Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 118.djvu/1236

 118 STAT. 1206 PUBLIC LAW 108–317—OCT. 5, 2004 (A) to use ecological restoration treatments to reverse declining forest health and reduce the risk of severe wildfires across the forest landscape; and (B) to design, implement, monitor, and regularly revise representative wildfire treatments based on the use of adaptive ecosystem management; (5) to assist land managers in— (A) treating acres with restoration based applications; and (B) using new management technologies (including the transfer of understandable information, assistance with environmental review, and field and classroom training and collaboration) to accomplish the goals identified in— (i) the National Fire Plan; (ii) the report entitled ‘‘Protecting People and Sus taining Resources in Fire Adapted Ecosystems A Cohe sive Strategy’’ (65 Fed. Reg. 67480); and (iii) the report entitled ‘‘10 Year Comprehensive Strategy: A Collaborative Approach for Reducing Wildland Fire Risks to Communities and the Environ ment’’ of the Western Governors’ Association; (6) to provide technical assistance to collaborative efforts by affected entities to develop, implement, and monitor adaptive ecosystem management restoration treatments that are eco logically sound, economically viable, and socially responsible; and (7) to assist Federal and non Federal land managers in providing information to the public on the role of fire and fire management in dry forest and woodland ecosystems in the interior West. SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS. In this Act: (1) ADAPTIVE ECOSYSTEM MANAGEMENT.— (A) DEFINITION.—The term ‘‘adaptive ecosystem management’’ means a natural resource management process under which planning, implementation, monitoring, research, evaluation, and incorporation of new knowledge are combined into a management approach that— (i) is based on scientific findings and the needs of society; (ii) treats management actions as experiments; (iii) acknowledges the complexity of these systems and scientific uncertainty; and (iv) uses the resulting new knowledge to modify future management methods and policy. (B) CLARIFICATION.—This paragraph shall not define the term ‘‘adaptive ecosystem management’’ for the pur poses of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C. 1600 et seq.). (2) AFFECTED ENTITIES.—The term ‘‘affected entities’’ includes— (A) land managers; (B) stakeholders; (C) concerned citizens; and (D) the States of the interior West, including political subdivisions of the States. 16 USC 6703.

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