16 U.S.C. § 569: Donations to United States of…

Summary

Allows owners of timber land to give or leave their land to the United States so the timber can be saved for future use. The Secretary of Agriculture can accept ownership. Donors may keep the current merchantable timber or mineral or other rights for up to 20 years if the Secretary thinks that is reasonable and not harmful. The Forest Service can pay recording and title-exam costs from its general funds. Accepted lands must be sized and placed so they can be managed cheaply, alone or with other national forest lands. Once accepted, the land becomes national forest land and follows the same laws that apply to lands acquired under the Act of March 1, 1911, and its amendments. When timber from these lands is sold, priority goes to buyers who will supply farmers in the same State. Any rights the donor keeps are still subject to the State tax laws where the land is located.

Title 16, §569

Conservation, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

To enable owners of lands chiefly valuable for the growing of timber crops to donate or devise such lands to the United States in order to assure future timber supplies for the agricultural and other industries of the State or for other national forest purposes, the Secretary of Agriculture is authorized, in his discretion, to accept on behalf of the United States title to any such land so donated or devised, subject to such reservations by the donor of the present stand of merchantable timber or of mineral or other rights for a period not exceeding twenty years as the Secretary of Agriculture may find to be reasonable and not detrimental to the purposes of this section, and to pay out of any moneys appropriated for the general expenses of the Forest Service the cost of recording deeds or other expenses incident to the examination and acceptance of title. Any lands to which title is so accepted shall be in units of such size or so located as to be capable of economical administration as national forests either separately or jointly with other lands acquired under this section, or jointly with an existing national forest. All lands to which title is accepted under this section shall, upon acceptance of title, become national forest lands, subject to all laws applicable to lands acquired under the Act of March 1, 1911, and amendments thereto. In the sale of timber from national forest lands acquired under this section preference shall be given to applicants who will furnish the products desired therefrom to meet the necessities of citizens of the United States engaged in agriculture in the States in which such national forest is situated. All property, rights, easements, and benefits authorized by this section to be retained by or reserved to owners of lands donated or devised to the United States shall be subject to the tax laws of the States where such lands are located.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Act of March 1, 1911, referred to in text, is act Mar. 1, 1911, ch. 186, 36 Stat. 961, popularly known as the Weeks Law, which enacted former section 513 and 514 and sections 515 to 519, 521, 552, and 563 of this title and amended section 480 and 500 of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 552 of this title and Tables.

§569 Donations to United States of Lands for Timber Purposes