Title 16, ConservationRelease 119-102
§488 Establishment of Exterior Boundaries of National Forests
Title 16 › CHAPTER 2 — NATIONAL FORESTS › SUBCHAPTER I — ESTABLISHMENT AND ADMINISTRATION › § 488
Summary
From March 3, 1899, public‑land survey lines must be set under Secretary of the Interior or a designee. If a national forest boundary must match unset survey lines, the U.S. Geological Survey director can mark them.
Full Legal Text
Title 16, §488
Conservation, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
On and after Mar. 3, 1899, all standard, meander, township, and section lines of the public-land surveys shall be established under the direction and supervision of the Secretary of the Interior or such officer as he may designate, whether the lands to be surveyed are within or without national forests, except that where the exterior boundaries of national forests are required to be coincident with standard, township, or section lines, such boundaries may, if not previously established in the ordinary course of the public-land surveys, be established and marked under the supervision of the Director of the United States Geological Survey whenever necessary to complete the survey of such exterior boundaries.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
Codification “National forests” substituted in text for “reservations” and “public forest reservations” on authority of act Mar. 4, 1907, ch. 2907, 34 Stat. 1269, which provided that forest reserves shall hereafter be known as national forests.
Executive Documents
Change of Name
“Secretary of the Interior or such officer as he may designate” substituted in text for “Commissioner of the General Land Office” on authority of Reorg. Plan No. 3 of 1946, set out in the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and Employees.
Transfer of Functions
For
Transfer of Functions
of other officers, employees, and agencies of Department of the Interior, with certain exceptions, to Secretary of the Interior, with power to delegate, see Reorg. Plan No. 3 of 1950, §§ 1, 2, eff. May 24, 1950, 15 F.R. 3174, 64 Stat. 1262, set out in the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and Employees.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
16 U.S.C. § 488
Title 16, Conservation
Last Updated
Aug 21, 2026
Release point: 119-102