---
kind: "section"
citation: "10 U.S.C. § 2691"
title: "10"
title_heading: "Armed Forces"
number: "2691"
heading: "Restoration of land used by permit or damaged by mishap; reimbursement of State costs of fighting wildland fires"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/10/2691"
units:
  - "Subtitle A — General Military Law"
  - "Part IV — Service, Supply, and Property"
  - "Chapter 159 — Real Property; Related Personal Property; and Lease of Non-Excess Property"
---

# §2691. Restoration of land used by permit or damaged by mishap; reimbursement of State costs of fighting wildland fires

- (a) **Restoration of Other Agency Land Used by Permit.—** The [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of the [military](/usc/10/801.md?p=8) [department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) concerned may remove improvements and take any other action necessary in the judgment of the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) to restore land used by that [military](/usc/10/801.md?p=8) [department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) by permit from another [military](/usc/10/801.md?p=8) [department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) or Federal [agency](/usc/10/3451.md?p=3) if the restoration is required by the permit making that land available to the [military](/usc/10/801.md?p=8) [department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6). The [Secretary concerned](/usc/10/2801.md?p=c-5) may carry out this section using funds available for operations and maintenance or for [military construction](/usc/10/2801.md?p=a).
- (b) **Screening for Use of Improved Land.—** Unless otherwise prohibited by law or the terms of the permit, before restoration of any land under [subsection (a)](#a) is begun, the [Secretary concerned](/usc/10/2801.md?p=c-5) shall determine, under the provisions of subtitle I of [title 40](/usc/40.md) and division C (except sections [3302](/usc/10/3302.md), [3501(b)](/usc/10/3501.md?p=b), 3509, 3906, 4710, and 4711) of subtitle I of [title 41](/usc/41.md), whether another [military](/usc/10/801.md?p=8) [department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) or Federal [agency](/usc/10/3451.md?p=3) has a use for the land in its existing, improved [state](/usc/10/4951.md?p=4). During the period required to make such a determination, the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) may provide for maintenance and repair of improvements on the land to the [standards](/usc/10/3011.md?p=3) established for excess property by the [Administrator](/usc/10/2700.md?p=3) of General Services.
- (c) **Restoration of Department of Defense Land Used by Other Agency.—**
  - (1) As a condition of any permit, license, or other grant of access entered into by the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of a [military](/usc/10/801.md?p=8) [department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) with another Federal [agency](/usc/10/3451.md?p=3) authorizing the [agency](/usc/10/3451.md?p=3) to use lands under the control of the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3), the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) may require the [agency](/usc/10/3451.md?p=3) to agree to remove any improvements and to take any other action necessary in the judgment of the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) to restore the land used by the [agency](/usc/10/3451.md?p=3) to its condition before its use by the [agency](/usc/10/3451.md?p=3).
  - (2) In lieu of performing any [removal](/usc/10/2700.md?p=2) or restoration work under [paragraph (1)](#c-1), a Federal [agency](/usc/10/3451.md?p=3) may elect, with the consent of the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3), to reimburse the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) for the costs incurred by the [military](/usc/10/801.md?p=8) [department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) in performing such [removal](/usc/10/2700.md?p=2) or restoration work.
- (d) **Wildland Fires on State Land.—** The [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense may, in any lease, permit, license, or other grant of access for use of lands owned by a [State](/usc/10/4951.md?p=4), agree to reimburse the [State](/usc/10/4951.md?p=4) for the reasonable costs of the [State](/usc/10/4951.md?p=4) in suppressing wildland fires caused by the activities of the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense under such lease, permit, license, or other grant of access.
- (e) **Restoration of Land Damaged by Mishap.—**
  - (1) When land under the administrative jurisdiction of a Federal [agency](/usc/10/3451.md?p=3) that is not a part of the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense is damaged as the result of a mishap involving a vessel, aircraft, or vehicle of the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense, the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense may, with the consent of the Federal [agency](/usc/10/3451.md?p=3), restore the land.
  - (2) When land under the administrative jurisdiction of the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense or a [military](/usc/10/801.md?p=8) [department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) is damaged as the result of a mishap involving a vessel, aircraft, or vehicle of a Federal [agency](/usc/10/3451.md?p=3) that is not a part of the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense, the head of the Federal [agency](/usc/10/3451.md?p=3) under whose control the vessel, aircraft, or vehicle was operating may, with the consent of the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense, restore the land.
  - (3) The authority under paragraphs [(1)](#e-1) and [(2)](#e-2) [includes](/usc/10/101.md?p=g-4) activities and expenditures necessary to complete restoration to meet the regulations of the Federal [department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) or [agency](/usc/10/3451.md?p=3) with administrative jurisdiction over the affected land, which may be different than the regulations of the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense.

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 98–407, title VIII, § 804(a), Aug. 28, 1984, 98 Stat. 1519; amended Pub. L. 99–145, title XIII, § 1303(a)(17), Nov. 8, 1985, 99 Stat. 739; Pub. L. 105–261, div. B, title XXVIII, § 2812(a), (b)(1), Oct. 17, 1998, 112 Stat. 2205; Pub. L. 107–217, § 3(b)(15), Aug. 21, 2002, 116 Stat. 1296; Pub. L. 111–350, § 5(b)(46), Jan. 4, 2011, 124 Stat. 3846; Pub. L. 115–91, div. B, title XXVIII, § 2814(a), (b), Dec. 12, 2017, 131 Stat. 1849, 1850; Pub. L. 115–232, div. A, title III, § 353, title X, § 1081(a)(27), Aug. 13, 2018, 132 Stat. 1731, 1985; Pub. L. 117–263, div. A, title X, § 1081(a)(3), Dec. 23, 2022, 136 Stat. 2797.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2022—Pub. L. 117–263 substituted “State” for “state” in section catchline.

2018—Pub. L. 115–232, § 1081(a)(27), substituted “state” for “State” in section catchline.

Subsec. (e)(3). Pub. L. 115–232, § 353, added par. (3).

2017—Pub. L. 115–91, § 2814(b)(1), substituted “damaged by mishap; reimbursement of State costs of fighting wildland fires” for “lease” in section catchline.

Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 115–91, § 2814(a)(1), (b)(2), inserted heading and struck out “or lease” after “permit” in two places.

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 115–91, § 2814(a)(2), (b)(3), inserted heading and struck out “or lease” after “permit”.

Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 115–91, § 2814(b)(4), inserted heading.

Subsec. (c)(1). Pub. L. 115–91, § 2814(a)(3), struck out “lease,” before “permit,”.

Subsecs. (d), (e). Pub. L. 115–91, § 2814(a)(4), added subsecs. (d) and (e).

2011—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 111–350 substituted “division C (except sections 3302, 3501(b), 3509, 3906, 4710, and 4711) of subtitle I of title 41” for “title III of the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 (41 U.S.C. 251 et seq.)”.

2002—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 107–217 inserted “subtitle I of title 40 and title III of” before “the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949” and substituted “(41 U.S.C. 251 et seq.)” for “(40 U.S.C. 471 et seq.)”.

1998—Pub. L. 105–261, § 2812(b)(1), struck out “from other agencies” after “lease” in section catchline.

Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 105–261, § 2812(a), added subsec. (c).

1985—Pub. L. 99–145 substituted “used by” for “used of” in section catchline.