Effective Date
Enactment 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], see [section 4 of Pub. L. 110–246], set out as a note under section 8701 of Title 7, Agriculture.
Findings
[Pub. L. 110–234, title VIII, § 8003(a)], May 22, 2008, [122 Stat. 1281], and [Pub. L. 110–246, § 4(a)], title VIII, § 8003(a), June 18, 2008, [122 Stat. 1664], 2043, provided that: “Congress finds that—“(1)
the Forest Service projects that, by calendar year 2030, approximately 44,000,000 acres of privately-owned forest land will be developed throughout the United States;
“(2)
public access to parcels of privately-owned forest land for outdoor recreational activities, including hunting, fishing, and trapping, has declined and, as a result, participation in those activities has also declined in cases in which public access is not secured;
“(3)
rising rates of obesity and other public health problems relating to the inactivity of the citizens of the United States have been shown to be ameliorated by improving public access to safe and attractive areas for outdoor recreation;
“(4)
in rapidly-growing communities of all sizes throughout the United States, remaining parcels of forest land play an essential role in protecting public water supplies;
“(5)
forest parcels owned by local governmental entities and nonprofit organizations are providing important demonstration sites for private landowners to learn forest management techniques;
“(6)
throughout the United States, communities of diverse types and sizes are deriving significant financial and community benefits from managing forest land owned by local governmental entities for timber and other forest products; and
“(7)
there is an urgent need for local governmental entities to be able to leverage financial resources in order to purchase important parcels of privately-owned forest land as the parcels are offered for sale.”
[[Pub. L. 110–234] and [Pub. L. 110–246] enacted identical provisions. [Pub. L. 110–234] was repealed by [section 4(a) of Pub. L. 110–246], set out as a note under section 8701 of Title 7, Agriculture.]