---
type: "LegalText"
title: "16 U.S.C. § 554a"
description: "Employees to be appointed without regard to political affiliations"
jurisdiction: "us"
corpus: "united_states_code"
kind: "code_section"
title_number: 16
title_name: "CONSERVATION"
chapter_number: "3"
chapter_name: "FORESTS; FOREST SERVICE; REFORESTATION; MANAGEMENT"
section: "554a"
citation: "16 U.S.C. § 554a"
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/s554a"
source_file: "data/legal/raw/us/code/title-16/usc16.xml"
source_hash: "cca84765bc598c59f373bcfb4ac8847e1225c530e7146a611e1b23f912cffe95"
raw_snapshot_hash: "7be8950da5a93cac7c98e4576ce00340f2aba5e8e46d29915382c203c421d503"
text_hash: "9221536c8103221b58bdd47dbf03ff9d262b657ff34acac802d8aa17ddb5d0ab"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-04"
confidence: "official"
tags: ["legal", "us-code"]
---

# 16 U.S.C. § 554a - Employees to be appointed without regard to political affiliations

## Text

Forest inspectors, superintendents, supervisors, surveyors, rangers, and fire patrol are to be hereafter appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture wholly with reference to their fitness and without regard for their political affiliations.

(July 7, 1898, ch. 571, § 1, 30 Stat. 673; Feb. 1, 1905, ch. 288, § 1, 33 Stat. 628.)

## Notes

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Transfer of Functions Act Feb. 1, 1905, transferred certain functions with regard to the administration of public forests from Secretary of the Interior to Secretary of Agriculture.