---
kind: "section"
citation: "50 C.F.R. § 29.40"
title: "50"
number: "29.40"
heading: "What are the purpose and scope of the regulations in this subpart?"
url: "https://uscodex.org/cfr/50/29.40"
---

# §29.40. What are the purpose and scope of the regulations in this subpart?

- (a) The purpose of this subpart is to ensure that operators exercising non-Federal oil and gas rights within the National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS) outside of Alaska use technologically feasible, least damaging methods to:
  - (1) Protect Service-administered lands and waters, and resources of refuges;
  - (2) Protect refuge wildlife-dependent recreational uses and experiences and visitor or employee health and safety; and
  - (3) **Conserve refuges for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans.**
- (b) This subpart applies to all operators conducting non-Federal oil and gas operations outside of Alaska on Service-administered lands held in fee or less-than fee (excluding coordination areas) or Service-administered waters to the extent necessary to protect those property interests. These regulations do not apply to non-Federal surface locations within the boundaries of a refuge (i.e., inholdings), except to the extent that activities associated with those operations, including access to an inholding, occur on Service-administered lands or waters.
- (c) **This subpart is not intended to result in a taking of any property interest.** The purpose of this subpart is to reasonably regulate operations to protect Service-administered lands and waters, resources of refuges, visitor uses and experiences, and visitor or employee health and safety.

## Notes

### Source

Source: 81 FR 79971, Nov. 14, 2016, unless otherwise noted.

### Authority

Authority: 5 U.S.C. 301; 16 U.S.C. 460k, 664, 668dd, 685, 690d, 715i, 725, 3161; 30 U.S.C. 185; 31 U.S.C. 3711, 9701; 40 U.S.C. 319; 43 U.S.C. 315a; 113 Stat. 1501A-140.

### Source

Source: 31 FR 16026, Dec. 15, 1966, unless otherwise noted.