USC Chapter 91

in effect

18 U.S.C. § 1851 Coal depredations

Whoever mines or removes coal of any character, whether anthracite, bituminous, or lignite, from beds or deposits in lands of, or reserved to the United States, with intent wrongfully to appropriate, sell, or dispose of the same, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both. This section shall not interfere with any right or privilege conferred by existing laws of the United States.

18 U.S.C. § 1852 Timber removed or transported

Whoever cuts, or wantonly destroys any timber growing on the public lands of the United States; or Whoever removes any timber from said public lands, with intent to export or to dispose of the same; or Whoever, being the owner, master, pilot, operator, or consignee of any vessel, motor vehicle, or aircraft or the owner, director, or agent of any railroad, knowingly transports any timber so cut or removed from said lands, or lumber manufactured therefrom— Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both. This section shall not prevent any miner or agriculturist from clearing his land in the ordinary working of his mining claim, or in the preparation of his farm for tillage, or from taking the timber necessary to support his improvements, or the taking of timber for the use of the United States; nor shall it interfere with or take away any right or privilege under any existing law of the United States to cut or remove timber from any public lands.

18 U.S.C. § 1853 Trees cut or injured

Whoever unlawfully cuts, or wantonly injures or destroys any tree growing, standing, or being upon any land of the United States which, in pursuance of law, has been reserved or purchased by the United States for any public use, or upon any Indian reservation, or lands belonging to or occupied by any tribe of Indians under the authority of the United States, or any Indian allotment while the title to the same shall be held in trust by the Government, or while the same shall remain inalienable by the allottee without the consent of the United States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.

18 U.S.C. § 1854 Trees boxed for pitch or turpentine

Whoever cuts, chips, chops, or boxes any tree upon any lands belonging to the United States, or upon any lands covered by or embraced in any unperfected settlement, application, filing, entry, selection, or location, made under any law of the United States, for the purpose of obtaining from such tree any pitch, turpentine, or other substance; or Whoever buys, trades for, or in any manner acquires any pitch, turpentine, or other substance, or any article or commodity made from any such pitch, turpentine, or other substance, with knowledge that the same has been so unlawfully obtained— Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.

18 U.S.C. § 1855 Timber set afire

Whoever, willfully and without authority, sets on fire any timber, underbrush, or grass or other inflammable material upon the public domain or upon any lands owned or leased by or under the partial, concurrent, or exclusive jurisdiction of the United States, or under contract for purchase or for the acquisition of which condemnation proceedings have been instituted, or upon any Indian reservation or lands belonging to or occupied by any tribe or group of Indians under authority of the United States, or upon any Indian allotment while the title to the same shall be held in trust by the Government, or while the same shall remain inalienable by the allottee without the consent of the United States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both. This section shall not apply in the case of a fire set by an allottee in the reasonable exercise of his proprietary rights in the allotment.

18 U.S.C. § 1856 Fires left unattended and unextinguished

Whoever, having kindled or caused to be kindled, a fire in or near any forest, timber, or other inflammable material upon any lands owned, controlled or leased by, or under the partial, concurrent, or exclusive jurisdiction of the United States, including lands under contract for purchase or for the acquisition of which condemnation proceedings have been instituted, and including any Indian reservation or lands belonging to or occupied by any tribe or group of Indians under the authority of the United States, or any Indian allotment while the title to the same is held in trust by the United States, or while the same shall remain inalienable by the allottee without the consent of the United States, leaves said fire without totally extinguishing the same, or permits or suffers said fire to burn or spread beyond his control, or leaves or suffers said fire to burn unattended, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than six months, or both.

18 U.S.C. § 1857 Fences destroyed; livestock entering

Whoever knowingly and unlawfully breaks, opens, or destroys any gate, fence, hedge, or wall inclosing any lands of the United States reserved or purchased for any public use; or Whoever drives any cattle, horses, hogs, or other livestock upon any such lands for the purposes of destroying the grass or trees on said lands, or where they may destroy the said grass or trees; or Whoever knowingly permits his cattle, horses, hogs, or other livestock to enter through any such inclosure upon any such lands of the United States, where such cattle, horses, hogs, or other livestock may or can destroy the grass or trees or other property of the United States on the said lands— Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both. This section shall not apply to unreserved public lands.

18 U.S.C. § 1858 Survey marks destroyed or removed

Whoever willfully destroys, defaces, changes, or removes to another place any section corner, quarter-section corner, or meander post, on any Government line of survey, or willfully cuts down any witness tree or any tree blazed to mark the line of a Government survey, or willfully defaces, changes, or removes any monument or bench mark of any Government survey, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than six months, or both.

18 U.S.C. § 1859 Surveys interrupted

Whoever, by threats or force, interrupts, hinders, or prevents the surveying of the public lands, or of any private land claim which has been or may be confirmed by the United States, by the persons authorized to survey the same in conformity with the instructions of the Director of the Bureau of Land Management, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both.

18 U.S.C. § 1860 Bids at land sales

Whoever bargains, contracts, or agrees, or attempts to bargain, contract, or agree with another that such other shall not bid upon or purchase any parcel of lands of the United States offered at public sale; or Whoever, by intimidation, combination, or unfair management, hinders, prevents, or attempts to hinder or prevent, any person from bidding upon or purchasing any tract of land so offered for sale— Shall be fined not more than $1,000 or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.

18 U.S.C. § 1861 Deception of prospective purchasers

Whoever, for a reward paid or promised to him in that behalf, undertakes to locate for an intending purchaser, settler, or entryman any public lands of the United States subject to disposition under the public-land laws, and who willfully and falsely represents to such intending purchaser, settler, or entryman that any tract of land shown to him is public land of the United States subject to sale, settlement, or entry, or that it is of a particular surveyed description, with intent to deceive the person to whom such representation is made, or who, in reckless disregard of the truth, falsely represents to any such person that any tract of land shown to him is public land of the United States subject to sale, settlement, or entry, or that it is of a particular surveyed description, thereby deceiving the person to whom such representation is made, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.

