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The Forest Land Enhancement Program (FLEP) was adopted in the 2002 Farm Bill (Pub. L. 107-171, sec. 8002) as an amendment to the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978 (Pub. L. 95-313; 16 U.S.C. 2101 et seq.). FLEP replaced the Stewardship Incentives Program (SIP) and the Forestry Incentives Program (FIP). FLEP was optional in each State and was a voluntary program for non-industrial private forest (NIPF) landowners. It provided for technical, educational, and cost-share assistance to promote sustainability of the NIPF forests. The law provided FLEP with $100 million from the CCC through FY07. However, half of these funds were diverted to wildfire control in 2003; $40 million of those funds have not been replenished; and the spending authority was cancelled. Through section 8001 of the Agriculture Act of 2014, or the 2014 Farm Bill, Congress repealed FLEP.

Proposed Action: Remove subpart C from 36 CFR 230. Other programs, including the Forest Stewardship Program will continue to provide technical assistance to private forest landowners but with the repeal of FLEP, the Forest Service no longer has the authority to provide cost-share assistance to landowners for the implementation of forest management practices. Specifics: Remove subpart C from 36 CFR 230.