Title 16 — ConservationRelease 119-73not60

§567a Cooperation by Secretary of Agriculture with States in Acquisition and Administration of State Forests

Title 16 › Chapter 3— FORESTS; FOREST SERVICE; REFORESTATION; MANAGEMENT › Subchapter I— GENERAL PROVISIONS › § 567a

Last updated Apr 5, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary of Agriculture can make cooperative agreements with state officials to acquire forest lands in the name of the United States for the state to develop and manage as state forests. The Secretary must decide the state is ready to manage the lands and the agreements must follow sections 567a to 567c and any other compatible terms. Buying or taking lands can include mapping, examining, appraising, surveying, and any steps needed to clear title for the United States. This authority does not change U.S. ownership or management of existing national forests, nor stop the government from later adding lands to the national-forest system. It also does not limit federal laws that allow land exchanges, and private lands gained by exchange inside such agreement areas will be subject to sections 567a to 567c.

Full Legal Text

Title 16, §567a

Conservation — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

For the purpose of stimulating the acquisition, development, and proper administration and management of State forests and of insuring coordinated effort by Federal and State agencies in carrying out a comprehensive national program of forest-land management, the Secretary of Agriculture is authorized to enter into cooperative agreements with appropriate officials of any State or States for acquiring in the name of the United States, by purchase or otherwise, such forest lands within the cooperating State as in his judgment the State is adequately prepared to administer, develop, and manage as State forests in accordance with the provisions of sections 567a to 567c of this title and with such other terms not inconsistent therewith as he shall prescribe, such acquisition to include the mapping, examination, appraisal, and surveying of such lands and the doing of all things necessary to perfect title thereto in the United States: Provided, That, since it is the declared policy of Congress to maintain and, where it is in the national interest to extend the national-forest system, nothing herein shall be construed to modify, limit, or change in any manner whatsoever the future ownership and administration by the United States of existing national forests and related facilities, or hereafter to restrict or prevent their extension through the acquisition by purchase or otherwise of additional lands for any national-forest purpose: Provided further, That sections 567a to 567c of this title shall not be construed to limit or repeal any legislation authorizing land exchanges by the Federal Government, and private lands acquired by exchange within the limits of any area subject to a cooperative agreement of the character herein authorized shall hereafter be subject to the provisions of sections 567a to 567c of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

16 U.S.C. § 567a

Title 16 — Conservation

Last Updated

Apr 5, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60