18 U.S.C. § 1863 Trespass on national forest lands

Whoever, without lawful authority or permission, goes upon any national-forest land while it is closed to the public pursuant to lawful regulation of the Secretary of Agriculture, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than six months, or both.

18 U.S.C. § 1864 Hazardous or injurious devices on Federal lands

(a) Whoever—(1) with the intent to violate the Controlled Substances Act, (2) with the intent to obstruct or harass the harvesting of timber, or (3) with reckless disregard to the risk that another person will be placed in danger of death or bodily injury and under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to such risk, uses a hazardous or injurious device on Federal land, on an Indian reservation, or on an Indian allotment while the title to such allotment is held in trust by the United States or while such allotment remains inalienable by the allottee without the consent of the United States shall be punished under subsection (b). (b) An individual who violates subsection (a) shall—(1) if death of an individual results, be fined under this title or imprisoned for any term of years or for life, or both; (2) if serious bodily injury to any individual results, be fined under this title or imprisoned for not more than 40 years, or both; (3) if bodily injury to any individual results, be fined under this title or imprisoned for not more than 20 years, or both; (4) if damage to the property of any individual results or if avoidance costs have been incurred exceeding $10,000, in the aggregate, be fined under this title or imprisoned for not more than 20 years, or both; and (5) in any other case, be fined under this title or imprisoned for not more than one year. (c) Any individual who is punished under subsection (b)(5) after one or more prior convictions under any such subsection shall be fined under this title or imprisoned for not more than 20 years, or both. (d) As used in this section—(1) the term “serious bodily injury” means bodily injury which involves—(A) a substantial risk of death; (B) extreme physical pain; (C) protracted and obvious disfigurement; and (D) protracted loss or impairment of the function of bodily member, organ, or mental faculty; (2) the term “bodily injury” means—(A) a cut, abrasion, bruise, burn, or disfigurement; (B) physical pain; (C) illness; (D) impairment of the function of a bodily member, organ, or mental faculty; or (E) any other injury to the body, no matter how temporary; (3) the term “hazardous or injurious device” means a device, which when assembled or placed, is capable of causing bodily injury, or damage to property, by the action of any person making contact with such device subsequent to the assembly or placement. Such term includes guns attached to trip wires or other triggering mechanisms, ammunition attached to trip wires or other triggering mechanisms, or explosive devices attached to trip wires or other triggering mechanisms, sharpened stakes, lines or wires, lines or wires with hooks attached, nails placed so that the sharpened ends are positioned in an upright manner, or tree spiking devices including spikes, nails, or other objects hammered, driven, fastened, or otherwise placed into or on any timber, whether or not severed from the stump; and (4) the term “avoidance costs” means costs incurred by any individual for the purpose of—(A) detecting a hazardous or injurious device; or (B) preventing death, serious bodily injury, bodily injury, or property damage likely to result from the use of a hazardous or injurious device in violation of subsection (a). (e) Any person injured as the result of a violation of subsection (a) may commence a civil action on his own behalf against any person who is alleged to be in violation of subsection (a). The district courts shall have jurisdiction, without regard to the amount in controversy or the citizenship of the parties, in such civil actions. The court may award, in addition to monetary damages for any injury resulting from an alleged violation of subsection (a), costs of litigation, including reasonable attorney and expert witness fees, to any prevailing or substantially prevailing party, whenever the court determines such award is appropriate.

18 U.S.C. § 1865 National Park Service

(a) Violation of Regulations Relating to Use and Management of National Park System Units.—A person that violates any regulation authorized by section 100751(a) of title 54 shall be imprisoned not more than 6 months, fined under this title, or both, and be adjudged to pay all cost of the proceedings. (b) Financial Disclosure by Officers or Employees Performing Functions or Duties Under Subchapter III of Chapter 1007 of Title 54.—An officer or employee of the Department of the Interior who is subject to, and knowingly violates, section 100737 of title 54 or any regulation prescribed under that section shall be imprisoned not more than one year, fined under this title, or both. (c) Offenses Relating to Structures and Vegetation.—A person that willfully destroys, mutilates, defaces, injures, or removes any monument, statue, marker, guidepost, or other structure, or that willfully destroys, cuts, breaks, injures, or removes any tree, shrub, or plant within a national military park shall be imprisoned not less than 15 days nor more than one year, fined under this title but not less than $10 for each monument, statue, marker, guidepost, or other structure, tree, shrub, or plant that is destroyed, defaced, injured, cut, or removed, or both. (d) Trespassing in a National Military Park To Hunt or Shoot.—An individual who trespasses in a national military park to hunt or shoot, or hunts game of any kind in a national military park with a gun or dog, or sets a trap or net or other device in a national military park to hunt or catch game of any kind, shall be imprisoned not less than 5 nor more than 30 days, fined under this title, or both.

18 U.S.C. § 1866 Historic, archeologic, or prehistoric items and antiquities

(a) Violation of Regulations Authorized by Chapter 3201 of Title 54.—A person that violates any of the regulations authorized by chapter 3201 of title 54 shall be fined under this title and be adjudged to pay all cost of the proceedings. (b) Appropriation of, Injury to, or Destruction of Historic or Prehistoric Ruin or Monument or Object of Antiquity.—A person that appropriates, excavates, injures, or destroys any historic or prehistoric ruin or monument or any other object of antiquity that is situated on land owned or controlled by the Federal Government without the permission of the head of the Federal agency having jurisdiction over the land on which the object is situated, shall be imprisoned not more than 90 days, fined under this title, or both.