(a) Postgraduation recruitment program.
(1) The purpose of the postgraduation recruitment program is to recruit Indian and Alaska Native graduate foresters and trained forestry technicians into the Bureau of Indian Affairs forestry program or forestry programs conducted by a tribe, tribal forest enterprise or ANCSA Corporation.
(2) The Secretary is authorized to assume outstanding student loans from established lending institutions of Indian and Alaska Native foresters and forestry technicians who have successfully completed a post-secondary forestry or forestry- related curriculum at an accredited institution.
(3) Indian and Alaska Natives receiving benefits under this program shall enter into an obligated service agreement in accordance with § 163.42(a) of this part. Obligated service required under this program will be one year for every $5,000 of student loan debt repaid.
(4) If the obligated service agreement is breached, the Secretary is authorized to pursue collection of the student loan(s) in accordance with § 163.42(b) of this part.
(b) Postgraduate intergovernmental internships.
(1) Forestry personnel working for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, a tribe, tribal forest enterprise or ANCSA Corporation may apply to the Secretary and be granted an internship within forestry-related programs of agencies of the Department of the Interior.
(2) Foresters or forestry-related personnel from other Department of the Interior agencies may apply through proper channels for internships within Bureau of Indian Affairs forestry programs and, with the consent of a tribe or Alaska Native organization, within tribal or Alaska Native forestry programs.
(3) Forestry personnel from agencies not within the Department of the Interior may apply, through proper agency channels and pursuant to an interagency agreement, for an internship within the Bureau of Indian Affairs and, with the consent of a tribe or Alaska Native organization, within a tribe, tribal forest enterprise or ANCSA Corporation.
(4) Forestry personnel from a tribe, tribal forest enterprise or ANCSA Corporation may apply, through proper channels and pursuant to a cooperative agreement, for an internship within another tribe, tribal forest enterprise or ANCSA Corporation forestry program.
(5) The employing agency of participating Federal employees will provide for the continuation of salary and benefits.
(6) The host agency for participating tribal, tribal forest enterprise or ANCSA Corporation forestry employees will provide for salaries and benefits.
(7) A bonus pay incentive, up to 25 percent of the intern's base salary, may be provided to intergovernmental interns at the conclusion of the internship period. Bonus pay incentives will be at the discretion of and funded by the host organization and will be conditioned upon the host agency's documentation of the intern's superior performance, in accordance with the agency's performance standards, during the internship period.
(c) Continuing education and training.
(1) The purpose of continuing education and training is to establish a program to provide for the ongoing education and training of forestry personnel employed by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, a tribe, tribal forest enterprise or ANCSA Corporation. This program will emphasize continuing education and training in three areas:
(i) Orientation training, including tribal-Federal relations and responsibilities;
(ii) Technical forestry education; and
(iii) Developmental training in forest land-based enterprises and marketing.
(2) The Secretary shall implement within the Bureau of Indian Affairs Division of Forestry, an orientation program designed to increase awareness and understanding of Indian culture and its effect on forest management practices and on Federal laws that affect forest management operations and administration in the Indian forestry program.
(3) The Secretary shall implement within the Bureau of Indian Affairs Division of Forestry, a continuing technical forestry education program to assist foresters and forestry-related professionals to perform forest management on Indian forest land.
(4) The Secretary shall implement, within the Bureau of Indian Affairs Division of Forestry, a forest land-based forest enterprise and marketing training program to assist with the development and use of Indian and Alaska Native forest resources.