---
kind: "section"
citation: "16 U.S.C. § 1724"
title: "16"
title_heading: "Conservation"
number: "1724"
heading: "Conservation centers and program support"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/16/1724"
units:
  - "Chapter 37 — Youth Conservation Corps and Public Lands Corps"
  - "Subchapter II — Public Lands Corps"
---

# §1724. Conservation centers and program support

- (a) **Establishment and use—**
  - (1) **In general—** The [Secretary](/usc/16/1722.md?p=13) may establish and use conservation centers owned and operated by the [Secretary](/usc/16/1722.md?p=13) for—
    - (A) use by the [Public Lands Corps](/usc/16/1722.md?p=2); and
    - (B) the conduct of [appropriate conservation projects](/usc/16/1722.md?p=1) under this subchapter.
  - (2) **Assistance for conservation centers—** The [Secretary](/usc/16/1722.md?p=13) may provide to a conservation center established under [paragraph (1)](#a-1) any services, facilities, equipment, and supplies that the [Secretary](/usc/16/1722.md?p=13) determines to be necessary for the conservation center.
  - (3) **Standards for conservation centers—** The [Secretary](/usc/16/1722.md?p=13) shall—
    - (A) establish basic standards of health, nutrition, sanitation, and safety for all conservation centers established under [paragraph (1)](#a-1); and
    - (B) ensure that the standards established under [subparagraph (A)](#a-3-A) are enforced.
  - (4) **Management—** As the [Secretary](/usc/16/1722.md?p=13) determines to be appropriate, the [Secretary](/usc/16/1722.md?p=13) may enter into a contract or other appropriate arrangement with a [State](/usc/16/1722.md?p=14) or local government agency or private organization to provide for the management of a conservation center.
- (b) **Logistical support—** The [Secretary](/usc/16/1722.md?p=13) may make arrangements with the [Secretary](/usc/16/1722.md?p=13) of Defense to have logistical support provided by the Armed Forces to the [Corps](/usc/16/1722.md?p=2) and any conservation center established under this section, where feasible. Logistical support may include the provision of temporary tent shelters where needed, transportation, and residential supervision.
- (c) **Use of military installations—** The [Secretary](/usc/16/1722.md?p=13) may make arrangements with the [Secretary](/usc/16/1722.md?p=13) of Defense to identify military installations and other facilities of the Department of Defense and, in consultation with the adjutant generals of the [State](/usc/16/1722.md?p=14) National Guards, National Guard facilities that may be used, in whole or in part, by the [Corps](/usc/16/1722.md?p=2) for training or housing [Corps](/usc/16/1722.md?p=2) participants.
- (d) **Assistance—** The [Secretary](/usc/16/1722.md?p=13) may provide any services, facilities, equipment, supplies, technical assistance, oversight, monitoring, or evaluations that are appropriate to carry out this subchapter.
- (e) **Transportation—** The [Secretary](/usc/16/1722.md?p=13) may provide to [Corps](/usc/16/1722.md?p=2) participants who reside in their own homes transportation to and from [appropriate conservation project](/usc/16/1722.md?p=1) sites.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 91–378, title II, § 205, as added Pub. L. 103–82, title I, § 105(6), Sept. 21, 1993, 107 Stat. 851; amended Pub. L. 109–154, § 2(d), (g)(2), Dec. 30, 2005, 119 Stat. 2891, 2893; Pub. L. 116–9, title IX, § 9003(c), Mar. 12, 2019, 133 Stat. 833.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2019—Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 116–9 added subsec. (e).

2005—Pub. L. 109–154, § 2(d)(1), inserted “and program support” after “Conservation centers” in section catchline.

Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 109–154, § 2(d)(2), added subsec. (a) and struck out heading and text of former subsec. (a). Text read as follows: “The Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture are each authorized to provide such quarters, board, medical care, transportation, and other services, facilities, supplies, and equipment as such Secretary deems necessary in connection with the Public Lands Corps and appropriate conservation projects carried out under this subchapter and to establish and use conservation centers owned and operated by such Secretary for purposes of the Corps and such projects. The Secretaries shall establish basic standards of health, nutrition, sanitation, and safety for all conservation centers established under this section and shall assure that such standards are enforced. Where necessary or appropriate, the Secretaries may enter into contracts and other appropriate arrangements with State and local government agencies and private organizations for the management of such conservation centers.”

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 109–154, § 2(g)(2)(A), substituted “Secretary may” for “Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture may”.

Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 109–154, § 2(g)(2)(B), substituted “Secretary may” for “Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture may”.

Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 109–154, § 2(d)(3), added subsec. (d).

### 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.