---
kind: "section"
citation: "16 U.S.C. § 682"
title: "16"
title_heading: "Conservation"
number: "682"
heading: "Game refuge in Ozark National Forest"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/16/682"
units:
  - "Chapter 6 — Game and Bird Preserves; Protection"
---

# §682. Game refuge in Ozark National Forest


The President of the United States is authorized to designate such national [forest lands](/usc/16/544.md?p=f) within the Ozark National Forest, within the [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a) of Arkansas, as should, in his discretion, be set aside for the protection of game animals, birds, or fish; and, except under such rules and regulations as the [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1) of Agriculture may from time to time prescribe, it shall be unlawful for any [person](/usc/16/450rr–1.md?p=b) to hunt, catch, trap, willfully disturb, or kill any kind of game animal, game or nongame bird, or fish, or [take](/usc/16/3102.md?p=18) the eggs of any such bird on any lands so set aside, or in or on the waters thereof.


## Source credit

(Feb. 28, 1925, ch. 376, 43 Stat. 1091; Aug. 11, 1945, ch. 365, 59 Stat. 531; June 25, 1948, ch. 645, § 12, 62 Stat. 861.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

1948—Act June 25, 1948, struck out penal provisions (see section 41 of Title 18, Crimes and Criminal Procedure), and inserted provision relating to the unlawfulness in hunting, catching, etc., game animals, etc., under rules and regulations of the Secretary of Agriculture.

1945—Act Aug. 11, 1945, struck out last sentence which read “No lands within the present limits of the fourth congressional district shall be included in such designations.”

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date of 1948 Amendment

Section 20 of act June 25, 1948, provided that the amendment made by that act is effective Sept. 1, 1948.

### Executive Documents

### Presidential Designation

Lands comprising the Ozark National Game Refuge were designated by Proclamations of June 13, 1928 (45 Stat. 2953), and Oct. 25, 1935 (49 Stat. 3478).