---
kind: "section"
citation: "16 U.S.C. § 2113"
title: "16"
title_heading: "Conservation"
number: "2113"
heading: "Federal, State, and local coordination and cooperation"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/16/2113"
units:
  - "Chapter 41 — Cooperative Forestry Assistance"
---

# §2113. Federal, State, and local coordination and cooperation

- (a) **Forest Resource Coordinating Committee—**
  - (1) **Establishment—** The [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1) shall establish a committee, to be known as the “Forest Resource Coordinating Committee” (in this section referred to as the “Coordinating Committee”), to coordinate nonindustrial private forestry activities within the Department of Agriculture and with the private sector.
  - (2) **Composition—** The Coordinating Committee shall be composed of the following:
    - (A) The Chief of the Forest Service.
    - (B) The Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service.
    - (C) The Director of the Farm Service Agency.
    - (D) The Director of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
    - (E) Non-Federal representatives appointed by the [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1) to 3 year terms, although initial appointees shall have staggered terms, including the following [persons](/usc/16/450rr–1.md?p=b):
      - (i) At least three [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a) foresters or equivalent [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a) officials from geographically diverse regions of the United States.
      - (ii) A representative of a [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a) [fish and wildlife](/usc/16/3102.md?p=17) agency.
      - (iii) An [owner](/usc/16/429b–3.md?p=4) of nonindustrial private forest land.
      - (iv) A forest industry representative.
      - (v) A conservation organization representative.
      - (vi) A land-grant university or college representative.
      - (vii) A private forestry consultant.
      - (viii) A representative from a [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a) Technical Committee established under [section 3861 of this title](/usc/16/3861.md).
    - (F) Such other [persons](/usc/16/450rr–1.md?p=b) as determined by the [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1) to be appropriate.
  - (3) **Chairperson—** The Chief of the Forest Service shall serve as chairperson of the Coordinating Committee.
  - (4) **Duties—** The Coordinating Committee shall—
    - (A) provide direction and coordination of actions within the Department of Agriculture, and coordination with [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a) agencies and the private sector, to effectively address the national priorities specified in [section 2101(c) of this title](/usc/16/2101.md?p=c), with specific focus[^1] [owners](/usc/16/429b–3.md?p=4) of nonindustrial private forest land;
    - (B) clarify individual agency responsibilities of each agency represented on the Coordinating Committee concerning the national priorities specified in [section 2101(c) of this title](/usc/16/2101.md?p=c), with specific focus on nonindustrial private forest land;
    - (C) provide advice on the allocation of funds, including the competitive funds set-aside by [section 2109a of this title](/usc/16/2109a.md); and
    - (D) assist the [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1) in developing and reviewing the report required by [section 2101(d) of this title](/usc/16/2101.md?p=d).
  - (5) **Meeting—** The Coordinating Committee shall meet annually to discuss progress in addressing the national priorities specified in [section 2101(c) of this title](/usc/16/2101.md?p=c) and issues regarding nonindustrial private forest land.
  - (6) **Compensation—**
    - (A) **Federal members—** Members of the Coordinating Committee who are full-time officers or employees of the United States shall receive no additional pay, allowances, or benefits by reason of their service on the Coordinating Committee.
    - (B) **Non-Federal members—** Non-federal[^2] members of the Coordinating Committee shall serve without pay, but may be reimbursed for reasonable costs incurred while performing their duties on behalf of the Coordinating Committee.
- (b) **State Coordinating Committees—**
  - (1) **Establishment—**
    - (A) **In general—** The [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1), in consultation with the [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a) forester or equivalent [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a) official of each [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a), shall establish a [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a) Forest Stewardship Coordinating Committee (hereafter referred to in this section as the “[State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a) Coordinating Committee”) for each such [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a).
    - (B) **Composition—** The [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a) Coordinating Committee shall be chaired and administered by the [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a) forester, or equivalent [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a) official, or the designee thereof, and shall be composed, to the extent practicable, of—
      - (i) representatives from the Forest Service, Soil Conservation Service, Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service, and National Institute of Food and Agriculture;
      - (ii) representatives, to be appointed by the [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a) forester or equivalent [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a) official, representative of—
        - (I) local government;
        - (II) consulting foresters;
        - (III) environmental organizations;
        - (IV) forest products industry;
        - (V) forest land [owners](/usc/16/429b–3.md?p=4);
        - (VI) land-[trust](/usc/16/450ss–1.md?p=4) organizations, if applicable in the [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a);
        - (VII) conservation organizations;
        - (VIII) the [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a) [fish and wildlife](/usc/16/3102.md?p=17) agency; and
        - (IX) the [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a) Technical Committee.
      - (iii) any other individuals determined appropriate by the [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1).
    - (C) **Terms—** The members of the [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a) Coordinating Committee appointed under [subparagraph (B)(ii)](#b-1-B-ii) shall serve 3-year terms, with the initial members serving staggered terms as determined by the [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a) forester or equivalent [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a) official, and may be reappointed for consecutive terms.
    - (D) **Existing committees—** Existing [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a) forestry committees may be used to complement, formulate, or replace the [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a) Coordinating Committees to avoid duplication of efforts if such existing committees are made up of membership that is similar to that described in [subparagraph (B)(ii)](#b-1-B-ii), and if such existing committees include landowners and the general public in their memberships.
  - (2) **Duties—** A [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a) Coordinating Committee shall—
    - (A) consult with other Department of Agriculture and [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a) committees that address [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a) and private forestry issues;
    - (B) make recommendations to the [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1) concerning the assignment of priorities and the coordination of responsibilities for the implementation of this chapter by the various Federal and [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a) forest management agencies that [take](/usc/16/3102.md?p=18) into consideration the mandates of each such agency;
    - (C) make recommendations to the [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a) forester or equivalent [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a) official concerning the development of the [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a)-wide assessment and strategy regarding forest resource conditions under [section 2101a of this title](/usc/16/2101a.md); and
    - (D) make recommendations to the [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1) concerning those [forest lands](/usc/16/544.md?p=f) that should be given priority for inclusion in the Forest Legacy Program established pursuant to [section 2103c of this title](/usc/16/2103c.md).
  - (3) **Termination—** The [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a) Coordinating Committees shall not terminate.
  - (4) **Rule of construction—** Nothing in this section shall be construed to compel action by any [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a) official.

