PRIA, Government Policy, Made Personal

Summary

The Secretary must set up a voluntary public access program. States and tribal governments can apply for money to encourage private farm, ranch, and forest owners to let the public use their land for wildlife-based recreation, including hunting and fishing under programs run by the State or tribe. Applications must say what benefits the State or tribe wants (for hunting, fishing, and, when possible, other recreation) and how they will reach those goals. The Secretary will favor programs that are likely to attract many landowners, protect good habitat, increase public access on lands in conservation reserve or wetland reserve easements, use other federal, state, tribal, or private funds, and publish where enrolled lands are located. The program does not override State or tribal laws, including liability laws. If a State sets different opening dates for migratory bird hunting for residents and nonresidents, its funding is cut by 25 percent. The Secretary must write any rules needed to run the program. Money for the program comes from the Commodity Credit Corporation. The Secretary should, when possible, use $50,000,000 for fiscal years 2009–2012, $40,000,000 for 2014–2018, $50,000,000 for 2019–2023, $10,000,000 for 2024, and $70,000,000 for 2025–2031. Of those funds, $3,000,000 should be used, when possible, in 2019–2023 to encourage access to land under wetland reserve easements. An additional $10,000,000 was authorized for fiscal year 2013.

Title 16, §3839bb–5

Conservation, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Secretary shall establish a voluntary public access program under which States and tribal governments may apply for funding to encourage owners and operators of privately-held farm, ranch, and forest land to voluntarily make that land available for access by the public for wildlife-dependent recreation, including hunting or fishing under programs administered by the States and tribal governments.

(b)In submitting applications for funding under the program, a State or tribal government shall describe—

(1)the benefits that the State or tribal government intends to achieve by encouraging public access to private farm and ranch land for—

(A)hunting and fishing; and

(B)to the maximum extent practicable, other recreational purposes; and

(2)the methods that will be used to achieve those benefits.

(c)In approving applications and awarding funding under the program, the Secretary shall give priority to States and tribal governments that propose—

(1)to maximize participation by offering a program the terms of which are likely to meet with widespread acceptance among landowners;

(2)to ensure that land enrolled under the State or tribal government program has appropriate wildlife habitat;

(3)to strengthen wildlife habitat improvement efforts on land enrolled in a conservation reserve enhancement program under section 3831a of this title or on land covered by a wetland reserve easement under section 3865c of this title by providing incentives to increase public hunting and other recreational access on that land;

(4)to use additional Federal, State, tribal government, or private resources in carrying out the program; and

(5)to make available to the public the location of land enrolled.

(d)(1)Nothing in this section preempts a State or tribal government law, including any State or tribal government liability law.

(2)The Secretary shall reduce by 25 percent the amount of funding otherwise determined for a State under the program if the opening dates for migratory bird hunting in the State are not consistent for residents and non-residents.

(e)The Secretary shall promulgate such regulations as are necessary to carry out this section.

(f)(1)Of the funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation, the Secretary shall use to carry out this section, to the maximum extent practicable, $50,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2009 through 2012, $40,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2014 through 2018, $50,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2019 through 2023, $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2024, and $70,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2025 through 2031.

(2)To the maximum extent practicable, of the funds made available under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall use $3,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2019 through 2023 to encourage public access to land covered by wetland reserve easements under section 3865c of this title through agreements with States and tribal governments under this section.

(3)There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2013.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

section 3834(f)(4) of this title, referred to in subsec. (c)(3), was redesignated as section 3834(g)(2) of this title by Pub. L. 113–79, title II, §§ 2005(b)(2), (e)(3), Feb. 7, 2014, 128 Stat. 718, 719. Codification Pub. L. 110–234 and Pub. L. 110–246 enacted identical sections. Pub. L. 110–234 was repealed by section 4(a) of Pub. L. 110–246.

Amendments

2025—Subsec. (f)(1). Pub. L. 119–21 substituted “2023,” for “2023, and” and inserted “, and $70,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2025 through 2031” before period at end. 2023—Subsec. (f)(1). Pub. L. 118–22 struck out “and” after “through 2018,” and inserted “, and $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2024” after “through 2023”. 2018—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 115–334, § 2406(1), substituted “funding” for “grants”. Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 115–334, § 2406(2), substituted “funding” for “a grant” in introductory provisions. Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 115–334, § 2406(1), substituted “funding” for “grants” in introductory provisions. Subsec. (c)(3). Pub. L. 115–334, § 2406(3), inserted “or on land covered by a wetland reserve easement under section 3865C of this title” before “by providing”. Pub. L. 115–334, § 2202(b)(1), substituted “a conservation reserve enhancement program under section 3831a of this title” for “a special conservation reserve enhancement program described in section 3834(f)(4) of this title”. Subsec. (d)(2). Pub. L. 115–334, § 2406(2), substituted “funding” for “a grant”. Subsec. (f)(1). Pub. L. 115–334, § 2406(4)(A), substituted “2009 through 2012,” for “2009 through 2012 and” and inserted “, and $50,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2019 through 2023” before period at end. Subsec. (f)(2), (3). Pub. L. 115–334, § 2406(4)(B), (C), added par. (2) and redesignated former par. (2) as (3). 2014—Subsec. (f)(1). Pub. L. 113–79, in heading, substituted “Mandatory funding” for “Fiscal years 2009 through 2012” and in text, inserted “and $40,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2014 through 2018” before period at end. 2013—Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 112–240 added subsec. (f) and struck out former subsec. (f). Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “Of the funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation, the Secretary shall use, to the maximum extent practicable, $50,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2009 through 2012.”

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2023 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 118–22 to be applied and administered as if enacted on Sept. 30, 2023, see section 102(g) of Pub. L. 118–22, set out in an Extension of Agricultural Programs note under section 9001 of Title 7, Agriculture.

Effective Date

of 2013 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 112–240 effective Sept. 30, 2012, see section 701(j) of Pub. L. 112–240, set out in a 1-Year Extension of Agricultural Programs note under section 8701 of Title 7, Agriculture.

Effective Date

Enactment of this section and repeal of Pub. L. 110–234 by Pub. L. 110–246 effective May 22, 2008, the date of enactment of Pub. L. 110–234, see section 4 of Pub. L. 110–246, set out as a note under section 8701 of Title 7, Agriculture.

§3839bb–5 Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program

Summary

Title 16, §3839bb–5

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Amendments

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Effective Date

Effective Date

Citations & Metadata