Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 112 Part 1.djvu/585

 PUBLIC LAW 105-185-JUNE 23, 1998 112 STAT. 559 data necessary to make timely and effective management decisions.". (b) HIGH PRIORITY FORESTRY AND RANGELAND RESEARCH AND EDUCATION.— Section 3 of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Research Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 1642) is amended by striking subsection (d) and inserting the following: "(d) HIGH PRIORITY FORESTRY AND RANGELAND RESEARCH AND EDUCATION.— "(1) IN GENERAL. —The Secretary may conduct, support, and cooperate in forestry and rangeland resesirch and education that is of the highest priority to the United States and to users of public and private forest land and rangeland in the United States. "(2) PRIORITIES.— The research and education priorities include the following: "(A) The biology of forest organisms and rangeland organisms. "(B) Functional characteristics and cost-effective management of forest and rangeland ecosystems. "(C) Interactions between humans and forests and rangeland. "(D) Wood and forage as a raw material. "(E) International trade, competition, and cooperation. " (3) NORTHEASTERN STATES RESEARCH COOPERATIVE.—The Secretary may cooperate with the northeastern States of New Hampshire, New York, Maine, and Vermont, land-grant colleges and universities of those States, natural resources and forestry schools of those States, other Federal agencies, and other interested persons in those States to coordinate and improve ecological and economic research relating to agricultural research, extension, and education, including— "(A) research on ecosystem health, forest management, product development, economics, and related fields; "(B) research to assist those States and landowners in those States to achieve sustainable forest management; "(C) technology transfer to the wood products industry of technologies that promote efficient processing, pollution prevention, and energy conservation; "(D) dissemination of existing and new information to landowners, public and private resource managers. State forest citizen advisory committees, and the general public through professional associations, publications, and other information clearinghouse activities; and "(E) analysis of strategies for the protection of areas of outstanding ecological significance or high biological diversity, and strategies for the provision of important recreational opportunities and traditional uses, including strategies for areas identified through State land conservation planning processes.". (c) FOREST INVENTORY AND ANALYSIS.— Section 3 of the Forest and Rangelgind Renewable Resources Research Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 1642) is amended by adding at the end the following: "(e) FOREST INVENTORY AND ANALYSIS.— "(1) PROGRAM REQUIRED.—In compliance with other applicable provisions of law, the Secretary shall establish a program to inventory and analyze, in a timely manner, public and private forests and their resources in the United States.

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