Title 16ConservationRelease 119-73

§539f Nonprofit organization user of national forest lands

Title 16 › Chapter CHAPTER 2— - NATIONAL FORESTS › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER I— - ESTABLISHMENT AND ADMINISTRATION › § 539f

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Each year the Secretary of Agriculture must waive all or part of the permit or rental fees for certain National Forest lands used as organization camps by local Boy Scouts units or eligible nonprofit groups. The waiver only applies if those local units agree to do services the Secretary sets and finds will give real public benefit and help the Secretary’s program for those lands. If the Secretary decides a group did not fully do the required services, that group cannot get the waiver the next year. “Other nonprofit organization” means (1) a nonprofit with a tax-exempt status under section 501(c) of title 26, and (2) a nonprofit association or corporation not owned or controlled by for‑profit businesses and working on public or semi‑public activities to promote public health, safety, or welfare.

Full Legal Text

Title 16, §539f

Conservation — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary of Agriculture is directed to waive annually without charge all or a portion of payment or rental fees required under terms of a permit for use of certain lands of the National Forest System as organization camps by local units of the Boy Scouts of America or such other nonprofit organization when such local units of the Boy Scouts of America or such nonprofit organization are willing to perform services, as the Secretary prescribes and determines will yield a valuable benefit to the public and to the program of the Secretary of such lands. If the Secretary determines that a local unit of the Boy Scouts of America or such other nonprofit organization has not fully performed such services, such organization shall not be entitled in the subsequent year to waiver under the provisions of this section.
(b)The term “other nonprofit organization” shall mean (1) a nonprofit organization holding an exemption under section 501(c) of title 26; and (2) a nonprofit association or nonprofit corporation, which is not controlled or owned by profitmaking corporations or business enterprises, and which is engaged in public or semipublic activity to further public health, safety, or welfare.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1986—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 99–514 substituted “Internal Revenue Code of 1986” for “Internal Revenue Code of 1954”, which for purposes of codification was translated as “title 26” thus requiring no change in text.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

16 U.S.C. § 539f

Title 16Conservation

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73