DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service forest service firefighting For an additional amount for “Forest service firefighting”, $256,700,000. national forest system For additional expenses associated with assessment or recovery on National Forest System lands from Hurricane Hugo and the Exxon Valdez oil spill of March 24, 1989, or for assessment and recovery on associated lands affected by the Exxon Valdez oil spill, $8,633,000, to remain available until September 30, 1991: Provided, That none of the funds made available by this or any other Act with respect to any fiscal year may be used by the Forest Service to make any reimbursements to any other Federal department for litigation costs associated with the Prince William Sound oil spill. construction Notwithstanding any other provision of law, funds originally appropriated under this head in Public Law 101–121, the Department of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1990, in the amount of $371,000 for the Forest Service for the construction of an addition to the Starkville, Mississippi, research office shall be available for a grant to Mississippi State University as the Federal share in the construction of a new University facility: Provided, That comparable space shall be provided to the Forest Service without charge for a reasonable period. settlement of claims, forest service The Forest Service is hereby authorized and directed to negotiate, compromise, and reach a determination on certain claims against the United States resulting from the Mink Fire (Bridger-Teton National Forest and Yellowstone National Park), Clover-Mist Fire (Yellowstone National Park and Shoshone National Forest), Storm Creek Fire (Yellowstone National Park and Gallatin-Custer National Forests), and Canyon Creek Fire (Lolo, Helena, Lewis and 104 STAT. 231Clark National Forests) which were originally classified as prescribed fires but subsequently became wildfires. The Forest Service is directed to negotiate, compromise, and reach a determination on the original claims, or the claims filed by an insurer subrogated to the rights of a claimant, and to negotiate any other claims filed within ninety days of the date of enactment of this Act. Notwithstanding any other provision of the law, the Secretary of the Treasury is authorized and directed to pay the amount of each determination from the Claims, Judgments, and Relief Act Fund (Public Law 95–26): Provided, That the Secretary of the Treasury shall make no payments for claims which are determined by the Forest Service or the Department of Justice to be invalid under current law: Provided further, That nothing in this section shall prohibit any claimant from filing an appeal of any determination made by the Forest Service, Department of Agriculture, or Department of Justice pursuant to current law.