The Secretary may cooperate with State foresters and equivalent State officials in the management of lands in the United States for the following purposes:
The Secretary shall establish a Community and Private Land Fire Assistance program (in this subsection referred to as the "Program")-
The Program shall be administered by the Forest Service and implemented through State foresters or equivalent State officials.
In coordination with existing authorities under this chapter, the Secretary, in consultation with the State forester or equivalent State official, may undertake on non-Federal lands-
Program activities undertaken by the Secretary on non-Federal lands shall be undertaken only with the consent of the owner of the lands.
The Secretary shall use persons in the local community wherever possible to carry out projects under the Program.
In carrying out this section, the Secretary shall consult with the Administrator of the United States Fire Administration, the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the heads of other Federal agencies, as necessary.
There are hereby authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section-
16 U.S.C. § 2106c
STATUTORY NOTES AND RELATED SUBSIDIARIES
FINDINGS FOR ENHANCED COMMUNITY FIRE PROTECTION Pub. L. 107-171, title VIII, §8003(a), May 13, 2002, 116 Stat. 473, provided that: "Congress finds the following: "(1) The severity and intensity of wildland fires has increased dramatically over the past few decades as a result of past fire and land management policies."(2) The record 2000 fire season is a prime example of what can be expected if action is not taken. "(3) Wildland fires threaten not only the forested resources of the United States, but also the thousands of communities intermingled with the wildlands in the wildland-urban interface."(4) The National Fire Plan, if implemented to achieve appropriate priorities, is the proper, coordinated, and most effective means to address the issue of wildfires."(5) While adequate authorities exist to tackle the wildfire issues at the landscape level on Federal lands, there is limited authority to take action on most private lands, and the largest threat to life and property exists on private lands."(6) There is a significant Federal interest in enhancing community protection from wildfire."