Agriculture

Forest Landscape Restoration Act

United States · United States Congress · 7 February 2008

Forest Landscape Restoration Act - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program to select and fund ecological restoration treatments for priority forest landscapes. Sets forth provisions concerning the eligibility criteria for, and nomination and selection of, collaborative forest landscape restoration proposals for carrying out such treatments. Requires the Secretary to establish a scientific advisory panel to evaluate, and provide recommendations on, any proposal with respect to: (1) the strength of the ecological case of the proposal for landscape restoration and the proposed restoration strategies; and (2) whether the proposal is likely to achieve reductions in long-term wildfire management costs. Authorizes the Secretary to establish a technical advisory panel to evaluate, and provide recommendations on, any proposal with respect to whether the proposal is likely to reduce the relative costs of carrying out treatments resulting from the use of woody biomass and small-diameter trees and to provide local economic benefit. Establishes the Collaborative Forest Landscape Fund, to be used for paying up to 50% of the cost of carrying out ecological restoration treatments on National Forest System land for each proposal selected. Requires: (1) creation of implementation work plans and budgets to implement proposals; (2) submission of annual reports on the accomplishments of selected proposals; (3) use of a multiparty monitoring, evaluation, and accountability process to assess the ecological, social, and economic effects of projects implementing proposals; and (4) submission of reports every five years on the Program.

Snoqualmie Pass Land Conveyance Act

United States · United States Congress · 6 February 2008

Snoqualmie Pass Land Conveyance Act - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to convey a specified parcel of National Forest System land to the King and Kittitas Counties Fire District No. 51 of King and Kittitas counties, Washington, to permit the District to use such parcel as a site for a new Snoqualmie Pass fire and rescue station.

Colorado Forest Insect Emergency Response Act of 2008

United States · United States Congress · 6 February 2008

Colorado Forest Insect Emergency Response Act of 2008 - Amends the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture or the Secretary of the Interior to designate an area of federal land in Colorado as an insect-emergency area if the area is: (1) subject to a widespread infestation of bark beetles or other insects; (2) characterized by insect-induced tree mortality that has, or within one year of the determination will have, produced a condition such that an immediate reduction in hazardous fuels is required in order to reduce the risks to human life and property or to a municipal water supply from a severe wildfire; and (3) identified for hazardous fuel reduction treatment in a community wildfire protection plan.

Forest Landscape Restoration Act of 2008

United States · United States Congress · 5 February 2008

Forest Landscape Restoration Act of 2008 - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program to select and fund ecological restoration treatments for priority forest landscapes. Sets forth provisions concerning the eligibility criteria for, and nomination and selection of, collaborative forest landscape restoration proposals for carrying out such treatments. Requires the Secretary to establish a scientific advisory panel to evaluate, and provide recommendations on, any proposal with respect to: (1) the strength of the ecological case of the proposal for landscape restoration and the proposed restoration strategies; and (2) whether the proposal is likely to achieve reductions in long-term wildfire management costs. Authorizes the Secretary to establish a technical advisory panel to evaluate, and provide recommendations on, any proposal with respect to whether the proposal is likely to reduce the relative costs of carrying out treatments resulting from the use of woody biomass and small-diameter trees and to provide local economic benefit. Establishes the Collaborative Forest Landscape Fund, to be used for paying up to 50% of the cost of carrying out ecological restoration treatments on National Forest System land for each proposal selected. Requires: (1) creation of implementation work plans and budgets to implement proposals; (2) submission of annual reports on the accomplishments of selected proposals; (3) use of a multiparty monitoring, evaluation, and accountability process to assess the ecological, social, and economic effects of projects implementing proposals; and (4) submission of reports every five years on the Program.

A resolution recognizing soil as an essential natural resource, and soils professionals as playing a critical role in managing our Nation's soil resources.

United States · United States Congress · 31 January 2008

Recognizes: (1) the necessity to develop and implement best practices for the long-term use of the nation's soil resources; and (2) the important role of soil scientists and soils professionals.

To authorize appropriations for the seafood inspection regime of the Food and Drug Administration.

United States · United States Congress · 29 January 2008

Authorizes appropriations to implement the seafood inspection regime of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

To establish the Orange Juice Promotion and Production Improvements Trust Fund.

United States · United States Congress · 29 January 2008

Establishes within the Treasury the Orange Juice Promotion and Production Improvements Trust Fund in order to provide grants to U.S. entities for the generic promotion of orange juice in the U.S. market. Requires such grants to be made only to entities that themselves provide funds on a matching basis.

NOMINATION HEARING OF THE HON. EDWARD T. SCHAFER, TO BE SECRETARY, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

United States · United States Senate · 24 January 2008

Colorado Forest Management Improvement Act of 2007

United States · United States Congress · 23 January 2008

Colorado Forest Management Improvement Act of 2007 [ sic ]- Directs the Secretaries of Agriculture and of the Interior to make grants to at-risk communities in Colorado to assist them in preparing, revising, or implementing a community wildfire protection plan. Amends the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 to authorize the use of fire department grant funds for the development and implementation of community wildfire protection plans. Directs the Secretaries to establish collection points for the placement of vegetative material removed from federal or other land as part of a hazardous fuel reduction project under this Act. Rewrites provisions governing the biomass commercial utilization grant program. Authorizes the Secretaries to designate as Healthy Forest Partnership Zones certain federal lands and non-federal lands adjacent to those lands that are at risk of uncharacteristically severe damage to at-risk communities or community water supply facilities from a wildland fire or an outbreak of insects or disease and require at least one management activity to reduce that risk. Allows the Secretaries to enter into contracts or other agreements with partnering entities to implement hazardous fuel reduction or other projects on federal land to complement similar projects on bordering or adjacent non-federal land. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to: (1) provide grant assistance to the Colorado Wood Program and the Forest Restoration Institute, and any other appropriate entities; and (2) collaborate with the Institute to research, develop, and transfer broader landscape treatment strategies and ways to integrate best science with community needs. Establishes the Colorado Forest Health Fund. Requires the Secretaries to provide grants for the Colorado fuels for schools program. Extends terms for stewardship end result contracting projects. Makes permanent the Secretaries' authority to enter into cooperative agreements and contracts for federal and state cooperative watershed restoration and protection. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to prepare fire-danger maps of forested lands.

Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Act of 2007

United States · United States Congress · 23 January 2008

Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Act of 2007 [ sic ] - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from gross income 100% of the gain, up to $500,000, from the sale of qualified farm property to a first-time farmer who certifies that such property will be used for farming purposes for 10 years. Allows: (1) a 50% exclusion for the sale of qualified farm property to any other person who certifies that such property will be used for farming purposes for 10 years; and (2) a 25% exclusion for the sale of qualified farm property to any other person for any other use. Defines "qualified farm property" as real property located in the United States which is used for farming purposes for a specified three-year period and in which there was material participation by the taxpayer or the taxpayer's spouse or family member. Requires the recapture of tax benefits if qualified farm property is sold or ceases operation as a farm before the required 10-year period.