The State director of cooperative extension programs (hereinafter in this subchapter referred to as the “State director”) and the administrative heads of extension for eligible colleges and universities in each State shall jointly develop, by mutual agreement, a single comprehensive and coordinated renewable resources extension program in which the role of each eligible college and university is well-defined. In meeting this responsibility, the State director and the administrative heads of extension for eligible colleges and universities shall consult and seek agreement with the administrative technical representatives and the forestry representatives provided for by the Secretary in implementation of the Act of October 10, 1962 (76 Stat. 806–807, as amended; 16 U.S.C. 582a, 582a–1—582a–7), in the State. Each State’s renewable resources extension program shall be submitted to the Secretary annually. The National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and Economics Advisory Board established under section 3123 of title 7 shall review and make recommendations to the Secretary pertaining to programs conducted under this subchapter.

The State director and the administrative heads of extension for eligible colleges and universities in each State shall encourage close cooperation between extension staffs at the county and State levels, and State and Federal research organizations dealing with renewable resources, State and Federal agencies that manage forests and rangelands and their associated renewable resources, State and Federal agencies that have responsibilities associated with the processing or use of renewable resources, and other agencies or organizations the State director and administrative heads of extension deem appropriate.

Each State renewable resources extension program shall be administered and coordinated by the State director, except that, in States having colleges eligible to receive funds under the Act of August 30, 1890 (26 Stat. 417–419, as amended; 7 U.S.C. 321–326, 328), including Tuskegee Institute, the State renewable resources extension program shall be administered by the State director and the administrative head or heads of extension for the college or colleges eligible to receive such funds.

In meeting the provisions of this section, each State director and administrative heads of extension for eligible colleges and universities shall appoint and use one or more advisory committees comprised of forest and range landowners, professionally trained individuals in fish and wildlife, forest, range, and watershed management, and related fields, as appropriate, and other suitable persons.

For the purposes of this subchapter, the term “State” means any one of the fifty States, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the District of Columbia, and the Virgin Islands of the United States.

(Pub. L. 95–306, § 4, June 30, 1978, 92 Stat. 350; Pub. L. 104–127, title VIII, § 802(b)(3), Apr. 4, 1996, 110 Stat. 1159.)