Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 110 Part 1.djvu/1042

 110 STAT. 1018 PUBLIC LAW 104-127 —APR. 4, 1996 private grazing land may make informed decisions concerning vital grazing land resources; (8) agencies of the Department with private grazing land responsibilities are the agencies that have the expertise and experience to provide technical assistance, education, and research to owners and managers of private grazing land for the long-term productivity and ecological health of grazing land; (9) although competing demands on private grazing land resources are greater than ever before, assistance to private owners and managers of private grazing land is currently limited and does not meet the demand and basic need for adequately sustaining or enhancing the private grazing land resources; and (10) private grazing land can be enhanced to provide many benefits to all citizens of the United States through voluntary cooperation among owners and managers of the land, local conservation districts, and the agencies of the Department responsible for providing assistance to owners and managers of land and to conservation districts. (b) PURPOSE. —It is the purpose of this section to authorize the Secretary to provide a coordinated technical, educational, and related assistance program to conserve and enhance private grazing land resources and provide related benefits to all citizens of the United States by— (1) establishing a coordinated and cooperative Federal, State, and local grazing conservation program for management of private grazing land; (2) strengthening technical, educational, and related assistance programs that provide assistance to owners and managers of private grazing land; (3) conserving and improving wildlife habitat on private grazing land; (4) conserving and improving fish habitat and aquatic systems through grazing land conser\'ation treatment; (5) protecting and improving water quality; (6) improving the dependability and consistency of water supplies; (7) identifying and managing weed, noxious weed, and brush encroachment problems on private grazing land; and (8) integrating conservation planning and management decisions by owners and managers of private grazing land, on a voluntary basis. (c) DEFINITIONS. —In this section: (1) DEPARTMENT.—The term "Department" means the Department of Agriculture. (2) PRIVATE GRAZING LAND. —The term "private grazing land" means private. State-owned, tribally-owned, and any other non-federally owned rangeland, pastureland, grazed forest land, and hay land. (3) SECRETARY.—The term "Secretary" means the Secretary of Agriculture. (d) PRIVATE GRAZING LAND CONSERVATION ASSISTANCE.— (1) ASSISTANCE TO GRAZING LANDOWNERS AND OTHERS.— Subject to the availability of appropriations for this section, the Secretary shall establish a voluntary program to provide technical, educational, and related assistance to owners and managers of private grazing land and public agencies, through

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