,i  #aacth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #dedi  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,may #a1 #bjad ,mr4  
,duffy introduced the following bill2   
which was referred to the ,committee on 
,agriculture  ,a ,,bill  ,to require the
 ,forest ,service to meet annual volume 
targets for timber harvesting in the    
management of a unit of the ,national   
,forest ,system and to provide for the  
transfer of such management             
responsibility to the ,state in which   
the unit is located when such targets   
are not consistently met1 and for other 
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,strong ,forests    
,grow ,strong ,communities ,act of      
#bjad4  #b4 ,definitions ,in this ,act3 
7#a7 ,annual volume requirement  7,a7   
,in general ,the term annual volume     
requirement1 with respect to a unit of  
the ,national ,forest ,system1 means a  
volume of national forest materials no  
less than #ej percent of the sustained  
yield of the unit4  7,b7 ,exclusions ,in

 determining the volume of national     
forest materials or the sustained yield 
of a ,forest ,reserve ,revenue ,area1   
the ,secretary may not include          
non-commercial post and pole sales and  
personal use firewood4  7#b7            
,appropriate congressional committees   
,the term appropriate congressional     
committees means--  7,a7 the ,committee 
on ,agriculture and the ,committee on   
,natural ,resources of the ,house of    
,representatives2 and  7,b7 the         
,committee on ,agriculture1 ,nutrition1 
and ,forestry and the ,committee on     
,energy and ,natural ,resources of the  
,senate4  7#c7 ,national forest         
materials ,the term national forest     
materials has the meaning given that    
term in section #ad7;e77#a7 of the      
,national ,forest ,management ,act of   
#aigf 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #dgb;a7e77#a774    
7#d7 ,national forest system ,the term  
,national ,forest ,system has the       
meaning given that term in section      
#aa7;a7 of the ,forest and ,rangeland   

,renewable ,resources ,planning ,act of 
#aigd 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #afji7;a771 except 
that the term does not include the      
,national ,grasslands and land          
utilization projects designated as      
,national ,grasslands administered      
pursuant to the ,act of ,july #bb1 #aicg
 7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #ajaj-ajab74  7#e7       
,secretary ,the term ,secretary means   
the ,secretary of ,agriculture4  7#f7   
,sustained yield ,the term sustained    
yield means the maximum annual growth   
potential of the forest calculated on   
the basis of the culmination of mean    
annual increment using cubic            
measurement4  7#g7 ,state ,the term     
,state includes the ,commonwealth of    
,puerto ,rico4  #c4 ,annual volume      
requirement  7a7 ,publication ,not later
 than #cj days after the date of the    
enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary  
shall publish in the ,federal ,register1
 make available on the website of the   
,forest ,service1 and submit to the     
appropriate congressional committees the

 annual volume requirement for each unit
 of the ,national ,forest ,system4  7b7 
,revision ,upon publication of the      
annual volume requirement for a unit of 
the ,national ,forest ,system under     
subsection 7a71 the ,secretary may not  
reduce the annual volume requirement for
 that unit without the consent of       
,congress in a law enacted after the    
date of the enactment of this ,act4  #d4
 ,management of ,national ,forest       
,system lands to satisfy annual volume  
requirements  7a7 ,requirement ,to      
achieve annual volume requirement ,the  
,secretary shall manage the sale of     
national forest materials in each unit  
of the ,national ,forest ,system in the 
manner necessary so that the annual     
volume requirement for that unit is met 
each calendar year4  7b7 ,application of
 land and resource management plan ,the 
,secretary may modify the standards and 
guidelines contained in the land and    
resource management plan for a unit of  
the ,national ,forest ,system as        

necessary so as to meet the annual      
volume requirement for that unit4  7c7  
,compliance with endangered species act 
7#a7 ,non-jeopardy assessment ,if the   
,secretary determines that a sale of    
national forest materials may affect the
 continued existence of any species     
listed as endangered or threatened under
 section #d of the ,endangered ,species 
,act of #aigc 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #aecc71 the
 ,secretary shall issue a determination 
explaining the view of the ,secretary   
that the proposed sale is not likely to 
jeopardize the continued existence of   
the species4  7#b7 ,submission1 review1 
and response  7,a7 ,submission ,the     
,secretary shall submit a determination 
issued by the ,secretary under paragraph
 7#a7 to the ,secretary of the ,interior
 or the ,secretary of ,commerce1 as     
appropriate4  7,b7 ,review and response 
,within #cj days after receiving a      
determination under subparagraph 7,a71  
the ,secretary of the ,interior or the  
,secretary of ,commerce1 as appropriate1

