16 U.S.C. § 4302: Definitions

Summary

Defines key words used in this chapter about caves and lands. Cave: a natural hole, chamber, or linked passages under the ground or in a cliff that a person can enter; natural pits and sinkholes that extend an entrance are included, but manmade mines, tunnels, aqueducts, and similar digs are not. Federal lands: land owned by the United States and run by the Secretary of Agriculture or the Secretary of the Interior. Indian lands: lands of tribes or individual Indians held in trust by the U.S. or restricted from sale by the U.S. Indian tribe: any organized Indian group, including Alaska Native villages and the regional or village corporations created by the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. Cave resource: natural things in caves on Federal lands, like animals, plants, fossils, sediments, minerals, speleogens, and speleothems. Secretary: the Secretary of Agriculture or the Secretary of the Interior, as appropriate. Speleothem: natural cave mineral formations such as stalactites and stalagmites. Speleogen: bedrock features on cave walls, floors, or ceilings found in solution and volcanic caves.

Title 16, §4302

Conservation, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

For purposes of this chapter:

(1)Cave

The term “cave” means any naturally occurring void, cavity, recess, or system of interconnected passages which occurs beneath the surface of the earth or within a cliff or ledge (including any cave resource therein, but not including any vug, mine, tunnel, aqueduct, or other manmade excavation) and which is large enough to permit an individual to enter, whether or not the entrance is naturally formed or manmade. Such term shall include any natural pit, sinkhole, or other feature which is an extension of the entrance.

(2)Federal lands

The term “Federal lands” means lands the fee title to which is owned by the United States and administered by the Secretary of Agriculture or the Secretary of the Interior.

(3)Indian lands

The term “Indian lands” means lands of Indian tribes or Indian individuals which are either held in trust by the United States for the benefit of an Indian tribe or subject to a restriction against alienation imposed by the United States.

(4)Indian tribe

The term “Indian tribe” means any Indian tribe, band, nation, or other organized group or community of Indians, including any Alaska Native village or regional or village corporation as defined in, or established pursuant to, the Alaska Native Claims settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.).

(5)Cave resource

The term “cave resource” includes any material or substance occurring naturally in caves on Federal lands, such as animal life, plant life, paleontological deposits, sediments, minerals, speleogens, and speleothems.

(6)Secretary

The term “Secretary” means the Secretary of Agriculture or the Secretary of the Interior, as appropriate.

(7)Speleothem

The term “speleothem” means any natural mineral formation or deposit occurring in a cave or lava tube, including but not limited to any stalactite, stalagmite, helictite, cave flower, flowstone, concretion, drapery, rimstone, or formation of clay or mud.

(8)Speleogen

The term “speleogen” means relief features on the walls, ceiling, and floor of any cave or lava tube which are part of the surrounding bedrock, including but not limited to anastomoses, scallops, meander niches, petromorphs and rock pendants in solution caves and similar features unique to volcanic caves.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, referred to in par. (4), is Pub. L. 92–203, Dec. 18, 1971, 85 Stat. 688, which is classified generally to chapter 33 (§ 1601 et seq.) of Title 43, Public Lands. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 1601 of Title 43 and Tables.

§4302 Definitions