Pennsylvania Act 2017-25 — CONSERVATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES ACT - CONTRACTS AND AGREEMENTS

Act text

Session of 2017

No. 2017-25

HB 1494

AN ACT

Amending the act of June 28, 1995 (P.L.89, No.18), entitled "An act creating the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources consisting of certain functions of the Department of Environmental Resources and the Department of Community Affairs; renaming the Department of Environmental Resources as the Department of Environmental Protection; defining the role of the Environmental Quality Board in the Department of Environmental Protection; making changes to responsibilities of the State Conservation Commission and the Department of Agriculture; transferring certain powers and duties to the Department of Health; and repealing inconsistent acts," in Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, further providing for contracts and agreements.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1. Section 318 of the act of June 28, 1995 (P.L.89, No.18), known as the Conservation and Natural Resources Act, is amended by adding a subsection to read:

Section 318. Contracts and agreements.

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(a.1) Federal cooperative agreements.--The following apply:

(1) As authorized under section 8206 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (Public Law 113-79, 128 Stat. 921), the Commonwealth may enter into Federal cooperative agreements between the Governor or the Governor's designee and participating Federal agencies for the purposes of harvesting and selling timber, engaging in activities which promote artificial and natural forest regeneration and other activities to restore or improve the health of forests and watersheds and forested habitats upon Federal land within this Commonwealth.

(2) All money received from the sale of timber on Federal land under a Federal cooperative agreement shall be used to administer, implement and pay all costs associated with the Federal cooperative agreement.

(3) As authorized by Federal law and the Governor, employees of the department may conduct the activities specified under paragraph (1) on Federal land under the terms of a Federal cooperative agreement.

(4) As authorized by Federal law, the Governor or the Governor's designee may contract with private contractors for the purposes of conducting activities specified under paragraph (1) on Federal land under the terms of a Federal cooperative agreement.

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Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.

APPROVED--The 20th day of July, A.D. 2017.

TOM WOLF