# Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965

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An Act To establish a land and water conservation fund to assist the States and Federal agencies in meeting present and future outdoor recreation demands and needs of the American people, and for other purposes.
​Public Law 88-578
AN ACTTo establish a land and water conservation fund to assist the States and Federal agencies in meeting present and future outdoor recreation demands and needs of the American people, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965.
TITLE I—LAND AND WATER CONSERVATION PROVISIONS
SHORT TITLE AND STATEMENT OF PURPOSES
Section 1. (a) Citaiton; Effective Date.—This Act may be cited as the “Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965” and shall become effective on January 1, 1965.
(b) Purposes.—The purposes of this Act are to assist in preserving, developing, and assuring accessibility to all citizens of the United States of America of present and future generations and visitors who are lawfully present within the boundaries of the United States of America such quality and quantity of outdoor recreation resources as may be available and are necessary and desirable for individual active participation in such recreation and to strengthen the health and vitality of the citizens of the United States by (1) providing funds for and authorizing Federal assistance to the States in planning, acquisition, and development of needed land and water areas and facilities and (2) providing funds for the Federal acquisition and development of certain lands and other areas.
CERTAIN REVENUES PLACED IN SEPARATE FUND
Sec. 2. Separate Fund.—During the period ending June 80, 1989, and during such additional period as may be required to repay any advances made pursuant to section 4(b) of this Act, there shall be covered into the land and water conservation fund in the Treasury of the United States, which fund is hereby established and is hereinafter referred to as the “fund”, the following revenues and collections:
(a) Entrance and User Fees; Establishment; Regulations.—All proceeds from entrance, admission, and other recreation user fees or charges collected or received by the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife, the Bureau of Reclamation, the Forest Service, the Corps of Engineers, the Tennessee Valley Authority, and the United States section of the International Boundary and Water Commission (United States and Mexico), notwithstanding any provision of law that such proceeds shall be credited to miscellaneous receipts of the Treasury: Provided, That nothing in this Act shall affect any rights or authority of the States with respect to fish and wildlife, nor shall this Act repeal any provision of law that permits States or political subdivisions to share in the revenues from Federal lands or any provision of law that provides that any fees or charges collected at particular Federal areas shall be used for or credited to specific purposes or special funds as authorized by that provision of law; but the proceeds from fees or charges established by the President pursuant to this subsection for entrance or admission generally to Federal areas shall be used solely for the purposes of this Act.
The President is authorized, to the extent and within the limits hereinafter set forth, to designate or provide for the designation of land or water areas administered by or under the authority of the ​Federal agencies listed in the preceding paragraph at which entrance, admission, and other forms of recreation user fees shall be charged and to establish and revise or provide for the establishment and revision of such fees as follows:
    (i)Fees. An annual fee of not more than $7 payable by a person entering an area so designated by private noncommercial automobile which, if paid, shall excuse the person paying the same and anyone who accompanies him in such automobile from payment of any other fee for admission to that area and other areas administered by or under the authority of such agencies, except areas which are designated by the President as not being within the coverage of the fee, during the year for which the fee has been paid.
    (ii) Fees for a single visit or a series of visits during a specified period of less than a year to an area so designated payable by persons who choose not to pay an annual fee under clause (i) of this paragraph or who enter such an area by means other than private noncommercial automobile.
    (iii) Fees payable for admission to areas not within the coverage of a fee paid under clause (i) of this paragraph.
    (iv) Fees for the use within an area of sites, facilities, equipment, or services provided by the United States.
Entrance and admission fees may be charged at areas administered primarily for scenic, scientific, historical, cultural, or recreational purposes. No entrance or admission fee shall be charged except at such areas or portions thereof administered by a Federal agency where recreation facilities or services are provided at Federal expense. No fee of any kind shall be charged by a Federal agency under any provision of this Act for use of any waters. All fees established pursuant to this subsection shall be fair and equitable, taking into consideration direct and indirect cost to the Government, benefits to the recipient, public policy or interest served, and other pertinent factors. Nothing contained in this paragraph shall authorize Federal hunting or fishing licenses or fees or charges for commercial or other activities not related to recreation. No such fee shall be charged for travel by private noncommercial vehicle over any national parkway or any road or highway established as a part of the national Federal-aid system, as defined in section 101, title 23, United States Code,72 Stat. 885. or any road within the National Forest system or a public land area, which, though it is part of a larger area, is commonly used by the public as a means of travel between two places either or both of which are outside the area. No such fee shall be charged any person for travel by private noncommercial vehicle over any road or highway to any land in which such person has any property right if such land is within any such designated area.
No fees established under clause (ii) or clause (iii) of the second paragraph of this subsection shall become effective with respect to any area which embraces lands more than half of which have heretofore been acquired by contribution from the government of the State in which the area is located until sixty days after the officer of the United States who is charged with responsibility for establishing such fees has advised the Governor of the affected State, or an agency of the State designated by the Governor for this purpose, of his intention so to do, and said officer shall, before finally establishing such fees, give consideration to any recommendation that the Governor or his designee may make with respect thereto within said sixty days and to all obligations, legal or otherwise, that the United States may owe to the State concerned and to its citizens with respect to the area in question. In the Smoky Mountains National Park, unless fees are ​charged for entrance into said park on main highways and thoroughfares, fees shall not be charged for entrance on other routes into said park or any part thereof.