 shall provide a written response to the
 ,secretary concurring in or rejecting  
the ,secretary's determination4 ,if the 
,secretary of the ,interior or the      
,secretary of ,commerce rejects the     
determination1 the written response     
shall include recommendations for       
measures that--  7i7 will avoid the     
likelihood of jeopardy to an endangered 
or threatened species2  7ii7 can be     
implemented in a manner consistent with 
the intended purpose of the sale2  7iii7
 can be implemented consistent with the 
scope of the ,secretary's legal         
authority and jurisdiction2 and  7iv7   
are economically and technologically    
feasible4  7#c7 ,formal consultation ,if
 the ,secretary of the ,interior or the 
,secretary of ,commerce rejects a       
determination issued by the ,secretary  
under paragraph 7#a71 the ,secretary of 
the ,interior or the ,secretary of      
,commerce also is required to engage in 
formal consultation with the ,secretary4
 ,the ,secretaries shall complete such  

consultation pursuant to section #g of  
the ,endangered ,species ,act of #aigc  
7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #aecf7 within #ij days   
after the submission of the written     
response under paragraph 7#b74  #e4     
,state management of ,national ,forest  
,system lands when annual volume        
requirements are not met  7a7 ,request  
by state ,to manage unit  7#a7          
,submission of request2 when authorized 
,if the ,secretary fails to meet the    
annual volume requirement for a unit of 
the ,national ,forest ,system for five  
calendar years1 whether consecutively or
 over a longer than five-year period1   
the ,state in which the unit is located 
may submit to the ,secretary a request  
to enter into a cooperative agreement   
with the ,secretary for purposes of     
managing the unit4  7#b7 ,role of       
political subdivisions ,a ,state that   
undertakes the management of a unit of  
the ,national ,forest ,system under this
 section may conduct such management    
directly1 through an agreement with a   

political subdivision of the ,state in  
which ,national ,forest ,system lands of
 that unit are located1 or through      
contracts with third parties4  7#c7     
,treatment of units located in multiple 
states ,if a unit of the ,national      
,forest ,system is located in more than 
one ,state1 a ,state's request under    
paragraph 7#a7 shall cover only those   
,national ,forest ,system lands of that 
unit located in that ,state4  7b7       
,approval of request ,not later than #ij
 days after the date on which the       
,secretary receives the request under   
subsection 7a71 the ,secretary shall    
approve the request and enter into the  
cooperative agreement unless the        
,secretary determines that--  7#a7 the  
,state has failed to demonstrate that it
 has sufficient funds to manage the unit
 of the ,national ,forest ,system for   
the production of national forest       
materials2  7#b7 the request is         
incomplete2 or  7#c7 the proposed       
cooperative agreement submitted with the

 request fails to address all of the    
items specified in subsection 7f74  7c7 
,opportunity ,to amend request  7#a7    
,notice of denial ,if the ,secretary    
denies a request received under         
subsection 7a7 on the basis of one or   
more of the reasons authorized by       
subsection 7b71 the ,secretary shall    
provide the ,state with a clear and     
comprehensive statement of--  7,a7 the  
reasons why the request was denied2 and 
7,b7 any deficiencies in the request or 
the related proposed cooperative        
agreement4  7#b7 ,resubmission ,after   
receiving a notice from the ,secretary  
under paragraph 7#a71 a ,state may amend
 and resubmit the denied request4  7d7  
,request and cooperative agreement      
deemed approved ,if the ,secretary does 
not approve or deny a request submitted 
under subsection 7a7 or 7c77#b7 within  
the #ij days after receiving the        
request1 the request and the proposed   
cooperative agreement submitted with the
 request shall be deemed approved4  7e7 

,request contents ,a request submitted  
under subsection 7a7 shall include--    
7#a7 a letter signed by the ,governor of
 the ,state addressed to the ,secretary 
that identifies the unit of the         
,national ,forest ,system that the      
,state will manage for the production of
 national forest materials2  7#b7 the   
proposed cooperative agreement for      
,state management of the unit2  7#c7 the
 proposed role of political subdivisions
 of the ,state in the management of     
,national ,forest ,system lands of the  
unit located within the political       
subdivisions2 and  7#d7 documentation   
that demonstrates the ability of the    
,state to provide sufficient funds to   
manage the unit for the duration of the 
cooperative agreement4  7f7 ,elements of
 cooperative agreement ,the cooperative 
agreement entered into by the ,secretary
 and the ,governor of a ,state for the  
management of a unit of the ,national   
,forest ,system shall address the       
following3  7#a7 ,the ,state's          

