Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 102 Part 3.djvu/649

 PUBLIC LAW 100-521—OCT. 24, 1988

102 STAT. 2601

Public Law 100-521 100th Congress An Act To provide for study and research on the decline in United States forest productivity and to determine the effects of atmospheric pollutants on forest environments, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the "Forest Ecosystems and Atmospheric Pollution Research Act of 1988". SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress finds that— (1) the health and productivity of forests in certain regions of the United States are declining; (2) there is a special concern about the decline of certain hardwood species, particularly sugar maples and oaks, in the eastern United States and the effects of atmospheric pollutants on the health and productivity of these forests; (3) declines in the productivity of certain commercially important Southern pine species have been measured; (4) existing research indicates that atmospheric pollution, including ozone, acidic deposition, and heavy metals, may contribute to this decline; (5) there is an urgent need to expand and better coordinate existing Federal, State, and private research, including research by private industry, to determine the cause of changes in the health and productivity of domestic forest ecosystems and to monitor and evaluate the effects of atmospheric pollutants on such ecosystems; and (6) such research and monitoring should not impede efforts to control atmospheric pollutants. SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF RESEARCH PROGRAM.

Section 3 of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Research Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 1642) is amended by adding at the end the following: "(c)(1) The Secretary, acting through the United States Forest Service, shall establish not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this subsection a 10-year program (hereinafter in this subsection referred to as the 'Program') to— "(A) increase the frequency of forest inventories in matters that relate to atmospheric pollution and conduct such surveys as are necessary to monitor long-term trends in the health and productivity of domestic forest ecosystems; "(B) determine the scope of the decline in the health and productivity of domestic forest ecosystems; "(C) accelerate and expand existing research efforts (including basic forest ecosystem research) to evaluate the effects of at-

Oct. 24, 1988 [H.R. 2399]

Forest Ecosystems and Atmospheric Pollution Research Act of 1988 16 USC 1600 note. 16 USC 1642 note.

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