§ 3110 — Tribal Forestry Programs

(a) The Secretary shall establish within the Bureau of Indian Affairs a program to provide financial support to forestry programs established by an Indian tribe. (1) The Secretary, with the participation of Indian tribes with Indian forest lands, shall establish, and promulgate by regulations, a formula— (A) for the determination of Indian tribes eligible for such support, (B) for the provision of levels of assistance for the forestry programs of such tribes, and (C) the allocation of base support funds to such tribes under the program established pursuant to subsection (a). (2) The formula established pursuant to this subsection shall provide funding necessary to support— (A) one professional forester, including fringe benefits and support costs, for each eligible tribe, and (B) one additional professional forester or forest technician, including fringe benefits and support costs, for each level of assistance for which an eligible Indian tribe qualifies. (3) In any fiscal year that appropriations are not sufficient to fully fund tribal forestry programs at each level of assistance under the formula required to be established in this section, available funds for each level of assistance shall be evenly divided among the tribes qualifying for that level of assistance.