Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 112 Part 4.djvu/329

 PUBLIC LAW 105-277—OCT. 21, 1998 112 STAT. 2681-300 Stat. 430, chapter 131; 16 U.S.C. 498); notwithstanding the fact that the timber purchasers did not harvest the timber. (f) PERFORMANCE AND PAYMENT GUARANTEES.— (1) IN GENERAL.— The Forest Service may require performance and payment bonds, in accordance with sections 103- 2 and 103-2 of part 28 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (48 C.F.R. 28.103-2, 28.103-3), in an amount that the contracting officer considers sufficient to protect the Government's investment in receipts generated by the contractor from the estimated value of the forest products to be removed under contract under subsection (a). (2) EXCESS OFFSET VALUE. —If the offset value of the forest products exceeds the value of the resource improvement treatments, the Forest Service may— (A) collect any residual receipts pursuant to the Act of June 9, 1930 (46 Stat. 527, chapter 416; 16 U.S.C. 576b); and (B) apply the excess to other authorized stewardship demonstration projects. (g) MONITORING, EVALUATION AND REPORTING. —The Forest Service shall establish a multiparty monitoring and evaluation process that accesses each individual stewardship contract conducted under this section. Besides the Forest Service, participants in this process may include any cooperating governmental agencies, including tribal governments, and any interested groups or individuals. The Forest Service shall report annually to the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate on—' (1) the status of development, execution, and administration of contracts under subsection (a); (2) the specific accomplishments that have resulted; and (3) the role of local communities in development of contract plans. SEC. 348. The Forest Service and the Federal Highway Administration shall make available to the State of Utah, $15,000,000 for construction of the Trappers Loop connector road. Such funds shall be made available from the Federal Land Highway Program, Public Lands Highways (Forests) funds. Such funds shall be made available prior to computation and aggregation of the state shares of such funds for other projects. SECTION 349. PROTECTION OF SANCTITY OF CONTRACTS AND 30 USC SI note. LEASES OF SURFACE PATENT HOLDERS WITH RESPECT TO COALBED METHANE GAS. (a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to subsection (b), the United States shall recognize as not infringing upon any ownership rights of the United States to coalbed methane any— (1) contract or lease covering any land that was conveyed by the United States under the Act entitled "An Act for the protection of surface rights of entr3rmen", approved March 3, 1909 (30 U.S.C. 81), or the Act entitled "An Act to provide for agricultural entries on coal lands", approved June 22, 1910 (30 U.S.C. 83 et seq.), that was— (A) entered into by a person who has title to said land derived under said Acts, and (B) that conveys rights to explore for, extract, and sell coalbed methane from said land; or (2) coalbed methane production from the lands described in subsection (a)(1) by a person who has title to said land

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