---
kind: "section"
citation: "16 U.S.C. § 460ggg–2"
title: "16"
title_heading: "Conservation"
number: "460ggg–2"
heading: "Recreation area"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/16/460ggg-2"
units:
  - "Chapter 1 — National Parks, Military Parks, Monuments, and Seashores"
  - "Subchapter CXVIII — Ed Jenkins National Recreation Area and Coosa Bald National Scenic Area"
---

# §460ggg–2. Recreation area

- (a) **Designation and purposes—** For the purposes of ensuring the protection of certain natural, scenic, [fish and wildlife](/usc/16/3102.md?p=17), historic and archaeological, wildland and watershed values, and providing for the enhancement of the recreation opportunities associated with these values, certain lands in the Chattahoochee National Forest, Georgia, which comprise approximately 23,330 acres, as generally depicted on a [map](/usc/16/430f–7.md?p=1) entitled “Springer Mountain National Recreation [Area](/usc/16/539m–1.md?p=1-A)—Proposed”, dated October 1991, are hereby designated as a national recreation [area](/usc/16/539m–1.md?p=1-A) and shall be known as Ed Jenkins National Recreation [Area](/usc/16/539m–1.md?p=1-A) (hereafter in this section referred to as the “recreation [area](/usc/16/539m–1.md?p=1-A)”).
- (b) **Administration—**
  - (1) Subject to valid existing rights, the [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1) shall administer the recreation [area](/usc/16/539m–1.md?p=1-A) in accordance with the laws, rules, and regulations applicable to the national forests in such a way as to further the purposes of this section. Except as provided in this section, the [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1) may not conduct timber harvesting in the recreation [area](/usc/16/539m–1.md?p=1-A). The [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1) may remove timber in the recreation [area](/usc/16/539m–1.md?p=1-A) in furtherance of this section, but only in a manner which does not impair the purposes for which the recreation [area](/usc/16/539m–1.md?p=1-A) is established. Salvage or sanitation harvesting of timber stands which are substantially damaged by fire, windthrow or other catastrophe, or are in imminent danger from insect or disease attack, is authorized to maintain forest health. Timber harvesting is authorized to provide for visitor safety.
  - (2) Nothing in this section shall prevent the completion of existing timber sales under contract. The [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1) may permit additional road construction in the [area](/usc/16/539m–1.md?p=1-A) in furtherance of the purposes for which the recreation [area](/usc/16/539m–1.md?p=1-A) is established.
  - (3) By virtue of the designation under this section, the [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1) need not change patterns of public access or closure on existing permanent national forest development roads. At his discretion, however, the [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1) may open or close such existing roads to public use for reasons of sound resource management.
  - (4) Lands within the recreation [area](/usc/16/539m–1.md?p=1-A) are hereby withdrawn from the operation of all laws pertaining to mineral leasing.
  - (5) The [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1) may permit, in his discretion, the continued maintenance of existing wildlife openings, in cooperation with the [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a) of Georgia and other Federal, [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a), and private cooperators, and may permit new wildlife openings in furtherance of the purposes for which the recreation [area](/usc/16/539m–1.md?p=1-A) is established.
  - (6) The [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1) shall protect, enhance, and promote the public’s opportunities for primitive and semiprimitive recreation in the recreation [area](/usc/16/539m–1.md?p=1-A).
  - (7) Designation by this section shall not interfere with rights of access to privately held lands.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 102–217, § 4, Dec. 11, 1991, 105 Stat. 1668; Pub. L. 102–456, § 2, Oct. 23, 1992, 106 Stat. 2264.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

The laws pertaining to mineral leasing, referred to in subsec. (b)(4), are classified generally to Title 30, Mineral Lands and Mining.

### Amendments

1992—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 102–456 substituted “Ed Jenkins National Recreation Area” for “Springer Mountain National Recreation Area”.