---
type: "LegalText"
title: "16 U.S.C. § 8572"
description: "Permit relief for picnic areas"
jurisdiction: "us"
corpus: "united_states_code"
kind: "code_section"
title_number: 16
title_name: "CONSERVATION"
chapter_number: "103"
chapter_name: "EXPANDING PUBLIC LANDS OUTDOOR RECREATION EXPERIENCES"
section: "8572"
citation: "16 U.S.C. § 8572"
status: "current"
release_point: "119-100"
release_date: "2026-06-26"
source: "official"
source_url: "https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/100/xml_usc16@119-100.zip"
source_identifier: "/us/usc/t16/s8572"
source_file: "data/legal/raw/us/code/title-16/usc16.xml"
source_hash: "77beb2a19fa3084098cc7e75941151f248c4f6fd91914e81659679848b30446a"
raw_snapshot_hash: "7be8950da5a93cac7c98e4576ce00340f2aba5e8e46d29915382c203c421d503"
text_hash: "6e59bf830a5426cded74bd06da1e49cf31abb7daae111e9bf18d8d6ab96a0bcd"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-04"
confidence: "official"
tags: ["legal", "us-code"]
---

# 16 U.S.C. § 8572 - Permit relief for picnic areas

## Text

(a) In general If the Secretary concerned does not require the public to obtain a permit or reservation to access a picnic area on Federal recreational lands and waters administered by the Forest Service or the Bureau of Land Management, the Secretary concerned shall not require a covered person to obtain a permit solely to access the picnic area.

(b) Covered person defined In this section, the term “covered person” means a person (including an educational group) that provides outfitting and guiding services to fewer than 40 customers per year at a picnic area described in subsection (a).

(Pub. L. 118–234, title III, § 352, Jan. 4, 2025, 138 Stat. 2916.)