The Secretary shall maintain a program to provide financial support to qualifying tribal forestry programs. A qualifying tribal forestry program is an organization or entity established by a tribe for purposes of carrying out forest land management activities. Such financial support shall be made available through the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (Pub. L. 93-638, as amended).

The authorized tribal representatives of any category 1, 2, or 3 reservation (as defined under § 163.36(b)(1)-(3)) with an established tribal forestry program or with an intent to establish such a program for the purpose of carrying out forest land management activities may apply and qualify for tribal forestry program financial support. Reservation categories, as determined by the Secretary, are defined as:

Category 1 includes major forested reservations comprised of more than 10,000 acres of trust or restricted commercial timberland or having more than a one million board foot harvest of forest products annually.

Category 2 includes minor forested reservations comprised of less than 10,000 acres of trust or restricted commercial timberland and having less than a one million board foot harvest of forest products annually, or whose forest resource is determined by the Secretary to be of significant commercial timber value.

Category 3 includes significant woodland reservations comprised of an identifiable trust or restricted forest area of any size which is lacking a timberland component, and whose forest resource is determined by the Secretary to be of significant commercial woodland value.

A group of tribes that has either established or intends to establish a cooperative tribal forestry program to provide forest land management services to their reservations may apply and qualify for tribal forestry program financial support. For purposes of financial support under this provision, the cooperative tribal forestry program and the commercial forest acreage and annual allowable cut which it represents may be considered as a single reservation.

Before the beginning of each Federal fiscal year, tribes applying to qualify for forestry program financial support shall submit application packages to the Secretary which:

Document that a tribal forestry program exists or that there is an intent to establish such a program;

Describe forest land management activities and the time line for implementing such activities which would result from receiving tribal forestry program financial support; and

Document commitment to sustained yield management.

Tribal forestry program financial support shall provide professional and technical services to carry out forest land management activities and shall be based on levels of funding assistance as follows:

Level one funding assistance shall be equivalent to a Federal Employee General Pay Schedule GS 9 step 5 position salary plus an additional 40 percent of the annual salary for such a position to pay for fringe benefits and support costs;

Level two funding assistance shall be equivalent to an additional Federal Employee General Pay Schedule GS 9 step 5 position salary plus an additional 40 percent of the annual salary for such a position to pay for fringe benefits and support costs; and

Level three funding assistance shall be based on equal distribution of remaining funds among qualifying applicants.

Determination of qualification for level of funding assistance shall be as follows:

A funding level qualification value shall be determined for each eligible applicant using the formula below. Such formula shall only be used to determine which applicants qualify for level one funding assistance. Acreage and allowable cut data used in the formula shall be as maintained by the Secretary. Eligible applicants with a funding level qualification value of one (1) or greater shall qualify for level one assistance.

All category 1 or 2 reservations that are eligible applicants under § 163.36(d) of this part are qualified and eligible for level two assistance.

All category 1, 2 or 3 reservations that are eligible applicants under § 163.36(d) of this part are qualified and eligible for level three assistance.

Tribal forestry program financial support funds shall be distributed based on the following:

All requests from reservations qualifying for level one funding assistance must be satisfied before funds are made available for level two funding assistance;

All requests from reservations qualifying for level two funding assistance must be satisfied before funds are made available for level three funding assistance; and

If available funding is not adequate to satisfy all requests at a particular level of funding, funds will be evenly divided among tribes qualifying at that level.