management of the unit after the        
effective date of the transfer of       
management to the ,state for a specified
 term of years4  7#b7 ,a cost-sharing   
agreement under which the ,state will   
provide a certain amount 7equal to not  
less than #ej percent71 in cash or      
in-kind1 of the total amount required   
for the management of the unit4  7#c7   
,the amount to be contributed by the    
,state shall be determined by the       
,governor of the ,state and the         
,secretary1 only after the ,secretary   
submits to the ,state a categorical     
assessment of all costs1 in the recent  
past and anticipated during the duration
 of the cooperative agreement1 of       
managing the unit1 including employee   
salary data4  7#d7 ,in the event of a   
natural disaster1 as categorized by the 
,federal ,emergency ,management ,agency1
 the ,state shall assume authority over 
recovery initiatives 7nullifying any    
existing established ,federal response  
protocol7 so that--  7,a7 the cost of   

damages to any structure on the unit be 
shared by both ,state and ,federal      
entities at a ratio in accordance to the
 cost-sharing agreement2 and  7,b7 the  
cost and administration of repair of    
damages resulting from natural          
disasters1 not including structures     
referred to in subparagraph 7,a71 shall 
be assumed by the ,state rather than the
 ,federal ,government4  7#e7 ,all       
revenue accrued from fees1 royalties1   
and other revenues related to the unit  
shall be distributed to the ,state and  
,federal entities in accordance to the  
percentages dictated by the cost-sharing
 agreement and shall be used so that the
 percentage of funds designated to the  
,federal entity shall be made available 
to the ,secretary for use at the sole   
discretion of the ,secretary4  7#f7 ,the
 procedures to be followed for purposes 
of the transition from ,federal to      
,state management of the unit1          
including--  7,a7 a guarantee that all  
,federal employees managing the unit may

 remain employed without infringement   
upon their existing conditions of       
employment2  7,b7 a guarantee that the  
,state may use its percentage of the    
amounts required for the management of  
the unit to hire additional staff whose 
terms of employment shall be decided by 
the ,state2 and  7,c7 authority over the
 unit shall be directed by the ,state   
and a ,state-appointed manager1 but the 
implementation of its directives may    
include the existing ,federal           
superintendent concerned and performed  
in conjunction with ,state employees4   
7#g7 ,the transfer to the ,state of any 
special use permits issued to the       
,secretary with respect to the unit4    
7#h7 ,a provision stating that lands    
currently open to mineral entry under   
the ,act of ,may #aj1 #ahgb 7commonly   
referred to as the ,general ,mining ,act
 of #ahgb2 #cj ,u4,s4,c4 #bb et seq471  
shall remain open to mineral entry under
 ,state law unless subsequently changed 
by a ,state mineral closing order4  7g7 

,applicability of state law on          
qualifying federal lands under          
cooperative agreement ,state            
environmental1 wildlife1 and land       
management laws shall supercede ,federal
 environmental1 wildlife1 and land      
management laws on a unit of the        
,national ,forest ,system managed by a  
,state under a cooperative agreement in 
place under this section4  7h7          
,ownership ,notwithstanding ,state      
management of a unit of the ,national   
,forest ,system under a cooperative     
agreement entered into under this       
section1 the ,united ,states shall      
retain all right1 title1 and interest in
 and to the ,national ,forest ,system   
lands within the unit4  7i7 ,termination
 of cooperative agreement ,a cooperative
 agreement applicable under this section
 shall terminate1 at the discretion of  
the ,secretary1 under the following     
circumstances3  7#a7 ,the ,state        
defaults on a payment1 thereby requiring
 ,federal entities to assume            

responsibility for the financial        
liabilities4  7#b7 ,the ,state is in    
substantial breach of the cooperative   
agreement as determined by a court of   
the ,united ,states4  7#c7 ,the         
cooperative agreement terminates under a
 term contained in that agreement4  #f4 
,annual report  7a7 ,report required    
,not later than #fj days after the end  
of each calendar year1 the ,secretary   
shall submit to the appropriate         
congressional committees an annual      
report specifying--  7#a7 the annual    
volume requirement in effect for that   
calendar year for each unit of the      
,national ,forest ,system2  7#b7 the    
units that did not meet the annual      
volume requirement2  7#c7 the units     
under ,state management pursuant to     
section #e2  7#d7 the volume of board   
feet actually harvested for each unit2  
7#e7 the average cost of preparation for
 sales of national forest materials2 and
  7#f7 the revenues generated from such 
sales4  7b7 ,form of report ,in addition

 to submitting each report to ,congress1
 the ,secretary shall also make the     
report available on the website of the  
,forest ,service4