Title 16ConservationRelease 119-73not60

§7915 Identifying Opportunities for Recreation, Hunting, and Fishing on Federal Land

Title 16 › Chapter 98— SPORTSMEN’S ACCESS TO FEDERAL LAND › Subchapter II— SPORTSMEN’S ACCESS TO FEDERAL LAND › § 7915

Last updated Apr 5, 2026|Official source

Summary

Requires the Secretary to make and post a public priority list of Federal lands where the public is allowed to hunt, fish, or recreate under law but where people have no access or access is seriously limited. Definitions: "Secretary" names the agency heads who run National Parks, Fish and Wildlife, Bureau of Land Management, and the Forest Service; "State or regional office" means the agency office that covers each State or region; "travel management plan" means the agency plan that governs travel and routes on those lands. The first list must be done within 1 year after March 12, 2019, and then every 2 years for 10 years after the first list is finished. Each listed parcel must be at least 640 contiguous acres. The Secretary must consider how bad the access problem is, how likely it is to be solved, the recreation potential, public nominations, and other relevant factors. The list must say whether fixing access would need an easement, right-of-way, or buying land from another Federal agency, a State/local/Tribal government, or a private owner. Personal identifying information must be removed. For lands on the list, the Secretary must send Congress (the Senate Committees on Appropriations and Energy and Natural Resources and the House Committees on Appropriations and Natural Resources) a report with options to provide access that limit harm to wildlife and water quality, steps to secure access (including buying easements or coordinating with governments), and that follow the travel management plan. When issuing permits or agreements, the Secretary cannot punish or reward a government or owner for having allowed or blocked public access in the past. Access options considered can include motorized and non‑motorized travel, walking, or horseback. The list does not change what recreational uses are allowed; only current allowed uses are considered.

Full Legal Text

Title 16, §7915

Conservation — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)In this section:
(1)The term “Secretary” means—
(A)the Secretary, with respect to land administered by—
(i)the Director of the National Park Service;
(ii)the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service; and
(iii)the Director of the Bureau of Land Management; and
(B)the Secretary of Agriculture, with respect to land administered by the Chief of the Forest Service.
(2)The term “State or regional office” means—
(A)a State office of the Bureau of Land Management; or
(B)a regional office of—
(i)the National Park Service;
(ii)the United States Fish and Wildlife Service; or
(iii)the Forest Service.
(3)The term “travel management plan” means a plan for the management of travel—
(A)with respect to land under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service, on park roads and designated routes under section 4.10 of title 36, Code of Federal Regulations (or successor regulations);
(B)with respect to land under the jurisdiction of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, on the land under a comprehensive conservation plan prepared under section 668dd(e) of this title;
(C)with respect to land under the jurisdiction of the Forest Service, on National Forest System land under part 212 of title 36, Code of Federal Regulations (or successor regulations); and
(D)with respect to land under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management, under a resource management plan developed under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.).
(b)(1)Not later than 1 year after March 12, 2019, and biennially thereafter during the 10-year period beginning on the date on which the first priority list is completed, the Secretary shall prepare a priority list, to be made publicly available on the website of the applicable Federal agency referred to in subsection (a)(1), which shall identify the location and acreage of land within the jurisdiction of each State or regional office on which the public is allowed, under Federal or State law, to hunt, fish, or use the land for other recreational purposes but—
(A)to which there is no public access or egress; or
(B)to which public access or egress to the legal boundaries of the land is significantly restricted (as determined by the Secretary).
(2)Any land identified under paragraph (1) shall consist of contiguous acreage of at least 640 acres.
(3)In preparing the priority list required under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall consider, with respect to the land—
(A)whether access is absent or merely restricted, including the extent of the restriction;
(B)the likelihood of resolving the absence of or restriction to public access;
(C)the potential for recreational use;
(D)any information received from the public or other stakeholders during the nomination process described in paragraph (5); and
(E)any other factor, as determined by the Secretary.
(4)For each parcel of land on the priority list, the Secretary shall include in the priority list whether resolving the issue of public access or egress to the land would require acquisition of an easement, right-of-way, or fee title from—
(A)another Federal agency;
(B)a State, local, or Tribal government; or
(C)a private landowner.
(5)In preparing a priority list under this section, the Secretary shall provide an opportunity for members of the public to nominate parcels for inclusion on the priority list.
(c)With respect to land included on a priority list described in subsection (b), the Secretary shall develop and submit to the Committees on Appropriations and Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate and the Committees on Appropriations and Natural Resources of the House of Representatives a report on options for providing access that—
(1)identifies how public access and egress could reasonably be provided to the legal boundaries of the land in a manner that minimizes the impact on wildlife habitat and water quality;
(2)specifies the steps recommended to secure the access and egress, including acquiring an easement, right-of-way, or fee title from a willing owner of any land that abuts the land or the need to coordinate with State land management agencies or other Federal, State, or Tribal governments to allow for such access and egress; and
(3)is consistent with the travel management plan in effect on the land.
(d)In making the priority list and report prepared under subsections (b) and (c) available, the Secretary shall ensure that no personally identifying information is included, such as names or addresses of individuals or entities.
(e)For purposes of providing any permits to, or entering into agreements with, a State, local, or Tribal government or private landowner with respect to the use of land under the jurisdiction of the government or landowner, the Secretary shall not take into account whether the State, local, or Tribal government or private landowner has granted or denied public access or egress to the land.
(f)In considering public access and egress under subsections (b) and (c), the Secretary shall consider public access and egress to the legal boundaries of the land described in those subsections, including access and egress—
(1)by motorized or non-motorized vehicles; and
(2)on foot or horseback.
(g)(1)This section shall have no effect on whether a particular recreational use shall be allowed on the land included in a priority list under this section.
(2)In preparing the priority list under subsection (b), the Secretary shall only consider recreational uses that are allowed on the land at the time that the priority list is prepared.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, referred to in subsec. (a)(3)(D), is Pub. L. 94–579, Oct. 21, 1976, 90 Stat. 2743, which is classified principally to chapter 35 (§ 1701 et seq.) of Title 43, Public Lands. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 1701 of Title 43, Public Lands, and Tables.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Definition of “Secretary” Secretary means the Secretary of the Interior, see section 2 of Pub. L. 116–9, set out as a note under section 1 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

16 U.S.C. § 7915

Title 16Conservation

Last Updated

Apr 5, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60