Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 94 Part 2.djvu/1142

 94 STAT. 2420

PUBLIC LAW 96-487—DEC. 2, 1980 NATIONAL FOREST TIMBER UTILIZATION PROGRAM

16 USC 539d.

31 USC 1401 note. Forest materials purchasers, loan program.

Appropriation authorization.

Study, transmittal to Congress.

16 USC 1604.

SEC. 705. (a) The Congress authorizes and directs that the Secretary of the Treasury shall make available to the Secretary of Agriculture the sum of at least $40,000,000 annually or as much as the Secretary of Agriculture finds is necessary to maintain the timber supply from the Tongass National Forest to dependent industry at a rate of four billion five hundred million foot board measure per decade. Such sums will be drawn from receipts from oil, gas, timber, coal, and other natural resources collected by the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior notwithstanding any other law providing for the distribution of such receipts: Provided, That such funds shall not be subject to deferral or rescission under the Budget Impoundment and Control Act of 1974, and such funds shall not be subject to annual appropriation. (b)(1) The Secretary is authorized and directed to establish a special program of insured or guaranteed loans to purchasers of national forest materials in Alaska to assist such purchasers in the acquisition of equipment and the implementation of new technologies which lead to the utilization of wood products which might otherwise not be utilized. The Secretary is authorized to promulgate such regulations as he deems appropriate to define eligibility requirements for the participation in the loan program and the terms and conditions applicable to loans made under the program. Except as otherwise provided in this section or regulations promulgated specifically for this loan program, such program shall be carried out in a manner which is consistent with other authorities available to the Secretary. (2) To carry out the special loan program established by this section, there are hereby authorized beginning after the fiscal year 1980 to be appropriated $5,000,000 from National Forest Fund receipts, to be deposited in a special fund in the Treasury of the United States to remain available until expended. Repayments of principal and interest and other recoveries on loans authorized by this section shall be credited to this fund and shall remain available until expended in order to carry out the purposes of this section. (c) Within three years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall prepare and transmit to the Senate and House of Representatives a study of opportunities (consistent with the laws and regulations applicable to the management of the National Forest System) to increase timber yields on national forest lands in Alaska. (d) The provisions of this section shall apply notwithstanding the provisions of section 6(k) of the National Forest Management Act of 1976 (90 Stat. 2949). REPORTS

Transmittal to congressional committees. 16 USC 539e.

SEC. 706. (a) The Secretary is directed to monitor timber supply and demand in southeastern Alaska and report annually thereon to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs of the House of Representatives. If, at any time after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary finds that the available land base in the Tongass National Forest is inadequate to maintain the timber supply from the Tongass National Forest to dependent industry at the rate of four billion five hundred million foot board measure per decade, he shall include such information in his report. Review and re(b) Within five years from the date of enactment of this Act and port to Congress, every two years thereafter, the Secretary shall review and report to Congress on the status of the Tongass National Forest in southeast-

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