16 U.S.C. § 460nnn–42: Cooperative efforts to…

§460nnn–42 Cooperative Efforts to Control Development and Encourage Conservation

Title 16 › CHAPTER 1 — NATIONAL PARKS, MILITARY PARKS, MONUMENTS, AND SEASHORES › SUBCHAPTER CXXV — STEENS MOUNTAIN COOPERATIVE MANAGEMENT AND PROTECTION AREA › Part A — Steens Mountain Cooperative Management and Protection Area › subpart 3 — cooperative management › § 460nnn–42

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

Land use inside the Cooperative Management and Protection Area must keep the land’s current character and uses. Changes that would make the land different from how it is now do not fit the area’s goals. The Secretary can make nondevelopment or conservation easements with willing owners. The Secretary can also give technical help, share costs, offer incentive payments, and provide education to owners who sign contracts to protect or improve ecological resources when that helps public lands. Nothing here changes property rights or overrules state or local law.

Title 16, §460nnn–42

Conservation, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Policy

Development on public and private lands within the boundaries of the Cooperative Management and Protection Area which is different from the current character and uses of the lands is inconsistent with the purposes of this subchapter.

(b)Use of nondevelopment and conservation easements

The Secretary may enter into a nondevelopment easement or conservation easement with willing landowners to further the purposes of this subchapter.

(c)Conservation incentive payments

The Secretary may provide technical assistance, cost-share payments, incentive payments, and education to a private landowner in the Cooperative Management and Protection Area who enters into a contract with the Secretary to protect or enhance ecological resources on the private land covered by the contract if those protections or enhancements benefit public lands.

(d)Relation to property rights and State and local law

Nothing in this subchapter is intended to affect rights or interests in real property or supersede State law.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

This subchapter, referred to in subsecs. (a), (b), and (d), was in the original “this Act”, meaning Pub. L. 106–399, Oct. 30, 2000, 114 Stat. 1655, known as the Steens Mountain Cooperative Management and Protection Act of 2000, which is classified generally to this subchapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 460nnn of this title and Tables.