republic-os/legal/us/code/title-16/chapter-85/section-6602.md

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LegalText	16 U.S.C. § 6602	Definitions	us	united_states_code	code_section	16	CONSERVATION	85	MARINE TURTLE CONSERVATION	6602	16 U.S.C. § 6602	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/s6602	data/legal/raw/us/code/title-16/usc16.xml	6784109601d42fe80dbce0e458b69eb8c6e74feb3f6b14566242e2f8c105df07	7be8950da5a93cac7c98e4576ce00340f2aba5e8e46d29915382c203c421d503	d9100e5bf134f98d29202908315e9ac437a64bb80c45f5764fa8d4366dc4312a	2026-07-04	official	legal us-code

16 U.S.C. § 6602 - Definitions

Text

In this chapter:

(1) CITES The term “CITES” means the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (27 UST 1087; TIAS 8249).

(2) Conservation The term “conservation” means the use of all methods and procedures necessary to protect marine turtles, freshwater turtles, and tortoises, and the habitats of marine turtles, freshwater turtles, and tortoises, in foreign countries and territories of the United States under the jurisdiction of United States Fish and Wildlife Service programs, including—

(A) protection, restoration, and management of habitats;

(B) onsite research and monitoring of populations, habitats, annual reproduction, and species population trends;

(C) assistance in the development, implementation, and improvement of national and regional management plans for habitat ranges;

(D) enforcement and implementation of CITES and laws of foreign countries—

(i) to protect and manage populations and habitats; and

(ii) to prevent illegal trade of marine turtles;

(E) training of local law enforcement officials in the interdiction and prevention of—

(i) the illegal killing of marine turtles, freshwater turtles, and tortoises; and

(ii) illegal trade in marine turtles;

(F) initiatives to resolve conflicts between humans and marine turtles, freshwater turtles, and tortoises over habitats used by marine turtles, freshwater turtles, and tortoises;

(G) community outreach and education; and

(H) strengthening of the ability of local communities to implement population and habitat conservation programs.

(3) Freshwater turtle (A) In general The term “freshwater turtle” means any member of the family Carettochelyidae, Chelidae, Chelydridae, Dermatemydidae, Emydidae, Geoemydidae, Kinosternidae, Pelomedusidae, Platysternidae, Podocnemididae, or Trionychidae.

(B) Inclusions The term “freshwater turtle” includes—

(i) any part, product, egg, or offspring of a turtle described in subparagraph (A); and

(ii) a carcass of such a turtle.

(4) Fund The term “Fund” means the Marine Turtle Conservation Fund established by section 6604 of this title.

(5) Habitat The term “habitat” means any marine turtle, freshwater turtle, or tortoise habitat (including a nesting habitat) that is under the jurisdiction of United States Fish and Wildlife Service programs.

(6) Marine turtle (A) In general The term “marine turtle” means any member of the family Cheloniidae or Dermochelyidae.

(B) Inclusions The term “marine turtle” includes—

(i) any part, product, egg, or offspring of a turtle described in subparagraph (A); and

(ii) a carcass of such a turtle.

(7) Multinational Species Conservation Fund The term “Multinational Species Conservation Fund” means the fund established under the heading “multinational species conservation fund” in title I of the Department of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1999 (16 U.S.C. 4246).

(8) Secretary The term “Secretary” means the Secretary of the Interior.

(9) Territory of the United States The term “territory of the United States” means—

(A) American Samoa;

(B) the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands;

(C) the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico;

(D) Guam;

(E) the United States Virgin Islands; and

(F) any other territory or possession of the United States.

(10) Tortoise (A) In general The term “tortoise” means any member of the family Testudinidae.

(B) Inclusions The term “tortoise” includes—

(i) any part, product, egg, or offspring of a tortoise described in subparagraph (A); and

(ii) a carcass of such a tortoise.

(Pub. L. 108–266, § 3, July 2, 2004, 118 Stat. 792; Pub. L. 116–9, title VII, § 7001(c)(3)(B), Mar. 12, 2019, 133 Stat. 786.)

Notes

Editorial Notes

References in TextTitle I of the Department of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1999, referred to in par. (7), is Pub. L. 105–277, div. A, § 101(e) [title I], Oct. 21, 1998, 112 Stat. 2681–231, 2681–232. Provisions under the heading “multinational species conservation fund” in Pub. L. 105–277, § 101(e) [title I] appear at 112 Stat. 2681–237 and are classified in part to section 4246 of this title.

Amendments2019—Par. (2). Pub. L. 116–9, § 7001(c)(3)(B)(i)(I), substituted “marine turtles, freshwater turtles, and tortoises, and the habitats of marine turtles, freshwater turtles, and tortoises, in foreign countries and territories of the United States under the jurisdiction of United States Fish and Wildlife Service programs” for “nesting habitats of marine turtles in foreign countries and of marine turtles in those habitats” in introductory provisions. Par. (2)(A) to (C). Pub. L. 116–9, § 7001(c)(3)(B)(i)(II), struck out “nesting” wherever appearing before “habitats”, “populations”, and “habitat”. Par. (2)(D). Pub. L. 116–9, § 7001(c)(3)(B)(i)(III)(aa), substituted “countries—” for “countries to—” in introductory provisions. Par. (2)(D)(i). Pub. L. 116–9, § 7001(c)(3)(B)(i)(III)(bb), inserted “to” before “protect” and struck out “nesting” before “populations” and before “habitats”. Par. (2)(D)(ii). Pub. L. 116–9, § 7001(c)(3)(B)(i)(III)(cc), inserted “to” before “prevent”. Par. (2)(E)(i). Pub. L. 116–9, § 7001(c)(3)(B)(i)(IV), substituted “turtles, freshwater turtles, and tortoises” for “turtles on nesting habitat”. Par. (2)(F). Pub. L. 116–9, § 7001(c)(3)(B)(i)(V), substituted “turtles, freshwater turtles, and tortoises over habitats used by marine turtles, freshwater turtles, and tortoises” for “turtles over habitat used by marine turtles for nesting”. Par. (2)(H). Pub. L. 116–9, § 7001(c)(3)(B)(i)(VI), struck out “nesting” before “population” and before “habitat”. Pars. (3) to (10). Pub. L. 116–9, § 7001(c)(3)(B)(ii)–(v), added pars. (3), (5), (9), and (10) and redesignated former pars. (3) to (6) as (4), (6), (7), and (8), respectively.