Title 16, ConservationRelease 119-110

§8452 Broadband Internet Connectivity at Developed Recreation Sites

Title 16 › CHAPTER 103 — EXPANDING PUBLIC LANDS OUTDOOR RECREATION EXPERIENCES › SUBCHAPTER I — OUTDOOR RECREATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE › Part D — Broadband Connectivity on Federal Recreational Lands and Waters › § 8452

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary and the Chief of the Forest Service must make an agreement with the Secretary of Commerce to help build broadband internet at developed recreation sites on Federal lands and waters, if Congress pays for it and the law allows. Within 3 years after January 4, 2025, and then every year through fiscal year 2031, they must publish a public list of the top priority developed recreation sites that lack broadband. They should, when possible, give an estimate of the cost to equip each site and the yearly cost to run the service, list likely problems to operating it, and suggest ways to recover those operating costs. Priority goes to sites skipped because of geography or too few year‑round residents despite high seasonal or daily visitors, and to sites in economically distressed counties that could gain from outdoor recreation.

Full Legal Text

Title 16, §8452

Conservation, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)In general

The Secretary and the Chief of the Forest Service shall enter into an agreement with the Secretary of Commerce to foster the installation or construction of broadband internet infrastructure at developed recreation sites on Federal recreational lands and waters to establish broadband internet connectivity—

(1)subject to the availability of appropriations; and

(2)in accordance with applicable law.

(b)Identification

Not later than 3 years after January 4, 2025, and annually thereafter through fiscal year 2031, the Secretary and the Chief of the Forest Service, in coordination with States and local communities, shall make publicly available—

(1)a list of the highest priority developed recreation sites, as determined under subsection (c), on Federal recreational lands and waters that lack broadband internet;

(2)to the extent practicable, an estimate of—

(A)the cost to equip each of those sites with broadband internet infrastructure; and

(B)the annual cost to operate that infrastructure; and

(3)a list of potential—

(A)barriers to operating the infrastructure described in paragraph (2)(A); and

(B)methods to recover the costs of that operation.

(c)Priorities

In selecting developed recreation sites for the list described in subsection (b)(1), the Secretary and the Chief of the Forest Service shall give priority to developed recreation sites—

(1)at which broadband internet infrastructure has not been constructed due to—

(A)geographic challenges; or

(B)the location having an insufficient number of nearby permanent residents, despite high seasonal or daily visitation levels; or

(2)that are located in an economically distressed county that could benefit significantly from developing the outdoor recreation economy of the county.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

16 U.S.C. § 8452

Title 16, Conservation

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110