---
kind: "section"
citation: "16 U.S.C. § 8453"
title: "16"
title_heading: "Conservation"
number: "8453"
heading: "Public lands telecommunications cooperative agreements"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/16/8453"
units:
  - "Chapter 103 — Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences"
  - "Subchapter I — Outdoor Recreation and Infrastructure"
  - "Part D — Broadband Connectivity on Federal Recreational Lands and Waters"
---

# §8453. Public lands telecommunications cooperative agreements

- (a) **Cooperative agreements for the Department of the Interior—** The [Secretary](/usc/16/8401.md?p=7) may enter into cooperative agreements to carry out activities related to communications sites on lands managed by [Federal land management agencies](/usc/16/8401.md?p=1), including—
  - (1) administering communications use authorizations;
  - (2) preparing needs assessments or other programmatic analyses necessary to establish communications sites and authorize communications uses on or adjacent to [Federal recreational lands and waters](/usc/16/8401.md?p=2) managed by a [Federal land management agency](/usc/16/8401.md?p=1);
  - (3) developing [management plans](/usc/16/544.md?p=k) for communications sites on or adjacent to [Federal recreational lands and waters](/usc/16/8401.md?p=2) managed by a [Federal land management agency](/usc/16/8401.md?p=1) on a competitively neutral, technology neutral, nondiscriminatory basis;
  - (4) training for management of communications sites on or adjacent to [Federal recreational lands and waters](/usc/16/8401.md?p=2) managed by a [Federal land management agency](/usc/16/8401.md?p=1);
  - (5) obtaining, improving access to, or establishing communications sites on or adjacent to [Federal recreational lands and waters](/usc/16/8401.md?p=2) managed by a [Federal land management agency](/usc/16/8401.md?p=1); and
  - (6) any combination of purposes described in subparagraphs[^1] (1) through (5).
- (b) **Omitted—**
- (c) **Assessment of rental fee retention authority—** Not later than 1 year after January 4, 2025, the [Secretary](/usc/16/8401.md?p=7) shall conduct a comprehensive assessment to evaluate the potential benefits of rental fee retention whereby any fee collected for the occupancy and use of [Federal lands](/usc/16/620e.md?p=2) and waters authorized by a communications use authorization would be deposited into a special account and used solely for activities related to communications sites on lands and waters managed by the [Secretary](/usc/16/8401.md?p=7).

## Footnotes

[^1]: So in original. Probably should be “paragraphs”.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 118–234, title I, § 143, Jan. 4, 2025, 138 Stat. 2865.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Codification

Section is comprised of section 143 of Pub. L. 118–234. Subsec. (b) of section 143 of Pub. L. 118–234 amended section 1761a of Title 43, Public Lands.