Title 10Armed ForcesRelease 119-73

§8476 Operation of Naval Academy dairy farm

Title 10 › Subtitle Subtitle C— - Navy and Marine Corps › Part PART III— - EDUCATION AND TRAINING › Chapter CHAPTER 853— - UNITED STATES NAVAL ACADEMY › § 8476

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary of the Navy can stop or cut back the dairy or other work at the Naval Academy dairy farm in Gambrills, Maryland. Even if operations end, the land—about 875 acres—cannot be declared excess, given away, or transferred to another federal agency, and it must be kept rural and used for farming. The Secretary can lease the land, buildings, and equipment, may prefer tenants who will keep dairy work, and must make leases require keeping the property agricultural. Rent money goes to the Superintendent to pay property costs, including repaying Naval Academy groups that operate with their own funds. The Navy or Superintendent is not required to run a dairy farm for the Academy.

Full Legal Text

Title 10, §8476

Armed Forces — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)(1)Subject to paragraph (2), the Secretary of the Navy may terminate or reduce the dairy or other operations conducted at the Naval Academy dairy farm located in Gambrills, Maryland.
(2)Notwithstanding the termination or reduction of operations at the Naval Academy dairy farm under paragraph (1), the real property containing the dairy farm (consisting of approximately 875 acres)—
(A)may not be declared to be excess real property to the needs of the Navy or transferred or otherwise disposed of by the Navy or any Federal agency; and
(B)shall be maintained in its rural and agricultural nature.
(b)(1)Subject to paragraph (2), to the extent that the termination or reduction of operations at the Naval Academy dairy farm permit, the Secretary of the Navy may lease the real property containing the dairy farm, and any improvements and personal property thereon, to such persons and under such terms as the Secretary considers appropriate. In leasing any of the property, the Secretary may give a preference to persons who will continue dairy operations on the property.
(2)Any lease of property at the Naval Academy dairy farm shall be subject to a condition that the lessee maintain the rural and agricultural nature of the leased property.
(c)All money received from a lease entered into under subsection (b) shall be retained by the Superintendent of the Naval Academy and shall be available to cover expenses related to the property described in subsection (a), including reimbursing nonappropriated fund instrumentalities of the Naval Academy.
(d)Nothing in section 8471 of this title shall be construed to require the Secretary of the Navy or the Superintendent of the Naval Academy to operate a dairy farm for the Naval Academy in Gambrills, Maryland, or any other location.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2018—Pub. L. 115–232, § 807(c)(1), renumbered section 6976 of this title as this section. Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 115–232, § 809(a), substituted “section 8471” for “section 6971”. 1999—Subsecs. (c), (d). Pub. L. 106–65 added subsec. (c) and redesignated former subsec. (c) as (d).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2018 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 115–232 effective Feb. 1, 2019, with provision for the coordination of

Amendments

and special rule for certain redesignations, see section 800 of Pub. L. 115–232, set out as a note preceding section 3001 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

10 U.S.C. § 8476

Title 10Armed Forces

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73