---
kind: "range"
citation: "16 U.S.C. §§ 567a–567c"
title: "16"
from: "567a"
to: "567c"
count: 3
release: "119-102"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/16/567a..567c"
---

# §567a. Cooperation by Secretary of Agriculture with States in acquisition and administration of State forests


For the purpose of stimulating the [acquisition](/usc/16/620e.md?p=1), development, and proper administration and management of [State](/usc/16/6456.md?p=2) forests and of insuring coordinated effort by Federal and [State](/usc/16/6456.md?p=2) agencies in carrying out a comprehensive national [program](/usc/16/460ss–6.md?p=1) of forest-land management, the [Secretary](/usc/16/580p.md?p=3) of Agriculture is authorized to enter into cooperative agreements with appropriate officials of any [State](/usc/16/6456.md?p=2) or [States](/usc/16/544.md?p=r) for acquiring in the name of the United States, by purchase or otherwise, such [forest lands](/usc/16/544.md?p=f) within the cooperating [State](/usc/16/6456.md?p=2) as in his judgment the [State](/usc/16/6456.md?p=2) is adequately prepared to administer, develop, and manage as [State](/usc/16/6456.md?p=2) forests in accordance with the provisions of [sections 567a to 567c](/usc/16/567a..567c.md) of this title and with such other terms not inconsistent therewith as he shall prescribe, such [acquisition](/usc/16/620e.md?p=1) 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](/usc/16/668ee.md?p=14), 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](/usc/16/5207.md?p=3) and related facilities, or hereafter to restrict or prevent their extension through the [acquisition](/usc/16/620e.md?p=1) by purchase or otherwise of additional lands for any national-forest purpose: Provided further, That [sections 567a to 567c](/usc/16/567a..567c.md) of this title shall not be construed to limit or repeal any legislation authorizing land exchanges by the Federal Government, and [private lands](/usc/16/620e.md?p=6) acquired by exchange within the limits of any [area](/usc/16/539m–1.md?p=1-A) subject to a cooperative agreement of the character herein authorized shall hereafter be subject to the provisions of [sections 567a to 567c](/usc/16/567a..567c.md) of this title.


# §567b. Conditions and requirements for cooperation in acquisition and management of State forests


No cooperative agreement shall be entered into or continued in force under the authority of [sections 567a to 567c](/usc/16/567a..567c.md) of this title or any land acquired hereunder turned over to the cooperating [State](/usc/16/6456.md?p=2) for administration, development, and management unless the [State](/usc/16/6456.md?p=2) concerned, as a consideration for the benefits extended to it thereunder, complies in a manner satisfactory to the [Secretary](/usc/16/580p.md?p=3) of Agriculture with the following conditions and requirements which shall constitute a part of every such agreement:

