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Title 16, ConservationRelease 119-102

§537 Maintenance and Reconstruction by Road Users; Funds for Maintenance and Reconstruction; Availability of Deposits Until Expended, Transfer of Funds, and Refunds

Title 16 › CHAPTER 2 — NATIONAL FORESTS › SUBCHAPTER I — ESTABLISHMENT AND ADMINISTRATION › § 537

Last updated Aug 21, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary can require people who use Forest Service roads—including buyers of Government timber—to keep those roads in good repair or to rebuild them when needed. Each user must pay a share of maintenance or reconstruction that matches how much they use the road. If users cannot do the work or it would not be practical, the Secretary can require them to deposit money to cover their share. Money deposited for road work stays available until spent for that purpose. Deposits for nearby or overlapping work can be combined and costs estimated. Any unspent balance after the work is done must be placed in miscellaneous receipts or refunded.

Full Legal Text

Title 16, §537

Conservation, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

The Secretary may require the user or users of a road under the control of the Forest Service, including purchasers of Government timber and other products, to maintain such roads in a satisfactory condition commensurate with the particular use requirements of each. Such maintenance to be borne by each user shall be proportionate to total use. The Secretary may also require the user or users of such a road to reconstruct the same when such reconstruction is determined to be necessary to accommodate such use. If such maintenance or reconstruction cannot be so provided or if the Secretary determines that maintenance or reconstruction by a user would not be practical, then the Secretary may require that sufficient funds be deposited by the user to provide his portion of such total maintenance or reconstruction. Deposits made to cover the maintenance or reconstruction of roads are hereby made available until expended to cover the cost to the United States of accomplishing the purpose for which deposited: Provided, That deposits received for work on adjacent and overlapping areas may be combined when it is the most practicable and efficient manner of performing the work, and cost thereof may be determined by estimates: And provided further, That unexpended balances upon accomplishment of the purpose for which deposited shall be transferred to miscellaneous receipts or refunded.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Executive Documents

Transfer of Functions

For transfer of certain

Enforcement

functions of Secretary or other official in Department of Agriculture under sections 532 to 538 of this title to Federal Inspector, Office of Federal Inspector for Alaska Natural Gas Transportation System, and subsequent transfer to Secretary of Energy, then to Federal Coordinator for Alaska Natural Gas Transportation Projects, see

Transfer of Functions

note set out under section 533 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

16 U.S.C. § 537

Title 16, Conservation

Last Updated

Aug 21, 2026

Release point: 119-102