16 U.S.C. § 1609 — National Forest System

Page 1962 TITLE 16—CONSERVATION § 1609 1 See References in Text note below. format that will inform and facilitate the develop- ment of a long-term Forest Service transportation policy; and ‘‘(C) a comprehensive and detailed analysis of the economic and social effects of the moratorium re- ferred to in subsection (a)(2) on county, State, and re- gional levels.’’ Executive Documents TRANSFER OF FUNCTIONS For transfer of certain enforcement functions of Sec- retary or other official in Department of Agriculture under this subchapter to Federal Inspector, Office of Federal Inspector for Alaska Natural Gas Transpor- tation System, and subsequent transfer to Secretary of Energy, then to Federal Coordinator for Alaska Nat- ural Gas Transportation Projects, see note set out under section 1601 of this title. § 1609. National Forest System (a) Congressional declaration of constituent ele- ments and purposes; lands etc., included within; return of lands to public domain Congress declares that the National Forest System consists of units of federally owned for- est, range, and related lands throughout the United States and its territories, united into a nationally significant system dedicated to the long-term benefit for present and future genera- tions, and that it is the purpose of this section to include all such areas into one integral sys- tem. The ‘‘National Forest System’’ shall in- clude all national forest lands reserved or with- drawn from the public domain of the United States, all national forest lands acquired through purchase, exchange, donation, or other means, the national grasslands and land utiliza- tion projects administered under title III of the Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act [7 U.S.C. 1010 et seq.], and other lands, waters, or interests therein which are administered by the Forest Service or are designated for administration through the Forest Service as a part of the sys- tem. Notwithstanding the provisions of section 473 of this title, no land now or hereafter re- served or withdrawn from the public domain as national forests pursuant to section 471 1 of this title, or any act supplementary to and amend- atory thereof, shall be returned to the public do- main except by an act of Congress. (b) Location of Forest Service offices The on-the-ground field offices, field super- visory offices, and regional offices of the Forest Service shall be so situated as to provide the op- timum level of convenient, useful services to the public, giving priority to the maintenance and location of facilities in rural areas and towns near the national forest and Forest Service pro- gram locations in accordance with the standards in section 2204b–1(b) of title 7. (Pub. L. 93–378, § 11, formerly § 10, Aug. 17, 1974, 88 Stat. 480, renumbered § 11 and amended Pub. L. 94–588, §§ 2, 9, Oct. 22, 1976, 90 Stat. 2949, 2957.) Editorial Notes REFERENCES IN TEXT The Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act, referred to in subsec. (a), is act July 22, 1937, ch. 517, 50 Stat. 522. Title III of the Bankhead Jones Farm Tenant Act is classified generally to subchapter III (§ 1010 et seq.) of chapter 33 of Title 7, Agriculture. For complete classi- fication of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 1000 of Title 7 and Tables. Section 471 of this title, referred to in subsec. (a), was repealed by Pub. L. 94–579, title VII, § 704(a), Oct. 21, 1976, 90 Stat. 2792.) AMENDMENTS 1976—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 94–588, § 9, prohibited the re- turn to the public domain of land reserved or with- drawn from the public domain as national forests pur- suant to section 471 of this title except by an act of Congress. Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries LAND CONVEYANCES INVOLVING JOLIET ARMY AMMUNITION PLANT, ILLINOIS Pub. L. 104–106, div. B, title XXIX, Feb. 10, 1996, 110 Stat. 594, as amended by Pub. L. 106–65, div. B, title XXVIII, § 2842, Oct. 5, 1999, 113 Stat. 863; Pub. L. 113–291, div. B, title XXVIII, § 2838, Dec. 19, 2014, 128 Stat. 3710; Pub. L. 115–232, div. B, title XXVIII, § 2848, Aug. 13, 2018, 132 Stat. 2279, provided that title XXIX could be cited as the ‘‘Illinois Land Conservation Act of 1995’’ and pro- vided for conversion of Joliet Army Ammunition Plant to Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, Illinois, to be managed by the Secretary of Agriculture as part of Na- tional Forest System, and for conveyance of certain real property at the Arsenal for a national cemetery, a Will County, Illinois, landfill, and industrial parks to replace all or a part of lost economic activity, with pro- visions prohibiting construction of title XXIX to re- strict or lessen degree of cleanup required to be carried out under environmental laws, and provisions author- izing retention of real property used for environmental cleanup by Secretary of the Army until transfer occurs. Executive Documents TRANSFER OF FUNCTIONS For transfer of certain enforcement functions of Sec- retary or other official in Department of Agriculture under this subchapter to Federal Inspector, Office of Federal Inspector for Alaska Natural Gas Transpor- tation System, and subsequent transfer to Secretary of Energy, then to Federal Coordinator for Alaska Nat- ural Gas Transportation Projects, see note set out under section 1601 of this title. § 1610. Implementation of provisions by Sec- retary; utilization of information and data of other organizations; avoidance of duplication of planning, etc.; ‘‘renewable resources’’ de- fined In carrying out this subchapter, the Secretary shall utilize information and data available from other Federal, State, and private organiza- tions and shall avoid duplication and overlap of resource assessment and program planning ef- forts of other Federal agencies. The term ‘‘re- newable resources’’ shall be construed to involve those matters within the scope of responsibil- ities and authorities of the Forest Service on August 17, 1974 and on the date of enactment of any legislation amendatory or supplementary thereto. (Pub. L. 93–378, § 12, formerly § 11, Aug. 17, 1974, 88 Stat. 480, renumbered § 12 and amended Pub. L. 94–588, §§ 2, 10, Oct. 22, 1976, 90 Stat. 2949, 2957; Pub. L. 115–141, div. O, title II, § 208(b)(2), Mar. 23, 2018, 132 Stat. 1066.)