§1609 — Title 16 Conservation | U.S. Code

Summary

Defines what lands count as the National Forest System and protects them from being returned to the public domain except by an act of Congress. It says the system includes federal forests, ranges, and related lands held now or later, lands bought, exchanged, or donated, national grasslands and land‑use projects under title III of the Bankhead‑Jones Farm Tenant Act (7 U.S.C. 1010 et seq.), and other lands, waters, or interests the Forest Service manages or is assigned to manage. Despite section 473, lands reserved under section 471 cannot be returned to the public domain except by Congress. Forest Service field, supervisory, and regional offices must be located to give the public the most useful and convenient services. Priority must be given to keeping and placing facilities in rural areas and towns near national forests and program sites, following the standards in section 2204b–1(b) of title 7.

Title 16, §1609

Conservation — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Congress declares that the National Forest System consists of units of federally owned forest, range, and related lands throughout the United States and its territories, united into a nationally significant system dedicated to the long-term benefit for present and future generations, and that it is the purpose of this section to include all such areas into one integral system. The “National Forest System” shall include all national forest lands reserved or withdrawn from the public domain of the United States, all national forest lands acquired through purchase, exchange, donation, or other means, the national grasslands and land utilization projects administered under title III of the Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act [7 U.S.C. 1010 et seq.], and other lands, waters, or interests therein which are administered by the Forest Service or are designated for administration through the Forest Service as a part of the system. Notwithstanding the provisions of section 473 of this title, no land now or hereafter reserved or withdrawn from the public domain as national forests pursuant to section 471 11 See References in Text note below. of this title, or any act supplementary to and amendatory thereof, shall be returned to the public domain except by an act of Congress.

(b)The on-the-ground field offices, field supervisory offices, and regional offices of the Forest Service shall be so situated as to provide the optimum level of convenient, useful services to the public, giving priority to the maintenance and location of facilities in rural areas and towns near the national forest and Forest Service program locations in accordance with the standards in section 2204b–1(b) of title 7.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act, referred to in subsec. (a), is act July 22, 1937, ch. 517, 50 Stat. 522. Title III of the Bankhead Jones Farm Tenant Act is classified generally to subchapter III (§ 1010 et seq.) of chapter 33 of Title 7, Agriculture. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 1000 of Title 7 and Tables. section 471 of this title, referred to in subsec. (a), was repealed by Pub. L. 94–579, title VII, § 704(a), Oct. 21, 1976, 90 Stat. 2792.)

Amendments

1976—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 94–588, § 9, prohibited the return to the public domain of land reserved or withdrawn from the public domain as national forests pursuant to section 471 of this title except by an act of Congress.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Land Conveyances Involving Joliet Army Ammunition Plant, Illinois Pub. L. 104–106, div. B, title XXIX, Feb. 10, 1996, 110 Stat. 594, as amended by Pub. L. 106–65, div. B, title XXVIII, § 2842, Oct. 5, 1999, 113 Stat. 863; Pub. L. 113–291, div. B, title XXVIII, § 2838, Dec. 19, 2014, 128 Stat. 3710; Pub. L. 115–232, div. B, title XXVIII, § 2848, Aug. 13, 2018, 132 Stat. 2279, provided that title XXIX could be cited as the “Illinois Land Conservation Act of 1995” and provided for conversion of Joliet Army Ammunition Plant to Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, Illinois, to be managed by the Secretary of Agriculture as part of National Forest System, and for conveyance of certain real property at the Arsenal for a national cemetery, a Will County, Illinois, landfill, and industrial parks to replace all or a part of lost economic activity, with provisions prohibiting

Construction

of title XXIX to restrict or lessen degree of cleanup required to be carried out under environmental laws, and provisions authorizing retention of real property used for environmental cleanup by Secretary of the Army until transfer occurs.

Executive Documents

Transfer of Functions

For transfer of certain

Enforcement

functions of Secretary or other official in Department of Agriculture under this subchapter to Federal Inspector, Office of Federal Inspector for Alaska Natural Gas Transportation System, and subsequent transfer to Secretary of Energy, then to Federal Coordinator for Alaska Natural Gas Transportation Projects, see note set out under section 1601 of this title.

§1609 National Forest System