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Title 16 — ConservationRelease 119-73

§620 Findings and purposes

Title 16 › Chapter CHAPTER 4— - PROTECTION OF TIMBER, AND DEPREDATIONS › § 620

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Congress requires protecting forest resources and controlling exports of raw timber from federal lands in the western United States. It found that timber is essential and that forests are limited resources needing conservation. The United States has set aside millions of acres of harvestable timberlands in the West, amounting to well over 100,000,000,000 board feet. Recent and likely future administrative, statutory, or court actions, including under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 and the National Forest Management Act of 1976, have increased or may increase those set‑asides. There is evidence of a shortfall of unprocessed timber in the western U.S., and that shortfall could get worse without action. Conservation steps about exports of unprocessed timber are needed. The goals are to promote forest conservation with state and federal plans; to help obtain and distribute forest products that are in short supply in the West; to meet the aims of Article XI 2.(a) of the GATT 1994 to ensure enough key forest resources; to continue and improve the federal policy limiting exports of unprocessed timber from federal lands in the West; and to carry out these measures in line with U.S. obligations under the WTO and other multilateral trade agreements.

Full Legal Text

Title 16, §620

Conservation — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Congress makes the following findings:
(1)Timber is essential to the United States.
(2)Forests, forest resources, and the forest environment are exhaustible natural resources that require efficient and effective conservation efforts.
(3)In the interest of conserving those resources, the United States has set aside millions of acres of otherwise harvestable timberlands in the western United States, representing well over 100,000,000,000 board feet of otherwise harvestable timber.
(4)In recent years, administrative, statutory, or judicial action has been taken to set aside an increased amount of otherwise harvestable timberlands for conservation purposes.
(5)In the next few months and years, additional amounts of otherwise harvestable timberlands may be set aside for conservation purposes, pursuant to the Endangered Species Act of 1973 [16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.], the National Forest Management Act of 1976, or other expected statutory, administrative, and judicial actions.
(6)There is evidence of a shortfall in the supply of unprocessed timber in the western United States.
(7)There is reason to believe that any shortfall which may already exist may worsen unless action is taken.
(8)In conjunction with the broad conservation actions expected in the next few months and years, conservation action is necessary with respect to exports of unprocessed timber.
(b)The purposes of sections 620 to 620j of this title are—
(1)to promote the conservation of forest resources in conjunction with State and Federal resources management plans, and other actions or decisions, affecting the use of forest resources;
(2)to take action essential for the acquisition and distribution of forest resources or products in short supply in the western United States;
(3)to take action necessary, to meet the goals of Article XI 2.(a) of the GATT 1994 (as defined in section 3501(1)(B) of title 19), to ensure sufficient supplies of certain forest resources or products which are essential to the United States;
(4)to continue and refine the existing Federal policy of restricting the export of unprocessed timber harvested from Federal lands in the western United States; and
(5)to effect measures aimed at meeting these objectives in conformity with the obligations of the United States under the WTO Agreement and the multilateral trade agreements (as such terms are defined in paragraphs (9) and (4), respectively, of section 3501 of title 19).

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The Endangered Species Act of 1973, referred to in subsec. (a)(5), is Pub. L. 93–205, Dec. 28, 1973, 87 Stat. 884, which is classified generally to chapter 35 (§ 1531 et seq.) of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 1531 of this title and Tables. The National Forest Management Act of 1976, referred to in subsec. (a)(5), is Pub. L. 94–588, Oct. 22, 1976, 90 Stat. 2949, which enacted section 472a, 521b, 1600, and 1611 to 1614 of this title, amended section 500, 515, 516, 518, 576b, 581h, and 1601 to 1610 of this title, repealed section 476, 513, and 514 of this title, and enacted provisions set out as notes under section 476, 513, 528, 594–2, and 1600 of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

of 1976 Amendment note set out under section 1600 of this title and Tables. Sections 620 to 620j of this title, referred to in subsec. (b), was in the original “this title”, meaning title IV of Pub. L. 101–382, Aug. 20, 1990, 104 Stat. 714, known as the Forest Resources Conservation and Shortage Relief Act of 1990, which enacted sections 620 to 620j of this title and provisions set out as notes below. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out below and Tables.

Amendments

1999—Subsec. (b)(3). Pub. L. 106–36, § 1002(a)(1)(A), substituted “GATT 1994 (as defined in section 3501(1)(B) of title 19)” for “General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade”. Subsec. (b)(5). Pub. L. 106–36, § 1002(a)(1)(B), substituted “WTO Agreement and the multilateral trade agreements (as such terms are defined in paragraphs (9) and (4), respectively, of section 3501 of title 19)” for “General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Pub. L. 101–382, title IV, § 494, Aug. 20, 1990, 104 Stat. 725, provided that: “Except as otherwise provided in this title, the provisions of this title [enacting this section and sections 620a to 620j of this title and provisions set out as a note below] take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act [Aug. 20, 1990].”

Short Title

of 1997 Amendment Pub. L. 105–83, title VI, § 601, Nov. 14, 1997, 111 Stat. 1617, provided that: “This title [amending sections 620b to 620f of this title] may be cited as the ‘Forest Resources Conservation and Shortage Relief Act of 1997’.”

Short Title

of 1993 Amendment Pub. L. 103–45, § 1, July 1, 1993, 107 Stat. 223, provided that: “This Act [amending section 620c and 620d of this title and enacting provisions set out as a note under section 620c of this title] may be cited as the ‘Forest Resources Conservation and Shortage Relief

Amendments

Act of 1993’.”

Short Title

Pub. L. 101–382, title IV, § 487, Aug. 20, 1990, 104 Stat. 714, provided that: “This title [enacting this section and sections 620a to 620j of this title and provisions set out as a note above] may be cited as the ‘Forest Resources Conservation and Shortage Relief Act of 1990’.”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

16 U.S.C. § 620

Title 16 — Conservation

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73