--- kind: "range" citation: "16 U.S.C. §§ 473–478" title: "16" from: "473" to: "478" count: 6 release: "119-102" url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/16/473..478" --- # §473. Revocation, modification, or vacation of orders or proclamations establishing national forests The President of the United States is authorized and empowered to revoke, modify, or suspend any and all Executive orders and proclamations or any part thereof issued under [section 471](/usc/16/471.md)[^1] of this title, from time to time as he shall deem best for the public interests. By such modification he may reduce the [area](/usc/16/539m–1.md?p=1-A) or change the boundary lines or may vacate altogether any order creating a [national forest](/usc/16/5207.md?p=3). # §474. Surveys; plats and field notes; maps; effect under Act June 4, 1897 Surveys, field notes, and plats returned from the survey of [public lands](/usc/16/620e.md?p=7) designated as [national forests](/usc/16/5207.md?p=3) undertaken under the supervision of the Director of the United States Geological Survey in accordance with provisions of Act June 4, 1897, [chapter 2](/usc/16/ch2.md), [section 1](/usc/16/1.md), thirtieth Statutes, page 34, shall have the same legal force and effect as surveys, field notes, and plats returned through the Field Surveying Service; and such surveys, which include [subdivision](/usc/16/539m–1.md?p=15) surveys under the rectangular [system](/usc/16/668ee.md?p=14), approved by the [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1) of the Interior or such officer as he may designate as in other cases, and properly certified copies thereof shall be filed in the respective land offices of the districts in which such lands are situated, as in other cases. All laws inconsistent with the provisions hereof are declared inoperative as respects such survey. A copy of every topographic [map](/usc/16/430f–7.md?p=1) and other [maps](/usc/16/430f–7.md?p=1) showing the distribution of the forests, together with such field notes as may be taken relating thereto, shall be certified thereto by the Director of the Survey and filed in the Bureau of Land Management. # §475. Purposes for which national forests may be established and administered All [public lands](/usc/16/620e.md?p=7) designated and reserved prior to June 4, 1897, by the President of the United States under the provisions of [section 471](/usc/16/471.md)[^1] of this title, the orders for which shall be and remain in full force and effect, unsuspended and unrevoked, and all [public lands](/usc/16/620e.md?p=7) that may hereafter be set aside and reserved as [national forests](/usc/16/5207.md?p=3) under said section, shall be as far as practicable controlled and administered in accordance with the following provisions. No [national forest](/usc/16/5207.md?p=3) shall be established, except to improve and protect the forest within the boundaries, or for the purpose of securing favorable conditions of water flows, and to furnish a continuous supply of timber for the use and necessities of citizens of the United States; but it is not the purpose or intent of these provisions, or of said section, to authorize the inclusion therein of lands more valuable for the mineral therein, or for agricultural purposes, than for forest purposes. # [§476. Repealed. Pub. L. 94–588, § 13, Oct. 22, 1976, 90 Stat. 2958 — repealed] # §477. Use of timber and stone by settlers The [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1) of Agriculture may permit, under regulations to be prescribed by him, the use of timber and stone found upon [national forests](/usc/16/5207.md?p=3), free of charge, by bona fide settlers, miners, residents, and prospectors for minerals, for firewood, fencing, buildings, mining, prospecting, and other domestic purposes, as may be needed by such [persons](/usc/16/450rr–1.md?p=b) for such purposes; such timber to be used within the [State](/usc/16/6456.md?p=2) or Territory, respectively, where such [national forests](/usc/16/5207.md?p=3) may be located. # §478. Egress or ingress of actual settlers; prospecting Nothing in sections [473 to 478](/usc/16/473..478.md), [479 to 482](/usc/16/479..482.md) and [551](/usc/16/551.md) of this title shall be construed as prohibiting the egress or ingress of actual settlers residing within the boundaries of [national forests](/usc/16/5207.md?p=3), or from crossing the same to and from their property or homes; and such wagon roads and other improvements may be constructed thereon as may be necessary to reach their homes and to utilize their property under such rules and regulations as may be prescribed by the [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1) of Agriculture. Nor shall anything in such sections prohibit any [person](/usc/16/450rr–1.md?p=b) from entering upon such [national forests](/usc/16/5207.md?p=3) for all proper and lawful purposes, including that of prospecting, locating, and developing the mineral [resources](/usc/16/410hhh–1.md?p=8) thereof. Such [persons](/usc/16/450rr–1.md?p=b) must comply with the rules and regulations covering such [national forests](/usc/16/5207.md?p=3).