---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 3271"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "3271"
heading: "Availability of soil surveys under soil survey program"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/3271"
units:
  - "Chapter 40 — Soil Information Assistance for Community Planning and Resource Development"
---

# §3271. Availability of soil surveys under soil survey program


In recognition of the increasing need for soil surveys by the [States](/usc/42/2021b.md?p=14) and other [public agencies](/usc/42/11851.md?p=8) in connection with community planning and resource development for protecting and improving the quality of the environment, meeting recreational needs, conserving land and water resources, providing for multiple uses of such resources, and controlling and reducing pollution from sediment and other pollutants in areas of rapidly changing uses, including farmlands being shifted to other uses, resulting from rapid expansions in the uses of land for industry, housing, transportation, recreation, and related services, it is the sense of Congress that the soil survey program of the United States Department of Agriculture should be conducted so as to make available soil surveys to meet such needs of the [States](/usc/42/2021b.md?p=14) and other [public agencies](/usc/42/11851.md?p=8) in connection with community planning and resource development.


## Source credit

(Pub. L. 89–560, § 1, Sept. 7, 1966, 80 Stat. 706.)