Quick Summary of Title VIII

1. FIP and SIP are gone.

2. New program called Forest Land Enhancement Program (FLEP) is created to:

(A) to provide financial assistance to State foresters; and

(B) to encourage the long-term sustainability of nonindustrial private forest lands in the United States by assisting the owners of nonindustrial private forest lands, through State foresters, in more actively managing the nonindustrial private forest lands and related resources of those owners through the use of State, Federal, and private sector resource management expertise, financial assistance, and educational programs.

3. FLEP has $100 million total for the period 2002/3 through 2007. ($20 million per year)

4. State foresters and state Stewardship Committees will oversee in consultation with other Federal, State, and local natural resource management agencies, institutions of higher education, and a broad range of private sector interests.

5. Objectives include:

(1) Investing in practices to establish, restore, protect, manage, maintain, and enhance the health and productivity of the nonindustrial private forest lands in the United States for timber, habitat for flora and fauna, soil, water, and air quality, wetlands, and riparian buffers.

(2) Ensuring that afforestation, reforestation, improvement of poorly stocked stands, timber stand improvement, practices necessary to improve seedling growth and survival, and growth enhancement practices occur where needed to enhance and sustain the long-term productivity of timber and nontimber forest resources to help meet future public demand for all forest resources and provide environmental benefits.

(3) Reducing the risks and helping restore, recover, and mitigate the damage to forests caused by fire, insects, invasive species, disease, and damaging weather.

(4) Increasing and enhancing carbon sequestration opportunities.

(5) Enhancing implementation of agroforestry practices.

(6) Maintaining and enhancing the forest landbase and leverage State and local financial and technical assistance to
owners that promote the same conservation and environmental values.

(7) Preserving the aesthetic quality of nonindustrial private forest lands and providing opportunities for outdoor recreation.

6. The State Forester and State Forest Stewardship Coordinating Committee of a State shall jointly develop and submit to the Secretary a State priority plan that is intended to promote forest management objectives in that State.

7. (2) TYPES OF ACTIVITIES.—Approved activities and practices under paragraph (1) may consist of activities and practices for the following purposes:

(A) The establishment, management, maintenance, and restoration of forests for shelterbelts, windbreaks, aesthetic quality, and other conservation purposes.

(B) The sustainable growth and management of forests for timber production.

(C) The restoration, use, and enhancement of forest wetland and riparian areas.

(D) The protection of water quality and watersheds through—

(i) the planting of trees in riparian areas; and

(ii) the enhanced management and maintenance of native vegetation on land vital to water quality.

(E) The management, maintenance, restoration, or development of habitat for plants, fish, and wildlife.

(F) The control, detection, monitoring, and prevention of the spread of invasive species and pests on nonindustrial private forest lands.

(G) The restoration of nonindustrial private forest land affected by invasive species and pests.

(H) The conduct of other management activities, such as the reduction of hazardous fuels, that reduce the risks to forests posed by, and that restore, recover, and mitigate the damage to forests caused by, fire or any other catastrophic event, as determined by the Secretary.

(I) The development of management plans;

(J) The conduct of energy conservation and carbon sequestration activities.

(K) The conduct of other activities approved by the Secretary, in consultation with the State forester and the appropriate Committees.

8. ENHANCED COMMUNITY FIRE PROTECTION section added with $35 million per year through 2007:

9. Among other things this Protection act says the following:

(C) to expand outreach and education programs to homeowners and communities about fire prevention;

10. SEC. 8101. SUSTAINABLE FORESTRY OUTREACH INITIATIVE; RENEWABLE RESOURCES EXTENSION ACTIVITIES.

SEC. 5B. SUSTAINABLE FORESTRY OUTREACH INITIATIVE.
11. The Secretary shall establish a program, to be known as the 'Sustainable Forestry Outreach Initiative', to educate landowners concerning the following:

(1) The value and benefits of practicing sustainable forestry.

(2) The importance of professional forestry advice in achieving sustainable forestry objectives.

(3) The variety of public and private sector resources available to assist the landowners in planning for and practicing sustainable forestry.

(b) RENEWABLE RESOURCES EXTENSION ACTIVITIES.—

(1) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Section 6 of the Renewable Resources Extension Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 1675) is amended by striking the first sentence and inserting the following: ''There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act $30,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2002 through 2007.