- (a) In order to reduce the need for public expenditures in the [acquisition](/usc/16/620e.md?p=1) of lands which may be brought into public ownership through the enforcement of appropriate tax delinquency laws, and, by bringing about the handling of such lands upon a sound social and economic basis, to terminate a [system](/usc/16/668ee.md?p=14) of indeterminate and unsound ownership injurious to the private and public interest alike, no additional lands shall be acquired within any [State](/usc/16/6456.md?p=2) by the United States under [sections 567a to 567c](/usc/16/567a..567c.md) of this title after June 30, 1942, unless the [State](/usc/16/6456.md?p=2) concerned has prior thereto provided by law for the reversion of title to the [State](/usc/16/6456.md?p=2) or a political [unit](/usc/16/430f–7.md?p=4) thereof of tax-delinquent lands and for blocking into [State](/usc/16/6456.md?p=2) or other public forests the [areas](/usc/16/539m–1.md?p=1-A) which are more suitable for public than private ownership, and which in the public interest should be devoted primarily to the production of timber crops and/or the maintenance of forests for watershed protection, and for the enforcement of such law: Provided, That in the administration of [sections 567a to 567c](/usc/16/567a..567c.md) of this title prior to June 30, 1942, preference will be given to [States](/usc/16/544.md?p=r) applying for cooperation hereunder which provided by law for such reversion of title under tax delinquency laws.
- (b) In order to insure a stable and efficient organization for the development and administration of the lands acquired under [sections 567a to 567c](/usc/16/567a..567c.md) of this title, the [State](/usc/16/6456.md?p=2) shall provide for the employment of a [State](/usc/16/6456.md?p=2) forester, who shall be a trained forester of recognized standing.
- (c) The [Secretary](/usc/16/580p.md?p=3) of Agriculture and the appropriate authorities of each cooperating [State](/usc/16/6456.md?p=2) shall work out a mutually satisfactory plan defining forest [areas](/usc/16/539m–1.md?p=1-A) within the [State](/usc/16/6456.md?p=2) which can be most effectively and economically administered by said [State](/usc/16/6456.md?p=2), which plan shall constitute a part of the cooperative agreement between the United States and the [State](/usc/16/6456.md?p=2) concerned: Provided, That nothing herein shall be held to prevent the [Secretary](/usc/16/580p.md?p=3) of Agriculture from later agreeing with the proper [State](/usc/16/6456.md?p=2) authorities to desirable modifications in such plan.
- (d) No payment of Federal [funds](/usc/16/1421h.md?p=2) shall be made for land selected for purchase by the United States under [sections 567a to 567c](/usc/16/567a..567c.md) of this title until such proposed purchase has been submitted to and approved by the [National Forest](/usc/16/5207.md?p=3) Reservation [Commission](/usc/16/410cc–1.md?p=3) created by [section 513 of this title](/usc/16/513.md).
- (e) Subject to the approval of the [National Forest](/usc/16/5207.md?p=3) Reservation [Commission](/usc/16/410cc–1.md?p=3), the [Secretary](/usc/16/580p.md?p=3) of Agriculture is authorized to pay out of any available money appropriated for carrying out the purposes of [sections 567a to 567c](/usc/16/567a..567c.md) of this title any [State](/usc/16/6456.md?p=2), county, and/or town taxes, exclusive of penalties, due or accrued on any [forest lands](/usc/16/544.md?p=f) acquired by the United States under donations from the [owners](/usc/16/429b–3.md?p=4) thereof and which lands are to be included in a [State](/usc/16/6456.md?p=2) or other public forest pursuant to said sections.
- (f) The [State](/usc/16/6456.md?p=2) shall prepare such standards of forest administration, development, and management as are necessary to insure maximum feasible utility for timber production and watershed protection, and are acceptable to the [Secretary](/usc/16/580p.md?p=3) of Agriculture and shall apply the same to lands acquired and placed under the jurisdiction of the [State](/usc/16/6456.md?p=2) pursuant to [sections 567a to 567c](/usc/16/567a..567c.md) of this title.
- (g) That with the exception of such Federal expenditures as may be made for unemployment relief, the [State](/usc/16/6456.md?p=2) shall pay without assistance from the Federal Government the entire future cost of administering, developing, and managing all [forest lands](/usc/16/544.md?p=f) acquired and over which it has been given jurisdiction under [sections 567a to 567c](/usc/16/567a..567c.md) of this title.
- (h) During the period any cooperative agreement made under [sections 567a to 567c](/usc/16/567a..567c.md) of this title remains in force, one-half of the gross proceeds from all lands covered by said agreement and to which the United States holds title shall be paid by the [State](/usc/16/6456.md?p=2) to the United States and covered into the Treasury. All such payments shall be credited to the purchase price the [State](/usc/16/6456.md?p=2) is to pay the United States for said land, such purchase price to be an amount equal to the total sum expended by the United States in acquiring said lands. Upon payments of the full purchase price, either as herein provided or otherwise, title to said lands shall be transferred from the Federal Government to the [State](/usc/16/6456.md?p=2), and the [Secretary](/usc/16/580p.md?p=3) of Agriculture is authorized to take such action and incur such expenditures, as may be necessary to effectuate such transfer.
- (i) Upon the request of the [State](/usc/16/6456.md?p=2) concerned, any agreement made pursuant to [sections 567a to 567c](/usc/16/567a..567c.md) of this title may be terminated by the [Secretary](/usc/16/580p.md?p=3) of Agriculture. The [Secretary](/usc/16/580p.md?p=3) of Agriculture may, with the consent and approval of the [National Forest](/usc/16/5207.md?p=3) Reservation [Commission](/usc/16/410cc–1.md?p=3), after due notice given the [State](/usc/16/6456.md?p=2) and an opportunity for hearing by said [Commission](/usc/16/410cc–1.md?p=3), terminate any such agreement for [violations](/usc/16/620e.md?p=11) of its terms and/or the provisions of said sections of this title. If such agreement is terminated, the United States shall reimburse the [State](/usc/16/6456.md?p=2) for so much of the [State](/usc/16/6456.md?p=2) [funds](/usc/16/1421h.md?p=2) as have been expended in the administration, development, and management of the lands involved as the [Secretary](/usc/16/580p.md?p=3) of Agriculture may decide to be fair and equitable.
- (j) The [State](/usc/16/6456.md?p=2) shall furnish the [Secretary](/usc/16/580p.md?p=3) of Agriculture with such annual, periodic, or special reports as he may require respecting the [State](/usc/16/6456.md?p=2)’s operations under its agreement with him.
- (k) When a [State](/usc/16/6456.md?p=2) or political [unit](/usc/16/430f–7.md?p=4) thereof [acquires](/usc/16/620e.md?p=1) under tax delinquency laws title to [forest lands](/usc/16/544.md?p=f) without cost to the United States and which lands are included within a [State](/usc/16/6456.md?p=2) or other public forest, the [Secretary](/usc/16/580p.md?p=3) of Agriculture, on behalf of the Federal Government, may contribute annually out of any [funds](/usc/16/1421h.md?p=2) made available under [sections 567a to 567c](/usc/16/567a..567c.md) of this title not to exceed one-half the cost of administering, developing, and managing said lands.

# §567c. Authorization of appropriation for cooperation in acquisition and management of State forests


For the purposes of [sections 567a to 567c](/usc/16/567a..567c.md) of this title, there is authorized to be appropriated, a sum or sums out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, not to exceed $5,000,000, as Congress may from time to time appropriate.