§ 1723. — Public Lands Corps program.
[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 16USC1723]
TITLE 16--CONSERVATION
CHAPTER 37--YOUTH CONSERVATION CORPS AND PUBLIC LANDS CORPS
SUBCHAPTER II--PUBLIC LANDS CORPS
Sec. 1723. Public Lands Corps program
(a) Establishment of Public Lands Corps
There is hereby established in the Department of the Interior and
the Department of Agriculture a Public Lands Corps.
(b) Participants
The Corps shall consist of individuals between the ages of 16 and
25, inclusive, who are enrolled as participants in the Corps by the
Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary of Agriculture. To be
eligible for enrollment in the Corps, an individual shall satisfy the
criteria specified in section 12591(b) of title 42. The Secretaries may
enroll such individuals in the Corps without regard to the civil service
and classification laws, rules, or regulations of the United States. The
Secretaries may establish a preference for the enrollment in the Corps
of individuals who are economically, physically, or educationally
disadvantaged.
(c) Qualified youth or conservation corps
The Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture are
authorized to enter into contracts and cooperative agreements with any
qualified youth or conservation corps to perform appropriate
conservation projects referred to in subsection (d) of this section.
(d) Projects to be carried out
The Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture may
each utilize the Corps or any qualified youth or conservation corps to
carry out appropriate conservation projects which such Secretary is
authorized to carry out under other authority of law on public lands.
Appropriate conservation projects may also be carried out under this
subchapter on Indian lands with the approval of the Indian tribe
involved and on Hawaiian home lands with the approval of the Department
of Hawaiian Home Lands of the State of Hawaii. The Secretaries may also
authorize appropriate conservation projects and other appropriate
projects to be carried out on Federal, State, local, or private lands as
part of disaster prevention or relief efforts in response to an
emergency or major disaster declared by the President under the Robert
T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121
et seq.).
(e) Preference for certain projects
In selecting appropriate conservation projects to be carried out
under this subchapter, the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary
of Agriculture shall give preference to those projects which--
(1) will provide long-term benefits to the public;
(2) will instill in the enrollee involved a work ethic and a
sense of public service;
(3) will be labor intensive;
(4) can be planned and initiated promptly; and
(5) will provide academic, experiential, or environmental
education opportunities.
(f) Consistency
Each appropriate conservation project carried out under this
subchapter on eligible service lands shall be consistent with the
provisions of law and policies relating to the management and
administration of such lands, with all other applicable provisions of
law, and with all management, operational, and other plans and documents
which govern the administration of the area.
(Pub. L. 91-378, title II, Sec. 204, as added Pub. L. 103-82, title I,
Sec. 105(6), Sept. 21, 1993, 107 Stat. 850.)
References in Text
The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act,
referred to in subsec. (d), is Pub. L. 93-288, May 22, 1974, 88 Stat.
143, as amended, which is classified principally to chapter 68
(Sec. 5121 et seq.) of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare. For
complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note
set out under section 5121 of Title 42 and Tables.
Section Referred to in Other Sections
This section is referred to in section 1722 of this title.