## Footnotes

[^1]: So in original. The word “on” probably should appear after “focus”.
[^2]: So in original. Probably should be “Non-Federal”.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 95–313, § 19, as added Pub. L. 101–624, title XII, § 1222, Nov. 28, 1990, 104 Stat. 3540; amended Pub. L. 110–234, title VII, § 7511(c)(37), title VIII, §§ 8005, 8006, May 22, 2008, 122 Stat. 1271, 1284, 1285; Pub. L. 110–246, § 4(a), title VII, § 7511(c)(37), title VIII, §§ 8005, 8006, June 18, 2008, 122 Stat. 1664, 2032, 2045–2047; Pub. L. 115–334, title VIII, § 8102(b)(2), Dec. 20, 2018, 132 Stat. 4839.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Codification

Pub. L. 110–234 and Pub. L. 110–246 made identical amendments to this section. The amendments by Pub. L. 110–234 were repealed by section 4(a) of Pub. L. 110–246.

### Amendments

2018—Subsec. (a)(4)(C). Pub. L. 115–334 substituted “section 2109a” for “sections 2109a and 2109b”.

2008—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 110–246, § 8005, added subsec. (a) and struck out former subsec (a) which related to: in par. (1) establishment of a Forest Resource Coordinating Committee; in par. (2) composition of the Committee; in par. (3) designation of a chairperson; and in par. (4) duties of the Committee.

Subsec. (b)(1)(B)(i). Pub. L. 110–246, § 7511(c)(37), substituted “National Institute of Food and Agriculture” for “Extension Service”.

Subsec. (b)(1)(B)(ii)(IX). Pub. L. 110–246, § 8006(1), added subcl. (IX).

Subsec. (b)(2)(C). Pub. L. 110–246, § 8006(2), substituted “the State-wide assessment and strategy regarding forest resource conditions under section 2101a of this title” for “a Forest Stewardship Plan under paragraph (3)”.

Subsec. (b)(3) to (6). Pub. L. 110–246, § 8006(3), (4), redesignated pars. (5) and (6) as (3) and (4), respectively, and struck out former pars. (3) and (4) which related to development of a Forest Stewardship Plan and authorized the use of other plans if they fully conformed to section objectives.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date of 2008 Amendment

Amendment of this section and repeal of Pub. L. 110–234 by Pub. L. 110–246 effective May 22, 2008, the date of enactment of Pub. L. 110–234, except as otherwise provided, see section 4 of Pub. L. 110–246, set out as an Effective Date note under section 8701 of Title 7, Agriculture.

Amendment by section 7511(c)(37) of Pub. L. 110–246 effective Oct. 1, 2009, see section 7511(c) of Pub. L. 110–246, set out as a note under section 1522 of Title 7, Agriculture.