republic-os/legal/us/code/title-16/chapter-2/section-478.md

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LegalText	16 U.S.C. § 478	Egress or ingress of actual settlers; prospecting	us	united_states_code	code_section	16	CONSERVATION	2	NATIONAL FORESTS	478	16 U.S.C. § 478	current	119-100	2026-06-26	official	https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/100/xml_usc16@119-100.zip	/us/usc/t16/s478	data/legal/raw/us/code/title-16/usc16.xml	8c7e0eb1220f60ddff0c78a33054e39f9cc2918d51f1e7a19351514f207ce5d4	7be8950da5a93cac7c98e4576ce00340f2aba5e8e46d29915382c203c421d503	b14322eb19979d6c6972694a2fd31e746eb2a9c8e335840017f8b61a278ab1fd	2026-07-04	official	legal us-code

16 U.S.C. § 478 - Egress or ingress of actual settlers; prospecting

Text

Nothing in sections 473 to 478, 479 to 482 and 551 of this title shall be construed as prohibiting the egress or ingress of actual settlers residing within the boundaries of national forests, or from crossing the same to and from their property or homes; and such wagon roads and other improvements may be constructed thereon as may be necessary to reach their homes and to utilize their property under such rules and regulations as may be prescribed by the Secretary of Agriculture. Nor shall anything in such sections prohibit any person from entering upon such national forests for all proper and lawful purposes, including that of prospecting, locating, and developing the mineral resources thereof. Such persons must comply with the rules and regulations covering such national forests.

(June 4, 1897, ch. 2, § 1, 30 Stat. 36; Feb. 1, 1905, ch. 288, § 1, 33 Stat. 628.)

Notes

Editorial Notes

Codification “National forests” substituted in text for “reservations” and “forest reservations” on authority of act Mar. 4, 1907, ch. 2907, 34 Stat. 1269, which provided that forest reserves shall hereafter be known as national forests.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

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

Executive Documents

Transfer of Functions Enforcement functions of Secretary or other official in Department of Agriculture, insofar as they involve lands and programs under jurisdiction of that Department, related to compliance with provisions of sections 473, 474 to 482, and 551 of this title with respect to pre-construction, construction, and initial operation of transportation system for Canadian and Alaskan natural gas transferred to Federal Inspector, Office of Federal Inspector for Alaska Natural Gas Transportation System, until first anniversary of date of initial operation of Alaska Natural Gas Transportation System, see Reorg. Plan No. 1 of 1979, §§ 102(f), 203(a), 44 F.R. 33663, 33666, 93 Stat. 1373, 1376, effective July 1, 1979, set out in the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and Employees. Office of Federal Inspector for the Alaska Natural Gas Transportation System abolished and functions and authority vested in Inspector transferred to Secretary of Energy by section 3012(b) of Pub. L. 102–486, set out as an Abolition of Office of Federal Inspector note under section 719e of Title 15, Commerce and Trade. Functions and authority vested in Secretary of Energy subsequently transferred to Federal Coordinator for Alaska Natural Gas Transportation Projects by section 720d(f) of Title 15.