(a) Authority of Secretary of a military department The Secretary of a military department may enter into cooperative agreements with States, local governments, nongovernmental organizations, and individuals to provide for the following:
(1) The maintenance and improvement of natural resources on, or to benefit natural and historic research on, Department of Defense installations.
(2) The maintenance and improvement of natural resources located off of a Department of Defense installation if the purpose of the cooperative agreement is to relieve or eliminate current or anticipated challenges that could restrict, impede, or otherwise interfere with, whether directly or indirectly, current or anticipated military activities.
(b) Multiyear agreements Funds appropriated to the Department of Defense for a fiscal year may be obligated to cover the cost of goods and services provided under a cooperative agreement entered into under subsection (a) of this section or through an agency agreement under section
1535 of title
31 during any 18-month period beginning in that fiscal year, without regard to whether the agreement crosses fiscal years.
(c) Availability of funds; agreements under other laws Cooperative agreements entered into under this section shall be subject to the availability of funds and shall not be considered, nor be treated as, cooperative agreements to which chapter
63 of title
31 applies.
