54 U.S.C. § 101702 — Cooperative agreements

(a) Transfer of Service Appropriated Funds. If a cooperative agreement transfers Service appropriated funds to a State, local, or tribal government, another public entity, an educational institution, or a private nonprofit organization, to carry out the public purposes of a Service program, that agreement counts as a cooperative agreement properly made under section 6305 of title 31. (b) Cooperative Research and Training Programs. (1) To help run the System, the Secretary may: (A) make cooperative agreements with public or private schools, States, and their political subdivisions to build coordinated research and training programs about the System's resources; and (B) under such an agreement, give to (or accept from) the cooperator technical and support staff, financial assistance for research projects both sides agree to, supplies, equipment, facilities, and administrative services related to cooperative research units the Secretary finds appropriate. (2) This subsection does not excuse research projects from any Federal procurement regulations that would otherwise apply. (c) Sale of Products and Services Produced in the Conduct of Living Exhibits and Interpretive Demonstrations. To help run the System, the Secretary may: (1) sell, at fair market value, products and services made in the course of living exhibits and interpretive demonstrations at System units — without having to follow certain federal procurement rules (chapters 1 to 11 of title 40, and most of division C of subtitle I of title 41, except a short list of specific sections); (2) make contracts, including cooperative arrangements, related to those living exhibits and demonstrations; and (3) put the money earned from these sales and contracts back into the appropriation that pays for the exhibits and demonstrations. (d) Cooperative Agreements for System Unit Natural Resource Protection. (1) The Secretary may make cooperative agreements with State, local, or tribal governments, other federal agencies, other public entities, schools, private nonprofits, or willing private landowners. The purpose must be protecting a System unit's natural resources, through joint work on land both inside and outside the unit. (2) Every such agreement must clearly and directly benefit the unit's natural resources, and must: (A) address at least one of — preserving, conserving, or restoring coastal and riparian systems, watersheds, and wetlands; preventing, controlling, or eradicating invasive species in or near the unit; or restoring natural resources like native wildlife habitat or ecosystems; (B) include a statement explaining how the agreement will improve science-based resource stewardship at the unit and benefit everyone involved; (C) specify what staff and technical help the Secretary or the other parties will provide to protect the unit's resources and benefit the parties; (D) identify any materials, supplies, equipment, or other resources that the parties, or other federal agencies, will contribute; (E) describe any financial assistance the Secretary or partners will provide; (F) make sure any money the Secretary spends under the agreement genuinely supports natural resource stewardship at the unit; and (G) include any other terms the Secretary and the other parties agree to. (3) The Secretary cannot use money from one of these agreements to buy land, carry out regulatory activity, or build, maintain, or operate infrastructure — except for small support facilities the Secretary decides are necessary to finish the agreement's projects.