10 U.S.C. § 2694 — Conservation and cultural activities

Page 2142 TITLE 10—ARMED FORCES § 2694 military- or State-owned National Guard installation or installations.’’ § 2694. Conservation and cultural activities (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary of Defense may establish and carry out a program to con- duct and manage in a coordinated manner the conservation and cultural activities described in subsection (b). (b) ACTIVITIES.—(1) A conservation or cultural activity eligible for the program that the Sec- retary establishes under subsection (a) is any activity— (A) that has regional or Department of De- fense-wide significance and that involves more than one military department or involves a sentinel landscape; (B) that is necessary to meet legal require- ments or to support military operations or that would contribute to maintaining or im- proving military installation resilience; (C) that can be more effectively managed at the Department of Defense level; and (D) for which no executive agency has been designated responsible by the Secretary. (2) Such activities include the following: (A) The development of ecosystem-wide land management plans or nature-based climate re- silience plans. (B) The conduct of wildlife studies to ensure the safety and sustainability of military oper- ations. (C) The identification and return of Native American human remains and cultural items in the possession or control of the Department of Defense, or discovered on land under the ju- risdiction of the Department, to the appro- priate Native American tribes. (D) The control of invasive species that may hinder military activities or degrade military training ranges. (E) The establishment of a regional curation system for artifacts found on military instal- lations. (F) The implementation of ecosystem-wide land management plans— (i) for a single ecosystem— (I) that encompasses at least two non- contiguous military installations, if those military installations are not all under the administrative jurisdiction of the same Secretary of a military department; and (II) providing synergistic benefits un- available if the installations acted sepa- rately; or (ii) for one or more ecosystems within a sentinel landscape. (c) COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS.—The Secretary may negotiate and enter into cooperative agree- ments with public and private agencies, organi- zations, institutions, individuals, or other enti- ties to carry out the program established under subsection (a). (d) EFFECT ON OTHER LAWS.—Nothing in this section shall be construed or interpreted as pre- empting any otherwise applicable Federal, State, or local law or regulation relating to the management of natural and cultural resources on military installations. (e) SENTINEL LANDSCAPE DEFINED.—In this sec- tion, the term ‘‘sentinel landscape’’ has the meaning given that term in section 2693(g) of this title. (Added Pub. L. 104–201, div. A, title III, § 332(a)(1), Sept. 23, 1996, 110 Stat. 2484; amended Pub. L. 105–85, div. A, title X, § 1073(a)(59), Nov. 18, 1997, 111 Stat. 1903; Pub. L. 112–81, div. B, title XXVIII, § 2814, Dec. 31, 2011, 125 Stat. 1688; Pub. L. 117–81, div. A, title III, § 317(c), Dec. 27, 2021, 135 Stat. 1632; Pub. L. 118–31, div. A, title III, § 311(c)(2), Dec. 22, 2023, 137 Stat. 215.) Editorial Notes AMENDMENTS 2023—Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 118–31 substituted ‘‘meaning given that term in section 2693(g) of this title’’ for ‘‘meaning given that term in section 317(f) of the Na- tional Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (Public Law 115–91; 10 U.S.C. 2684a note)’’. 2021—Subsec. (b)(1)(A). Pub. L. 117–81, § 317(c)(1)(A)(i), inserted ‘‘or involves a sentinel landscape’’ before semi- colon at end. Subsec. (b)(1)(B). Pub. L. 117–81, § 317(c)(1)(A)(ii), in- serted ‘‘or that would contribute to maintaining or im- proving military installation resilience’’ before semi- colon at end. Subsec. (b)(2)(A). Pub. L. 117–81, § 317(c)(1)(B)(i), in- serted ‘‘or nature-based climate resilience plans’’ be- fore period at end. Subsec. (b)(2)(F)(i). Pub. L. 117–81, § 317(c)(1)(B)(ii)(I), inserted a dash after ‘‘single ecosystem’’, designated re- maining existing provisions as subcl. (I), redesignated provisions of existing cl. (ii) as subcl. (II) of cl. (i), and realigned margins. Subsec. (b)(2)(F)(ii). Pub. L. 117–81, § 317(c)(1)(B)(ii)(II), added cl. (ii). Former cl. (ii) redesig- nated cl. (i)(II). Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 117–81, § 317(c)(2), added subsec. (e). 2011—Subsec. (b)(2)(B). Pub. L. 112–81, § 2814(1), in- serted ‘‘and sustainability’’ after ‘‘safety’’. Subsec. (b)(2)(F). Pub. L. 112–81, § 2814(2), added sub- par. (F). 1997—Subsec. (b)(1)(D). Pub. L. 105–85 substituted ‘‘ex- ecutive agency’’ for ‘‘executive ageny’’. Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries EFFECTIVE DATE Pub. L. 104–201, div. A, title III, § 332(b), Sept. 23, 1996, 110 Stat. 2485, provided that: ‘‘Section 2694 of title 10, United States Code, as added by subsection (a), shall take effect on October 1, 1996.’’ § 2694a. Conveyance of surplus real property for natural resource conservation (a) AUTHORITY TO CONVEY.—The Secretary of a military department may convey to an eligible entity described in subsection (b) any surplus real property that— (1) is under the administrative control of the Secretary; (2) is suitable and desirable for conservation purposes; (3) has been made available for public benefit transfer for a sufficient period of time to po- tential claimants; and (4) is not subject to a pending request for transfer to another Federal agency or for con- veyance to any other qualified recipient for public benefit transfer under the real property disposal processes and authorities under sub- title I of title 40. (b) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—The conveyance of sur- plus real property under this section may be made to any of the following: