forest land management activities
(4) “forest land management activities” means all activities performed in the management of Indian forest lands, including— (A) all aspects of program administration and executive direction such as— (i) development and maintenance of policy and operational procedures, program oversight, and evaluation, (ii) securing of legal assistance and handling of legal matters, (iii) budget, finance, and personnel management, and (iv) development and maintenance of necessary data bases and program reports; (B) all aspects of the development, preparation and revision of forest inventory and management plans, including aerial photography, mapping, field management inventories and re-inventories, inventory analysis, growth studies, allowable annual cut calculations, environmental assessment, and forest history, consistent with and reflective of tribal integrated resource management plans; (C) forest land development, including forestation, thinning, tree improvement activities, and the use of silvicultural treatments to restore or increase growth and yield to the full productive capacity of the forest environment; (D) protection against losses from wildfire, including acquisition and maintenance of fire fighting equipment and fire detection systems, construction of firebreaks, hazard reduction, prescribed burning, and the development of cooperative wildfire management agreements; (E) protection against insects and disease, including— (i) all aspects of detection and evaluation, (ii) preparation of project proposals containing project description, environmental assessments and statements, and cost-benefit analyses necessary to secure funding, (iii) field suppression operations, and (iv) reporting; (F) assessment of damage caused by forest trespass, infestation or fire, including field examination and survey, damage appraisal, investigation assistance, and report, demand letter, and testimony preparation; (G) all aspects of the preparation, administration, and supervision of timber sale contracts, paid and free use permits, and other Indian forest product harvest sale documents including— (i) cruising, product marking, silvicultural prescription, appraisal and harvest supervision, (ii) forest product marketing assistance, including evaluation of marketing and development opportunities related to Indian forest products and consultation and advice to tribes, tribal and Indian enterprises on maximization of return on forest products, (iii) archeological, historical, environmental and other land management reviews, clearances, and analyses, (iv) advertising, executing, and supervising contracts, (v) marking and scaling of timber, and (vi) collecting, recording and distributing receipts from sales; (H) provision of financial assistance for the education of Indians enrolled in accredited programs of postsecondary and postgraduate forestry and forestry-related fields of study, including the provision of scholarships, internships, relocation assistance, and other forms of assistance to cover educational expenses; (I) participation in the development and implementation of tribal integrated resource management plans, including activities to coordinate current and future multiple uses of Indian forest lands; (J) improvement and maintenance of extended season primary and secondary Indian forest land road systems; and (K) research activities to improve the basis for determining appropriate management measures to apply to Indian forest lands;