senate Report 111-38. Congress directs the Forest Service to provide a report no later than September 30, 2010 detailing heritage resource program accomplishments and funding allocations for each region and each national forest for fiscal years 2009 and 2010.

Heritage Resource Accomplishments and Funding Bill Language (pdf, 172kb)

Heritage Resource Accomplishments and Funding Letters (pdf, 143kb)

Heritage Resource Accomplishments and Funding Report (pdf, 5073kb)

Timber Sales Pipeline Restoration Report

Congressional request: Relating to a Congressional Directive in Public Law 104-134, Title III - General Provisions, Section 327 of Timber Sales Pipeline Restoration Funds. The Secretary concerned shall report annually to the Committees on Appropriations of the United States Senate and the House of Representatives on expenditures made from the Fund of timber sales and recreation projects, revenues received into the Fund from timber sales, timber sale preparation and recreation project work undertaken during the previous year and projected for the next year under the Fund. Such information shall be provided for each Forest Service region and Bureau of Land Management State office.

Timber Sales Pipeline Restoration Bill Language (pdf, 87kb)

Timber Sales Pipeline Restoration Letters and Report (pdf, 1108kb)

Illegal Drug Cultivation

Congressional request: Relating to a Congressional Directive in Section 104 of the Office of National Drug Control Policy Reauthorization Act of 2006, P.L. 109-469. The Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior are directed to provide a joint report to the Office of National Drug Control Policy and appropriate congressional committees detailing the assessment of the quantity of illegal drug cultivation and manufacturing in the United States on lands owned or under the jurisdiction of the Federal Government no later than July 1 of each year for the preceding year.

Illegal Drug Cultivation Bill Language (pdf, 95kb)

Illegal Drug Cultivation Letters and Report (pdf, 11.2mb)

Legacy Roads and Trails Remediation

Congressional request: Relating to a Congressional Directive in House Report 111-180.Congress directs the Forest Service to provide a report utilizing public input to help select projects for decommissioned and fixed roads and trails in environmentally sensitive areas, report back to the Committee within 120 days of enactment on the selected projects, and display its selection process and implementation activities on the agency's web site.

Legacy Roads Bill Language (pdf, 171kb)

Legacy Roads Letters (pdf, 156kb)

Legacy Roads Report - Region 1 Projects (pdf, 255kb)

Legacy Roads Report - Region 2 Projects (pdf,100kb)

Legacy Roads Report - Region 3 Projects (pdf, 96kb)

Legacy Roads Report - Region 4 Projects (pdf, 85kb)

Legacy Roads Report - Region 5 Projects (pdf, 216kb)

Legacy Roads Report - Region 6 Projects (pdf, 256kb)

Legacy Roads Report - Region 8 Projects (pdf, 68kb)

Legacy Roads Report - Region 9 Projects (pdf, 206kb)

Legacy Roads Report - Region 10 Projects (pdf, 38kb)

Quincy Library Group

Congressional request: Relating to a Congressional Directive in Senate Report 111-38. Congress requests the Forest Service to provide a report detailing the actual number of acres treated in fiscal year 2009 and the updated number of acres planned for treatment in fiscal year 2010 within 60 days of enactment.

Quincy Library Group Bill Language (pdf, 141kb)

Quincy Library Group Report Included in Letter (pdf, 1.83mb)

Program of Work for Threat Assessment Centers

Congressional request: Relating to a Congressional Directive in House Report 109-80. Congress requests the Forest Service to provide detailed work plans, including costs and staffing, for the new Western Wildland Environmental Threat Assessment Center in Oregon and the Eastern Forest Environmental Threat Assessment Center in North Carolina.

WW&EF Environment Threat Assessment Centers Bill Language (pdf, 141kb)

WW&EF Environment Threat Assessment Centers Letters & Report (pdf, 3.2mb)

Suppression Cost Forecasts and Simulation Forecast FY 2010

Fire Suppression Bill Language (pdf, 159kb)

Fire Suppression Letters and Report (pdf, 4.5mb)

Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration (CFLR) Projects

Congressional request: Relating to a Congressional Directive in Senate Report 111-38, Committee Recommendation. The Committee expects the Service to use $10,000,000 of this increase to begin implementation of projects authorized by the Forest Landscape Restoration Act (Public Law 111–11). The Service is directed to provide a report to the Committee by March 1, 2010 that details the projects selected for implementation, estimated project costs, and the criteria used for their selection.

Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Projects Bill Language 1 (pdf, 128 kb)

Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Projects Bill Language 2 (pdf, 152 kb)

Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Projects Letters (pdf, 128 kb)

Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Projects Report (pdf, 229 kb)

Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration (CFLR)

Congressional request: Relating to a Congressional Directive in the Forest Landscape Restoration Act (Public Law 111–11). The Service is directed to provide a report that details projects selected for implementation, estimated project costs, and the criteria used for their selection by March 1, 2010.

Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Bill Language (pdf, 166kb)

Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Letters (pdf, 6.1mb)

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) Project Lists

Congressional request: Relating to a Congressional Directive in House Report 111-316. Congress requests the Forest Service to provide a comprehensive list of all projects selected for Recovery Act, funding within 30 days of enactment

ARRA Projects Letters (pdf, 563kb)

ARRA Projects January Report (pdf, 166kb)

DDBR#404-0 ARRA Transmittal (pdf, 47kb)

DDBR#404-1 All USFS ARRA Projects Announced as of 6/9/2009 (pdf, 1.43mb)

DDBR#404-2 List of USFS approved ARRA Projects 11/12/2009 (pdf, 492kb)

DDBR#404-3 ARRA Project Proposal and Review Strategy (pdf, 90kb)

DDBR#404-4 ARRA Performance Measures (pdf, 31kb)

Firefighting Recruitment and Retention Plan in Region 5

Congressional request: Relating to the Forest Service finalizing or implementing a comprehensive plan to improve firefighter recruitment and retention in Region 5. Congress requires the Forest Service to provide a comprehensive recruitment and retention plan, including a full spending plan for the funds appropriated in P.L. 110-329, to the Committees by no later than March 1, 2009.

Firefighter Retention Bill Language (pdf, 145 kb)

Firefighter Retention and Recruitment Letters and Report (pdf, 2.81mb)

Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) Program Proposed Accomplishments

Congressional request: Relating to the expansion of the Forest Service’s Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program. Within 90 days of enactment, Congress requires the Forest Service to provide a report detailing proposed FIA program accomplishments, including sites that have been selected for additional monitoring and the criteria used to select those sites.

Forest Inventory and Analysis Bill Language (pdf, 159kb)

Forest Inventory and Analysis Letters and Report (pdf, 4.55mb)

Federal Airtanker Needs and Replacement Costs

Congressional request: Relating to readiness required for public safety Congress requires the Forest Service to provide a copy of its report on Federal airtanker needs including an estimate of replacement costs, within 30 days of enactment of this Act.

Airtanker Needs Bill Language (pdf, 135kb)

Airtanker Needs Letter (pdf, 155kb)

FSNIAC Strategy Report - September 2009 (pdf, 1mb)

Emerald Ash Borer Program

Congressional request: Relating to a Congressional Directive in House Report 111-180. Congress requests the Forest Service to provide a report on the Emerald Ash Borer Program and the overall scientific, monitoring, technology development and urban and rural response to clean-up and restore damaged areas.

Emerald Ash Borer Letter (pdf, 43kb)

Emerald Ash Borer Report (pdf, 861kb)

Emerald Ash Borer Bill Language (pdf, 98 kb)