Pub. L. 108-7, div. F, tit. III, sec. 323

Sec. 323. Section 347 of the Department of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1999 (as contained in section 101(e) of division A of Public Law 105–277; 16 U.S.C. 2104 note), is amended—(1) in subsection (a), by striking “September 30, 2004” and all that follows and inserting “September 30, 2013, the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management, via agreement or contract as appropriate, may enter into stewardship contracting projects with private persons or other public or private entities to perform services to achieve land management goals for the national forests and the public lands that meet local and rural community needs.”;(2) in subsection (b)(4)—(A) by striking “noncommercial cutting or removing of trees” and inserting “removing vegetation”; and(B) by striking “non-commercial objectives” and inserting “land management objectives”;(3) in subsection (c), by adding at the end a new paragraph as follows:“(5) Contracting officer.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary of Agriculture or the Secretary of the Interior may determine the appropriate contracting officer to enter into and administer an agreement or contract under subsection (a).”;(4) in subsections (c)(3), (d), (f), and (g), by inserting “and the Bureau of Land Management” after “Forest Service” each place it appears;(5) in the section heading, by striking “DEMONSTRATION PROJECT” and inserting “PROJECTS”;(6) in subsections (d)(2) and (f)(2)(B), by striking “demonstration” each place it appears;(7) in subsection (d)(3), by striking “the Secretary” both places it appears and inserting “the Forest Service or the Bureau of Land Management” and by inserting “or the public lands” after “National Forest System”; and(8) in subsection (g), by striking “each individual stewardship pilot project” and inserting “the stewardship contracting projects”.