16 U.S.C. § 515 — Examination, location, and purchase of for-

Page 955 TITLE 16—CONSERVATION § 516 and membership of National Forest Reservation Com- mission. Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries TRANSFER OF FUNCTIONS Section 17(a)(1) of Pub. L. 94–588 provided in part that all functions of National Forest Reservation Commis- sion are transferred to the Secretary of Agriculture. § 514. Repealed. Pub. L. 94–588, § 17(a)(6), Oct. 22, 1976, 90 Stat. 2962 Section, acts Mar. 1, 1911, ch. 186, § 14, 36 Stat. 963; June 26, 1934, ch. 756, § 2, 48 Stat. 1225, authorized appro- priations for payment of expenses of National Forest Reservation Commission. § 515. Examination, location, and purchase of for- ested, cut-over, or denuded lands; consent of State legislature to acquisition of land by the United States The Secretary of Agriculture is hereby author- ized and directed to examine, locate, and pur- chase such forested, cut-over, or denuded lands within the watersheds of navigable streams as in his judgment may be necessary to the regula- tion of the flow of navigable streams or for the production of timber. No deed or other instru- ment of conveyance of lands referred to herein shall be accepted or approved by the Secretary of Agriculture under this Act until the legisla- ture of the State in which the land lies shall have consented to the acquisition of such land by the United States for the purpose of pre- serving the navigability of navigable streams. (Mar. 1, 1911, ch. 186, § 6, 36 Stat. 962; June 7, 1924, ch. 348, § 6, 43 Stat. 654; Pub. L. 94–588, § 17(a)(3), Oct. 22, 1976, 90 Stat. 2961.) Editorial Notes REFERENCES IN TEXT This Act, referred to in text, means act Mar. 1, 1911, ch. 186, 36 Stat. 961, popularly known as the Weeks Law, which enacted this section, former sections 513 and 514 of this title, and sections 516 to 519, 521, 552, and 563 of this title and amended sections 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. CODIFICATION Act Mar. 1, 1911, prior to its amendment, authorized the Secretary to study lands necessary to the regula- tion of the flow of navigable streams. This authority was enlarged by act June 7, 1924, to include in its scope ‘‘lands necessary for the production of timber’’. AMENDMENTS 1976—Pub. L. 94–588 substituted ‘‘The Secretary of Ag- riculture is hereby authorized and directed to examine, locate, and purchase such forested, cut-over, or denuded lands within the watersheds of navigable streams as in his judgment may be necessary to the regulation of the flow of navigable streams or for the production of timber. No deed or other instrument of conveyance of lands referred to herein shall be accepted or approved by the Secretary of Agriculture under this Act until the legislature of the State in which the land lies shall have consented to the acquisition of such land by the United States for the purpose of preserving the navigability of navigable streams’’ for ‘‘The Secretary of Agriculture is authorized and directed to examine, locate, and recommend for purchase such forested, cut- over, or denuded lands within the watersheds of navi- gable streams as in his judgment may be necessary to the regulation of the flow of navigable streams or for the production of timber and to report to the National Forest Reservation Commission the results of such ex- amination; but before any lands are purchased by the commission said lands shall be examined by the Sec- retary of Agriculture, in cooperation with the Director of the Geological Survey, and a report made by them to the commission showing that the control of such lands by the Federal Government will promote or protect the navigation of streams or by the Secretary of Agri- culture showing that such control will promote the production of timber thereon’’. § 516. Exchange of lands in the public interest; equal value; cutting and removing timber; publication of contemplated exchange When the public interests will be benefited thereby, the Secretary of Agriculture is hereby authorized, in his discretion, to accept on behalf of the United States title to any lands within the exterior boundaries of national forests which, in his opinion, are chiefly valuable for the purposes of this Act, and in exchange there- for to convey by deed not to exceed an equal value of such national forest land in the same State, or he may authorize the grantor to cut and remove an equal value of timber within such national forests in the same State, the values in each case to be determined by him: Provided, That before any such exchange is effected notice of the contemplated exchange reciting the lands involved shall be published once each week for four successive weeks in some newspaper of gen- eral circulation in the county or counties in which may be situated the lands to be accepted, and in some like newspaper published in any county in which may be situated any lands or timber to be given in such exchange. Timber given in such exchanges shall be cut and re- moved under the laws and regulations relating to such national forests, and under the direction and supervision and in accordance with the re- quirements of the Secretary of Agriculture. Lands so accepted by the Secretary of Agri- culture shall, upon acceptance, become parts of the national forests within whose exterior boundaries they are located, and be subjected to all provisions of this Act. (Mar. 1, 1911, ch. 186, § 7, 36 Stat. 962; Mar. 3, 1925, ch. 473, 43 Stat. 1215; Pub. L. 94–588, § 17(a)(4), Oct. 22, 1976, 90 Stat. 2961.) Editorial Notes REFERENCES IN TEXT This Act, referred to in text, means act Mar. 1, 1911, ch. 186, 36 Stat. 961, popularly known as the Weeks Law, which enacted this section, former sections 513 and 514 of this title, and sections 515, 517 to 519, 521, 552, and 563 of this title and amended sections 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. AMENDMENTS 1976—Pub. L. 94–588 substituted ‘‘When the public in- terests will be benefited thereby, the Secretary of Agri- culture is hereby authorized, in his discretion, to ac- cept on behalf of the United States title to any lands within the exterior boundaries of national forests which, in his opinion, are chiefly valuable for the pur-