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U.S. Code as of:
01/19/04
Section 567a. Cooperation by Secretary of Agriculture with States in acquisition and administration of State forests
For the purpose of stimulating the acquisition, development, and
proper administration and management of State forests and of
insuring coordinated effort by Federal and State agencies in
carrying out a comprehensive national program of forest-land
management, the Secretary of Agriculture is authorized to enter
into cooperative agreements with appropriate officials of any State
or States for acquiring in the name of the United States, by
purchase or otherwise, such forest lands within the cooperating
State as in his judgment the State is adequately prepared to
administer, develop, and manage as State forests in accordance with
the provisions of sections 567a to 567c of this title and with such
other terms not inconsistent therewith as he shall prescribe, such
acquisition to include the mapping, examination, appraisal, and
surveying of such lands and the doing of all things necessary to
perfect title thereto in the United States: Provided, That, since
it is the declared policy of Congress to maintain and, where it is
in the national interest to extend the national-forest system,
nothing herein shall be construed to modify, limit, or change in
any manner whatsoever the future ownership and administration by
the United States of existing national forests and related
facilities, or hereafter to restrict or prevent their extension
through the acquisition by purchase or otherwise of additional
lands for any national-forest purpose: Provided further, That
sections 567a to 567c of this title shall not be construed to limit
or repeal any legislation authorizing land exchanges by the Federal
Government, and private lands acquired by exchange within the
limits of any area subject to a cooperative agreement of the
character herein authorized shall hereafter be subject to the
provisions of sections 567a to 567c of this title.
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