---
kind: "section"
citation: "16 U.S.C. § 567b"
title: "16"
title_heading: "Conservation"
number: "567b"
heading: "Conditions and requirements for cooperation in acquisition and management of State forests"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/16/567b"
units:
  - "Chapter 3 — Forests; Forest Service; Reforestation; Management"
  - "Subchapter I — General Provisions"
---

# §567b. Conditions and requirements for cooperation in acquisition and management of State forests


No cooperative agreement shall be entered into or continued in force under the authority of sections [567a](/usc/16/567a.md) to [567c](/usc/16/567c.md) of this title or any land acquired hereunder turned over to the cooperating [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a) for administration, development, and management unless the [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a) concerned, as a consideration for the benefits extended to it thereunder, complies in a manner satisfactory to the [Secretary](/usc/16/580p.md?p=3) of Agriculture with the following conditions and requirements which shall constitute a part of every such agreement:

- (a) In order to reduce the need for public expenditures in the [acquisition](/usc/16/620e.md?p=1) of lands which may be brought into public ownership through the enforcement of appropriate tax delinquency laws, and, by bringing about the handling of such lands upon a sound social and economic basis, to terminate a system of indeterminate and unsound ownership injurious to the private and public interest alike, no additional lands shall be acquired within any [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a) by the United States under sections [567a](/usc/16/567a.md) to [567c](/usc/16/567c.md) of this title after June 30, 1942, unless the [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a) concerned has prior thereto provided by law for the reversion of title to the [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a) or a political [unit](/usc/16/430f–7.md?p=4) thereof of tax-delinquent lands and for blocking into [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a) or other public forests the [areas](/usc/16/539m–1.md?p=1-A) which are more suitable for public than private ownership, and which in the public interest should be devoted primarily to the production of timber crops and/or the maintenance of forests for watershed protection, and for the enforcement of such law: Provided, That in the administration of sections [567a](/usc/16/567a.md) to [567c](/usc/16/567c.md) of this title prior to June 30, 1942, preference will be given to [States](/usc/16/544.md?p=r) applying for cooperation hereunder which provided by law for such reversion of title under tax delinquency laws.
- (b) In order to insure a stable and efficient organization for the development and administration of the lands acquired under sections [567a](/usc/16/567a.md) to [567c](/usc/16/567c.md) of this title, the [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a) shall provide for the employment of a [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a) forester, who shall be a trained forester of recognized standing.
- (c) The [Secretary](/usc/16/580p.md?p=3) of Agriculture and the appropriate authorities of each cooperating [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a) shall work out a mutually satisfactory plan defining forest [areas](/usc/16/539m–1.md?p=1-A) within the [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a) which can be most effectively and economically administered by said [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a), which plan shall constitute a part of the cooperative agreement between the United States and the [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a) concerned: Provided, That nothing herein shall be held to prevent the [Secretary](/usc/16/580p.md?p=3) of Agriculture from later agreeing with the proper [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a) authorities to desirable modifications in such plan.
- (d) No payment of Federal funds shall be made for land selected for purchase by the United States under sections [567a](/usc/16/567a.md) to [567c](/usc/16/567c.md) of this title until such proposed purchase has been submitted to and approved by the National Forest Reservation [Commission](/usc/16/544.md?p=c) created by [section 513 of this title](/usc/16/513.md).
- (e) Subject to the approval of the National Forest Reservation [Commission](/usc/16/544.md?p=c), the [Secretary](/usc/16/580p.md?p=3) of Agriculture is authorized to pay out of any available money appropriated for carrying out the purposes of sections [567a](/usc/16/567a.md) to [567c](/usc/16/567c.md) of this title any [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a), county, and/or town taxes, exclusive of penalties, due or accrued on any [forest lands](/usc/16/544.md?p=f) acquired by the United States under donations from the [owners](/usc/16/429b–3.md?p=4) thereof and which lands are to be included in a [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a) or other public forest pursuant to said sections.
- (f) The [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a) shall prepare such standards of forest administration, development, and management as are necessary to insure maximum feasible utility for timber production and watershed protection, and are acceptable to the [Secretary](/usc/16/580p.md?p=3) of Agriculture and shall apply the same to lands acquired and placed under the jurisdiction of the [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a) pursuant to sections [567a](/usc/16/567a.md) to [567c](/usc/16/567c.md) of this title.
- (g) That with the exception of such Federal expenditures as may be made for unemployment relief, the [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a) shall pay without assistance from the Federal Government the entire future cost of administering, developing, and managing all [forest lands](/usc/16/544.md?p=f) acquired and over which it has been given jurisdiction under sections [567a](/usc/16/567a.md) to [567c](/usc/16/567c.md) of this title.
- (h) During the period any cooperative agreement made under sections [567a](/usc/16/567a.md) to [567c](/usc/16/567c.md) of this title remains in force, one-half of the gross proceeds from all lands covered by said agreement and to which the United States holds title shall be paid by the [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a) to the United States and covered into the Treasury. All such payments shall be credited to the purchase price the [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a) is to pay the United States for said land, such purchase price to be an amount equal to the total sum expended by the United States in acquiring said lands. Upon payments of the full purchase price, either as herein provided or otherwise, title to said lands shall be transferred from the Federal Government to the [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a), and the [Secretary](/usc/16/580p.md?p=3) of Agriculture is authorized to [take](/usc/16/3102.md?p=18) such action and incur such expenditures, as may be necessary to effectuate such transfer.
- (i) Upon the request of the [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a) concerned, any agreement made pursuant to sections [567a](/usc/16/567a.md) to [567c](/usc/16/567c.md) of this title may be terminated by the [Secretary](/usc/16/580p.md?p=3) of Agriculture. The [Secretary](/usc/16/580p.md?p=3) of Agriculture may, with the consent and approval of the National Forest Reservation [Commission](/usc/16/544.md?p=c), after due notice given the [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a) and an opportunity for hearing by said [Commission](/usc/16/544.md?p=c), terminate any such agreement for [violations](/usc/16/620e.md?p=11) of its terms and/or the provisions of said sections of this title. If such agreement is terminated, the United States shall reimburse the [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a) for so much of the [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a) funds as have been expended in the administration, development, and management of the lands involved as the [Secretary](/usc/16/580p.md?p=3) of Agriculture may decide to be fair and equitable.
- (j) The [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a) shall furnish the [Secretary](/usc/16/580p.md?p=3) of Agriculture with such annual, periodic, or special reports as he may require respecting the [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a)’s operations under its agreement with him.
- (k) When a [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a) or political [unit](/usc/16/430f–7.md?p=4) thereof [acquires](/usc/16/620e.md?p=1) under tax delinquency laws title to [forest lands](/usc/16/544.md?p=f) without cost to the United States and which lands are included within a [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a) or other public forest, the [Secretary](/usc/16/580p.md?p=3) of Agriculture, on behalf of the Federal Government, may contribute annually out of any funds made available under sections [567a](/usc/16/567a.md) to [567c](/usc/16/567c.md) of this title not to exceed one-half the cost of administering, developing, and managing said lands.

## Source credit

(Aug. 29, 1935, ch. 808, § 2, 49 Stat. 963.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

The National Forest Reservation Commission, referred to in subsecs. (d), (e), and (i), was created by section 4 of act Mar. 1, 1911 (16 U.S.C. 513). Section 4 of the 1911 Act was repealed, and all functions of the National Forest Reservation Commission were transferred to the Secretary of Agriculture, by section 17(a)(1) of Pub. L. 94–588, Oct. 22, 1976, 90 Stat. 2961.