# 16 U.S.C. § 551: Protection of national forests; rules and regulations

> Federal · Statutes · In force

URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/usc_t16_s551

## Section

- **Citation:** 16 U.S.C. § 551
- **Heading:** Protection of national forests; rules and regulations
- **Jurisdiction:** Federal
- **Kind:** Statutes
- **Status:** In force
- **Text as of:** July 16, 2026
- **Source:** Publisher's official text
- **Location:** Title 16—CONSERVATION > CHAPTER 3—FORESTS › FOREST SERVICE › REFORESTATION › MANAGEMENT > SUBCHAPTER I—GENERAL PROVISIONS

## Text

The Secretary of Agriculture shall make provisions for the protection against destruction by fire and depredations upon the public forests and national forests which may have been set aside or which may be hereafter set aside under the provisions of section 471  1 1
See References in Text note below. of this title, and which may be continued; and he may make such rules and regulations and establish such service as will insure the objects of such reservations, namely, to regulate their occupancy and use and to preserve the forests thereon from destruction; and any violation of the provisions of this section, sections 473 to 478 and 479 to 482 of this title or such rules and regulations shall be punished by a fine of not more than $500 or imprisonment for not more than six months, or both. Any person charged with the violation of such rules and regulations may be tried and sentenced by any United States magistrate judge specially designated for that purpose by the court by which he was appointed, in the same manner and subject to the same conditions as provided for in section 3401(b) to (e) of title 18.

( June 4, 1897, ch. 2, § 1 , 30 Stat. 35 ; Feb. 1, 1905, ch. 288, § 1 , 33 Stat. 628 ; Pub. L. 87–869, § 6 , Oct. 23, 1962 , 76 Stat. 1157 ; Pub. L. 88–537 , Aug. 31, 1964 , 78 Stat. 745 ; Pub. L. 90–578, title IV, § 402(b)(2) , Oct. 17, 1968 , 82 Stat. 1118 ; Pub. L. 101–650, title III, § 321 , Dec. 1, 1990 , 104 Stat. 5117 .)

## Nearby sections

- [16 U.S.C. § 551 Protection of national forests; rules and regulations](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/usc_t16_s551.md)
- [16 U.S.C. § 551a Cooperation by Secretary of Agriculture with States and political subdivisions in law enforcement](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/usc_t16_s551a.md)
- [16 U.S.C. § 551b Omitted](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/usc_t16_s551b.md)
- [16 U.S.C. § 551c Planning for fire protection](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/usc_t16_s551c.md)
- [16 U.S.C. § 551c–1 Limitations on prescribed burns](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/usc_t16_s551c%E2%80%931.md)
- [16 U.S.C. § 551d Wildland firefighter safety](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/usc_t16_s551d.md)
- [16 U.S.C. § 552 Consent to agreement by States for conservation of forests and water supply](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/usc_t16_s552.md)
- [16 U.S.C. § 552a Restoration of withdrawn national forest lands to appropriation](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/usc_t16_s552a.md)
- [16 U.S.C. § 552b Administration of withdrawn lands; rules and regulations](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/usc_t16_s552b.md)
- [16 U.S.C. § 552c Reimbursement of United States for loss of revenue](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/usc_t16_s552c.md)
- [16 U.S.C. § 552d Punishment of violations of regulations](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/usc_t16_s552d.md)
- [16 U.S.C. § 553 Duties of officials of Forest Service; stock laws; protection of fish and game](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/usc_t16_s553.md)
- [16 U.S.C. § 553a Repealed. Pub. L. 89–554, § 8(a) , Sept. 6, 1966 , 80 Stat. 655](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/usc_t16_s553a.md)
- [16 U.S.C. § 554 Forest supervisors and rangers](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/usc_t16_s554.md)

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Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/usc_t16_s551. Check the current official text before relying on it. Not legal advice.