US Code

Public Law 119-73 (01/23/2026)

16 U.S.C. § 539d

National forest timber utilization program

(a)

Tongass National Forest timber supply; satisfaction of certain market demands

Public Law 94–588Subject to appropriations, other applicable law, and the requirements of the National Forest Management Act of 1976 (), except as provided in subsection (d) of this section, the Secretary shall, to the extent consistent with providing for the multiple use and sustained yield of all renewable forest resources, seek to provide a supply of timber from the Tongass National Forest which (1) meets the annual market demand for timber from such forest and (2) meets the market demand from such forest for each planning cycle.

(b)

Insured and guaranteed loan program for purchasers of national forests materials in Alaska; authorization of appropriations

(1)
The Secretary is authorized and directed to establish a special program of insured or guaranteed loans to purchasers of national forest materials in Alaska to assist such purchasers in the acquisition of equipment and the implementation of new technologies which lead to the utilization of wood products which might otherwise not be utilized. The Secretary is authorized to promulgate such regulations as he deems appropriate to define eligibility requirements for the participation in the loan program and the terms and conditions applicable to loans made under the program. Except as otherwise provided in this section or regulations promulgated specifically for this loan program, such program shall be carried out in a manner which is consistent with other authorities available to the Secretary.
(2)
To carry out the special loan program established by this section, there are hereby authorized beginning after the fiscal year 1980 to be appropriated $5,000,000 from National Forest Fund receipts, to be deposited in a special fund in the Treasury of the United States to remain available until expended. Repayments of principal and interest and other recoveries on loans authorized by this section shall be credited to this fund and shall remain available until expended in order to carry out the purposes of this section.
(c)

Study on increase of timber yields on national forest lands in Alaska; transmittal to Congress

Within three years after , the Secretary shall prepare and transmit to the Senate and House of Representatives a study of opportunities (consistent with the laws and regulations applicable to the management of the National Forest System) to increase timber yields on national forest lands in Alaska.

(d)

Identification of lands not suited for timber production; consideration of economic factors unnecessary

16 U.S.C. 1604(k)All provisions of section 6(k) of the National Forest Management Act of 1976 () shall apply to the Tongass National Forest except that the Secretary need not consider economic factors in the identification of lands not suited for timber production.

(e)

Protection of riparian habitat; maintenance of buffer zones in Tongass National Forest; relocation of prior independent sale or released volume

1

1 So in original. Probably should be capitalized.
In order to assure protection of riparian habitat, the Secretary shall maintain a buffer zone of no less than one hundred feet in width on each side of all Class I streams in the Tongass National Forest, and on those Class II streams which flow directly into a Class I stream, within which commercial timber harvesting shall be prohibited, except where independent national forest timber sales have already been sold prior to , or where volume has been released prior to , to either the Alaska Pulp Corporation or the Ketchikan Pulp Company pursuant to the long-term timber sale contracts numbered 12–11–010–1545 and A10fs–1042 respectively. If such an independent timber sale or released volume is within the buffer zone, the Secretary shall make every effort to relocate such independent sale or released volume to an area outside of the buffer zone. The Secretary shall use best management practices, as defined in the Region 10 Soil and Water Conservation handbook  (FSH 2509.22), January 1990, to assure the protection of riparian habitat on streams or portions of streams not protected by such buffer zones. For the purposes of this subsection, the terms “Class I streams” and “Class II streams” mean the same as they do in the Region 10 Aquatic Habitat Management Handbook (FSH 2609.24), June 1986.

(f)

Timber supply from Tongass National Forest for purchasers qualifying as “small business concerns”

Public Law 94–58815 U.S.C. 631Subject to appropriations, the provisions of this Act and other applicable law (including but not limited to the requirements of the National Forest Management Act of 1976 ()) and in order to assure the continuation of the Small Business Administration timber sale program, the Secretary shall, in consultation with the Administrator of the Small Business Administration and to the extent consistent with providing for the multiple use and sustained yield of all renewable forest resources, seek to provide a supply of timber from the Tongass National Forest to those purchasers qualifying as “small business concerns” under the Small Business Act as amended ( et seq.).

Pub. L. 96–487, title VII, § 70594 Stat. 2420Pub. L. 101–626, title I104 Stat. 4426(, , ; , §§ 101–103(a), 105(b), , , 4427.)

