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Title 16, ConservationRelease 119-102

§485 Exchange of Lands in National Forests; Cutting Timber in National Forests in Exchange for Lands Therein

Title 16 › CHAPTER 2 — NATIONAL FORESTS › SUBCHAPTER I — ESTABLISHMENT AND ADMINISTRATION › § 485

Last updated Aug 21, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary of Agriculture may take title to land inside national-forest boundaries if the land is mainly useful for forest purposes. In return, the Secretary can give national-forest land of equal value in the same State (surveyed and nonmineral) or allow the owner to cut and remove timber of equal value from national forests in that State. The Secretary decides the values. Before any exchange, notice must be published once each week for four successive weeks in a newspaper where the lands or timber are located. Timber removed must follow national-forest laws and the Secretary’s rules and supervision. Land the United States accepts becomes part of that national forest.

Full Legal Text

Title 16, §485

Conservation, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

When the public interests will be benefited thereby, the Secretary of Agriculture is authorized in his discretion to accept on behalf of the United States title to any lands within the exterior boundaries of the national forests which, in his opinion, are chiefly valuable for national-forest purposes, and in exchange therefor may patent not to exceed an equal value of such national-forest land, in the same State, surveyed and nonmineral in character, or he may authorize the grantor to cut and remove an equal value of timber within the national forests of the same State; the values in each case to be determined by him. Before any such exchange is effected notice of the contemplated exchange reciting the lands involved shall be published once each week for four successive weeks in some newspaper of general circulation in the county or counties in which may be situated the lands to be accepted, and in some like newspaper published in any county in which may be situated any lands or timber to be given in such exchange. Timber given in such exchanges shall be cut and removed under the laws and regulations relating to the national forests, and under the direction and supervision and in accordance with the requirements of the Secretary of Agriculture. Lands conveyed to the United States under this section and section 486 of this title shall, upon acceptance of title, become parts of the national forest within whose exterior boundaries they are located.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Transfer of Functions

Functions of Secretary of the Interior under this section and section 486 of this title, with respect to exchanges of non-Federal lands for national forest lands or timber, transferred to Secretary of Agriculture, see Pub. L. 86–509, June 11, 1960, 74 Stat. 205, set out as a note under section 2201 of Title 7, Agriculture. “Secretary of Agriculture is authorized”, “in his opinion”, “he may authorize” and “the values in each case to be determined by him” substituted in text for “Secretary of the Interior is authorized”, “in the opinion of the Secretary of Agriculture”, “the Secretary of Agriculture may authorize” and “the values in each case to be determined by the Secretary of Agriculture”, respectively, in view of

Transfer of Functions

under this section to Secretary of Agriculture from Secretary of the Interior by section 1(a) of Pub. L. 86–509, set out as a note under section 2201 of Title 7.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

16 U.S.C. § 485

Title 16, Conservation

Last Updated

Aug 21, 2026

Release point: 119-102