Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 114 Part 2.djvu/989

 PUBLIC LAW 106-393—OCT. 30, 2000 114 STAT. 1627 (8) not exceed a total annual cost of $150,000, with the Federal portion not exceeding $120,000 annually, nor exceed a total cost of $450,000 for the project, with the Federal portion of the total cost not exceeding $360,000; (9) leverage Federal funding through in-kind or matching contributions; and (10) include an agreement by each stakeholder to attend an annual workshop with other stakeholders for the purpose of discussing the cooperative forest restoration program and projects implemented under this title. The Secretary shall coordinate and fund the annual workshop. Stakeholders may use funding for projects authorized under this title to pay for their travel and per diem expenses to attend the workshop. SEC. 606. SELECTION PROCESS. (a) After consulting with the technical advisory panel established in subsection (b), the Secretary shall select the proposals that will receive funding through the Collaborative Forest Restoration Program. (b) The Secretary shall convene a technical advisory panel to evaluate the proposals for forest restoration grants and provide recommendations regarding which proposals would best meet the objectives of the Collaborative Forest Restoration Program. The technical advisory panel shall consider eligibility criteria established in section 605, the effect on long-term management, and seek to use a consensus-based decisionmaking process to develop such recommendations. The panel shall be composed of 12 to 15 members, to be appointed by the Secretary as follows: (1) A State Natural Resource official from the State of New Mexico. (2) At least two representatives from Federal land management agencies. (3) At least one tribal or pueblo representative. (4) At least two independent scientists with experience in forest ecosystem restoration. (5) Equal representation from— (A) conservation interests; (B) local communities; and (C) commodity interests. SEC. 607. MONITORING AND EVALUATION. The Secretary shall establish a multiparty monitoring and evaluation process in order to assess the cumulative accomplishments or adverse impacts of the Collaborative Forest Restoration Program. The Secretary shall include any interested individual or organization in the monitoring and evaluation process. The Secretary also shall conduct a monitoring program to assess the shortand long-term ecological effects of the restoration treatments, if any, for a minimum of 15 years. SEC. 608. REPORT. Deadline. No later than 5 years after the first fiscal year in which funding is made available for this program, the Secretary shall submit a report to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the United States Senate and the Committee on Resources of the United States House of Representatives. The report shall include an assessment on whether, and to what extent, the projects

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