§1762 Roads

Summary

The Secretary can buy, build, and keep up roads on or near public lands so timber can be hauled out cheaply while still protecting and managing other resources. Road costs can be paid with money from Congress, by charging buyers of timber and other products (including letting road costs be paid over time in contracts), by working with other public or private groups, or by any mix of these. If a road is built to a higher standard than needed to remove the timber, buyers do not have to pay the extra cost unless the timber sale contract specifically requires the buyer to build the road to that higher standard—in that case the buyer must pay all construction costs. Copies of any documents that create permanent land interests under these rules must be recorded in each county where the land is located. Users of a road, trail, or other Bureau facility, including timber buyers, may be required to keep it in good repair. Each user pays a share that matches their use. The Secretary can require rebuilding or ask users to deposit money to cover their share. Deposits can be combined for nearby work, stay available until spent, and leftover balances are refunded or transferred to miscellaneous receipts. If a right-of-way was obtained under an agreement that delays payments to the original owner, fees collected for road use may be put into a fund to make those payments.