II
110th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1646
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
June 18, 2007
Mr. Reid (for himself and Mr. Ensign) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
A BILL
To amend the Food Security Act of 1985 to require the Secretary of Agriculture to make cost-share and incentive payments for innovative fuels management conservation practices, including prescribed grazing management on private grazing land and practices that complement commensurate public land, to prevent the occurrence and spread of, and damages caused by, wildfires fueled by invasive species.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the
Wildfire Presuppression Fuels
Management Pilot Program Act of 2007
.
Findings
Congress finds that—
private grazing land in the United States has experienced dramatic increases in the levels of cheatgrass and other invasive or noxious weed species following wildfires; and
to address the needs of private landowners with respect to the protection and management of grazing land, the Secretary of Agriculture should provide cost-share and incentive payments to the landowners to develop fuels management plans and practices and to promote activities—
to protect areas of grazing land and wildlife habitat that have not been negatively affected by wildfire; and
to manage the risks of wildfires that occur—
on public land and rights-of-way from moving onto private grazing land; and
on private land from moving onto public land and right-of-way.
Fire presuppression conservation program
In general
Section 1240B of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa–2) is amended—
in subsection (a)—
in paragraph (1),
by striking 2010
and inserting 2012
; and
in paragraph (2)—
in
subparagraph (A), by striking and
at the end;
in
subparagraph (B), by striking the period at the end and inserting ;
and
; and
by adding at the end the following:
a producer that develops a fuels management conservation plan, approved by the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and subsequently implements a structural practice or a land management practice relating to fire presuppression on private grazing land as described in the approved conservation plan, shall be eligible to receive cost-share payments and annual incentive payments in accordance with subsection (i).
; and
by adding at the end the following:
Wildfire presuppression conservation program
In general
For each of fiscal years 2008 through 2012, the Secretary shall provide cost-share payments under subsection (d) and annual incentive payments under subsection (e) to producers that enter into contracts as described in paragraph (2) for activities described in paragraph (3).
Term of contracts
Notwithstanding subsection (b)(2)(A), a contract entered into under this subsection shall have a term of—
not less than 5 years; and
not more than 10 years.
Eligible activities
In addition to grants under section 1240H, the Secretary may provide cost-share payments and incentive payments under this subsection to producers for planning and carrying out innovative fuels management conservation plans on private grazing land to help prevent the occurrence and spread of, and damages caused by, wildfires fueled by invasive or noxious weed species, including activities relating to—
managed fuel breaks along a boundary between public and private land to reduce fuel load, including—
managed grazing practices and the technology required to implement such a practice; and
the use of brush strips or mosaic patches;
restoration of fire-damage areas using adapted plant material, with an emphasis on using native and adapted grasses and forbs to vegetate or revegetate the fire-damaged areas;
projects that receive expanded conservation innovation grants for technology transfer training programs relating to fuels management techniques;
protection or restoration of critical wildlife habitat; and
conservation practices designed to reduce and manage high fuel loads associated with woody plant species.
.
Conforming amendment
Section 1240H(b) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa–8(b)) is amended by striking paragraph (2) and inserting the following:
implement projects or activities, such as—
market systems for pollution reduction;
innovative conservation practices, including the storing of carbon in the soil; and
innovative grazing management activities described in section 1240B(i)(3); and
.