§ 101702 — Cooperative Agreements

(a) A cooperative agreement entered into by the Secretary that involves the transfer of Service appropriated funds to a State, local, or tribal government or other public entity, an educational institution, or a private nonprofit organization to carry out public purposes of a Service program is a cooperative agreement properly entered into under section 6305 of title 31. (1) To facilitate the administration of the System, the Secretary, under such terms and conditions as the Secretary may consider advisable, may— (A) enter into cooperative agreements with public or private educational institutions, States, and political subdivisions of States to develop adequate, coordinated, cooperative research and training programs concerning the resources of the System; and (B) pursuant to an agreement, accept from and make available to the cooperator technical and support staff, financial assistance for mutually agreed upon research projects, supplies and equipment, facilities, and administrative services relating to cooperative research units that the Secretary considers appropriate. (2) This subsection does not waive any requirements for research projects that are subject to Federal procurement regulations. (c) To facilitate the administration of the System, the Secretary, under such terms and conditions as the Secretary considers advisable, may— (1) sell at fair market value, without regard to the requirements of chapters 1 to 11 of title 40 and division C (except sections 3302, 3307(e), 3501(b), 3509, 3906, 4710, and 4711) of subtitle I of title 41, products and services produced in the conduct of living exhibits and interpretive demonstrations in System units; (2) enter into contracts, including cooperative arrangements, with respect to living exhibits and interpretive demonstrations in System units; and (3) credit the proceeds from those sales and contracts to the appropriation bearing the cost of the exhibits and demonstrations. (1) The Secretary may enter into cooperative agreements with State, local, or tribal governments, other Federal agencies, other public entities, educational institutions, private nonprofit organizations, or participating private landowners for the purpose of protecting natural resources of System units through collaborative efforts on land inside and outside the System units. (2) A cooperative agreement entered into under paragraph (1) shall provide clear and direct benefits to System unit natural resources and— (A) provide for— (i) the preservation, conservation, and restoration of coastal and riparian systems, watersheds, and wetlands; (ii) preventing, controlling, or eradicating invasive exotic species that are within a System unit or adjacent to a System unit; or (iii) restoration of natural resources, including native wildlife habitat or ecosystems; (B) include a statement of purpose demonstrating how the agreement will— (i) enhance science-based natural resource stewardship at the System unit; and (ii) benefit the parties to the agreement; (C) specify any staff required and technical assistance to be provided by the Secretary or other parties to the agreement in support of activities inside and outside the System unit that will— (i) protect natural resources of the System unit; and (ii) benefit the parties to the agreement; (D) identify any materials, supplies, or equipment and any other resources that will be contributed by the parties to the agreement or by other Federal agencies; (E) describe any financial assistance to be provided by the Secretary or the partners to implement the agreement; (F) ensure that any expenditure by the Secretary pursuant to the agreement is determined by the Secretary to support the purposes of natural resource stewardship at a System unit; and (G) include such other terms and conditions as are agreed to by the Secretary and the other parties to the agreement. (3) The Secretary shall not use any funds associated with an agreement entered into under paragraph (1) for the purposes of land acquisition, regulatory activity, or the development, maintenance, or operation of infrastructure, except for ancillary support facilities that the Secretary determines to be necessary for the completion of projects or activities identified in the agreement.