The Act addresses the decline in revenue from timber harvest in recent years received on Federal land, which have historically been shared with counties. These funds have been used for schools and roads.

The purpose of the Act is to stabilize payments to counties that help support roads and schools, provide projects that enhance forest ecosystem health and provide employment opportunities, and to improve cooperative relationships among Federal land management agencies and those who use and care about the lands the agencies manage. A copy of the legislation can be found here.

The legislative history of P.L. 106-393 can be found on a directory page on the Thomas.loc.gov website. This directory includes links to committee reports and floor debate in the Congressional Record.

A more revealing approach to the legislative history and intent is found through what is posted on the internet by various interest groups. The National Forest Counties and Schools Coalition (NFCFC), the primary groups involved in supporting the legislation, includes a reference to the floor remarks of U.S. Rep. Larry Combest (R-CA), which shows one interpretation of the act and how it will be implemented.

On the other side of the debate were some interest groups concerned with or opposed to the legislation. The American Lands Alliance kept interested parties informed of the legislation with their blog that tracked the progress of the legislation. We also found on the Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics website a page detailing the history of P.L. 106-393 and FSEEE’s spin on their role in the legislation.

Implementation of P.L. 106-393 is also a topic of interest. The Forest Service has issued general implementation directives, guidelines and the like on its national website. The NFCFC posted implementation resources such as sample resolutions, and guidance on Title III of the legislation. In the early stages of implementation the American Lands Alliance posted their own alert.