
From the U.S. Code Online via GPO Access
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[Laws in effect as of January 2, 2001]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
  January 2, 2001 and January 28, 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.
