---
kind: "section"
citation: "16 U.S.C. § 1721"
title: "16"
title_heading: "Conservation"
number: "1721"
heading: "Congressional findings and purpose"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/16/1721"
units:
  - "Chapter 37 — Youth Conservation Corps and Public Lands Corps"
  - "Subchapter II — Public Lands Corps"
---

# §1721. Congressional findings and purpose

- (a) **Findings—** The Congress finds the following:
  - (1) Conserving or developing natural and cultural resources and enhancing and maintaining environmentally important lands and waters through the use of the Nation’s young men and women in a [Public Lands Corps](/usc/16/1722.md?p=2) can benefit those men and women by providing them with education and work opportunities, furthering their understanding and appreciation of the natural and cultural resources, and providing a means to pay for higher education or to repay indebtedness they have incurred to obtain higher education while at the same time benefiting the Nation’s economy and its environment.
  - (2) Many facilities and natural resources located on [eligible service lands](/usc/16/1722.md?p=3) are in disrepair or degraded and in need of labor intensive rehabilitation, restoration, and enhancement work which cannot be carried out by Federal agencies at existing personnel levels.
  - (3) Youth conservation [corps](/usc/16/1722.md?p=2) have established a good record of restoring and maintaining these kinds of facilities and resources in a cost effective and efficient manner, especially when they have worked in partnership arrangements with government land management agencies.
- (b) **Purpose—** It is the purpose of this subchapter to—
  - (1) perform, in a cost-effective manner, [appropriate conservation projects](/usc/16/1722.md?p=1) on [eligible service lands](/usc/16/1722.md?p=3) where such [projects](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-4) will not be performed by existing employees;
  - (2) assist governments and [Indian tribes](/usc/16/544.md?p=g) in performing research and public education tasks associated with natural and cultural resources on [eligible service lands](/usc/16/1722.md?p=3);
  - (3) expose young men and women to public service while furthering their understanding and appreciation of the Nation’s natural and cultural resources;
  - (4) expand educational opportunities by rewarding individuals who participate in national service with an increased ability to pursue higher education or job training; and
  - (5) stimulate interest among the Nation’s young men and women in conservation careers by exposing them to conservation professionals in land managing agencies.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 91–378, title II, § 202, as added Pub. L. 103–82, title I, § 105(6), Sept. 21, 1993, 107 Stat. 848.)

## Notes

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date

Section effective Oct. 1, 1993, see section 123 of Pub. L. 103–82, set out as an Effective Date of 1993 Amendment note under section 1701 of this title.

### Short Title

For short title of title II of Pub. L. 91–378, as added by Pub. L. 103–82, title I, § 105(6), Sept. 21, 1993, 107 Stat. 848, as the “Public Lands Corps Act of 1993”, see Short Title note set out under section 1701 of this title.