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Pub. L. 94–58890 Stat. 294916 U.S.C. 1604(k)section 1604(k) of this titlesection 1600 of this titleThe National Forest Management Act of 1976, referred to in subsecs. (a) and (f), is , , , which enacted sections 472a, 521b, 1600, and 1611 to 1614 of this title, amended sections 500, 515, 516, 518, 576b, and 1601 to 1610 of this title, repealed sections 476, 513, and 514 of this title, and enacted provisions set out as notes under sections 476, 513, 528, 594–2, and 1600 of this title. Section 6(k) of the Act (), probably means section 6(k) of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974, which is classified to , and which was added by section 6 of the Act. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title of 1976 Amendment note set out under and Tables.

Pub. L. 96–48794 Stat. 2371section 3101 of this titleThis Act, referred to in subsec. (f), is , , , known as the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under and Tables.

Pub. L. 85–536, § 272 Stat. 384section 631 of Title 15The Small Business Act, referred to in subsec. (f), is (1 et seq.), , , which is classified generally to chapter 14A (§ 631 et seq.) of Title 15, Commerce and Trade. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under and Tables.

Amendments

Pub. L. 101–626, § 101Provided1990—Subsec. (a). , added subsec. (a) and struck out former subsec. (a) which read as follows: “The Congress authorizes and directs that the Secretary of the Treasury shall make available to the Secretary of Agriculture the sum of at least $40,000,000 annually or as much as the Secretary of Agriculture finds is necessary to maintain the timber supply from the Tongass National Forest to dependent industry at a rate of four billion five hundred million foot board measure per decade. Such sums will be drawn from receipts from oil, gas, timber, coal, and other natural resources collected by the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior notwithstanding any other law providing for the distribution of such receipts: , That such funds shall not be subject to deferral or rescission under the Budget Impoundment and Control Act of 1974, and such funds shall not be subject to annual appropriation.”

Pub. L. 101–626, § 10290 Stat. 2949Subsec. (d). , added subsec. (d) and struck out former subsec. (d) which read as follows: “The provisions of this section shall apply notwithstanding the provisions of section 6(k) of the National Forest Management Act of 1976 ().”

Pub. L. 101–626, § 103(a)Subsec. (e). , added subsec. (e).

Pub. L. 101–626, § 105(b)Subsec. (f). , added subsec. (f).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Short Title of 1990 Amendment

Pub. L. 101–626, § 1(a)104 Stat. 4426

section 1132 of this titlesection 539e of this title“This Act [amending this section and sections 472a and 539e of this title, enacting provisions listed in a table of Wilderness Areas set out under , and enacting provisions set out as notes under this section and ] may be cited as the ‘Tongass Timber Reform Act’.”
, , , provided that:

Study Containing Recommendations on Need To Standardize Riparian Management Practices in Tongass National Forest

Pub. L. 101–626, title I, § 103(b)104 Stat. 4427, , , directed the Secretary of Agriculture, no later than one year after , to prepare and transmit to Congress a study containing recommendations on the need, if any, to standardize riparian management practices for Federal, State, and private lands within the Tongass National Forest.

Pub. L. 101–626Application of Amendments by to Certain Long-Term Timber Sale Contracts

Pub. L. 101–626, title I, § 105(c)104 Stat. 4428

section 472a of this title“The provisions of subsections (a) and (b) of this section [amending this section and ] shall not apply to the purchase of timber within the Tongass National Forest pursuant to the long-term timber sale contracts numbered 12–11–010–1545 and A10fs–1042 between the United States and the Alaska Pulp Corporation, and between the United States and the Ketchikan Pulp Company, respectively.”
, , , provided that:

Applicability of Subsection (a) From Until

Pub. L. 100–203, title V, § 5202101 Stat. 1330–267, , , provided that from the period beginning on , and extending until , the provisions of subsec. (a) of this section was not effective, and that in lieu thereof, the following provision was to apply: “There is hereby authorized to be appropriated the sum of at least $40,000,000 annually (or such sums as the Secretary of Agriculture determines necessary) to maintain the timber supply from the Tongass National Forest to dependent industry at a rate of 4,500,000,000 foot board measure per decade.”