---
kind: "section"
citation: "16 U.S.C. § 3171"
title: "16"
title_heading: "Conservation"
number: "3171"
heading: "Temporary access"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/16/3171"
units:
  - "Chapter 51 — Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation"
  - "Subchapter IV — Transportation and Utility Systems in and Across, and Access into, Conservation System Units"
---

# §3171. Temporary access

- (a) **In general—** Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act or other law the [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1) shall authorize and permit temporary access by the [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a) or a private landowner to or across any [conservation system unit](/usc/16/3102.md?p=4), national recreation [area](/usc/16/539m–1.md?p=1-A), national conservation [area](/usc/16/539m–1.md?p=1-A), the National Petroleum Reserve—Alaska or those [public lands](/usc/16/620e.md?p=7) designated as [wilderness](/usc/16/3102.md?p=13) study or managed to maintain the [wilderness](/usc/16/3102.md?p=13) character or potential thereof, in order to permit the [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a) or private landowner access to its land for purposes of survey, geophysical, exploratory, or other temporary uses thereof whenever he determines such access will not result in permanent harm to the resources of such [unit](/usc/16/430f–7.md?p=4), [area](/usc/16/539m–1.md?p=1-A), Reserve or lands.
- (b) **Stipulations and conditions—** In providing temporary access pursuant to [subsection (a)](#a), the [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1) may include such stipulations and conditions he deems necessary to insure that the private use of [public lands](/usc/16/620e.md?p=7) is accomplished in a manner that is not inconsistent with the purposes for which the [public lands](/usc/16/620e.md?p=7) are reserved and which insures that no permanent harm will result to the resources of the [unit](/usc/16/430f–7.md?p=4), [area](/usc/16/539m–1.md?p=1-A), Reserve or lands.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 96–487, title XI, § 1111, Dec. 2, 1980, 94 Stat. 2465.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

This Act, referred to in subsec. (a), is Pub. L. 96–487, Dec. 2, 1980, 94 Stat. 2371, known as the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 3101 of this title and Tables.