(a) Grants authorizedThe Secretary of Agriculture may make competitive grants to States, tribal governments, and research institutions to support the efforts of such States, tribal governments, and research institutions to promote the domestic maple syrup industry through the following activities:
(4) Encouragement of owners and operators of privately held land containing species of trees in the genus Acer—
(B)
to voluntarily make the land available, including by lease or other means, for access by the public for maple-sugaring activities.
(b) ApplicationIn submitting an application for a competitive grant under this section, a State, tribal government, or research institution shall include—
(2)
a description of the benefits that the State, tribal government, or research institution intends to achieve as a result of engaging in such activities; and
(3)
an estimate of the increase in maple-sugaring activities or maple syrup production that the State, tribal government, or research institution anticipates will occur as a result of engaging in such activities.
(d) Definition of maple-sugaring
In this section, the term “maple-sugaring” means the collection of sap from any species of tree in the genus Acer for the purpose of boiling to produce food.
(e) Regulations
The Secretary of Agriculture shall promulgate such regulations as are necessary to carry out this section.
(f) Authorization of appropriations
There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2023.
(Pub. L. 113–79, title XII, § 12306, Feb. 7, 2014, 128 Stat. 988; Pub. L. 115–334, title XII, § 12501, Dec. 20, 2018, 132 Stat. 4982.)