Repeals.There is hereby repealed the third paragraph from the end of the division entitled “National Park Service” of section 1 of the Act of March 7, 1928 (45 Stat. 238) and the second paragraph from the end of the division entitled “National Park Service” of section 1 of the Act of March 4, 1929 (45 Stat. 1602; 16 U.S.C. 14). Section 4 of the Act entitled “An Act authorizing the construction of certain public works on rivers and harbors for flood control, and for other purposes”, approved December 24, 1944 (16 U.S.C. 460d), as amended by the Flood Control Act of 1962 (76 Stat. 1195) is further amended by deleting “, without charge,” in the third sentence from the end thereof. All other provisions of law that prohibit the collection of entrance, admission, or other recreation user fees or charges authorized by this Act or that restrict the expenditure of funds if such fees or charges are collected are hereby also repealed: Provided, That no provision of any law or treaty which extends to any person or class of persons a right of free access to the shoreline of any reservoir or other body of water, or to hunting and fishing along or on such shoreline, shall be affected by this repealer.
Collection of fees.The heads of departments and agencies are authorized to prescribe rules and regulations for the collection of any entrance, admission, and other recreation user fees or charges established pursuant to this subsection for areas under their administration: Provided further, That no free passes shall be issued to any Member of Congress or other government official. Clear notice that a fee or charge has been established shall be posted at each area to which it is applicable. Penalty.Any violation of any rules or regulations promulgated under this title at an area so posted shall be punishable by a fine of not more than $100. Any person charged with the violation of such rules and regulations may be tried and sentenced by any United States commissioner specially designated for that purpose by the court by which he was appointed, in the same manner and subject to the same conditions as provided for in title 18, United States Code, section 3401, subsections (b), (c), (d), and (e), as amended.62 Stat. 830.
(b) Surplus Property Sales.—All proceeds (except so much thereof as may be otherwise obligated, credited, or paid under authority of those provisions of law set forth in section 485(b)–(e), title 40, United States Code,63 Stat. 388; 68 Stat. 1051. or the Independent Offices Appropriation Act, 1963 (76 Stat. 725) or in any later appropriation Act) hereafter received from any disposal of surplus real property and related personal property under the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949, as amended,40 USC 471 note. notwithstanding any provision of law that such proceeds shall be credited to miscellaneous receipts of the Treasury. Nothing in this Act shall affect existing laws or regulations concerning disposal of real or personal surplus property to schools, hospitals, and States and their political subdivisions.
(c) Motorboat Fules Tax.—The amounts provided for in section 201 of this Act.
ALLOCATION OF LAND AND WATER CONSERVATION FUND FOR STATE AND FEDERAL PURPOSES: AUTHORIZATION FOR ADVANCE APPROPRIATIONS
Sec. 4. (a) Allocation.—There shall be submitted with the annual budget of the United States a comprehensive statement of estimated requirements during the ensuing fiscal year for appropriations from the fund. In the absence of a provision to the contrary in the Act making an appropriation from the fund, (i) the appropriation therein made shall be available in the ratio of 60 per centum for State purposes and 40 per centum for Federal purposes, but (ii) the President may, during the first five years in which appropriations are made from the fund, vary said percentages by not more than 15 points either way to meet, as nearly as may be, the current relative needs of the States and the Federal Government.
(b) Advance Appropriations; Repayment.—Beginning with the third full fiscal year in which the fund is in operation, and for a total of eight years, advance appropriations are hereby authorized to be made to the fund from any moneys in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated in such amounts as to average not more than $60,000,000 for each fiscal year. Such advance appropriations shall be available for Federal and State purposes in the same manner and proportions as other moneys appropriated from the fund. Such advance appropriations shall be repaid without interest, beginning at the end of the next fiscal year after the first ten full fiscal years in which the fund has been in operation, by transferring, annually until fully repaid, to the general fund of the Treasury 50 per centum of the revenues received by the land and water conservation fund each year under section 2 of this Act prior to July 1, 1989, and 100 per centum of any revenues thereafter received by the fund. Revenues received from the sources specified in section 2 of this Act after July 1, 1989, or after payment has been completed as provided by this subsection, whichever occurs later, shall be credited to miscellaneous receipts of the Treasury. The moneys in the fund that are not required for repayment purposes may continue to be appropriated and allocated in accordance with the procedures prescribed by this Act.
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO STATES
Sec. 5. General Authority; Purposes.—(a) The Secretary of the Interior (hereinafter referred to as the “Secretary”) is authorized to provide financial assistance to the States from moneys available for State purposes. Payments may be made to the States by the Secretary as hereafter provided, subject to such terms and conditions as he considers appropriate and in the public interest to carry out the purposes of this Act, for outdoor recreation: (1) planning, (2) acquisition of land, waters, or interests in land or waters, or (3) development.
(b) Apportionment Among States; Notification.—Sums appropriated and available for State purposes for each fiscal year shall be apportioned among the several States by the Secretary, whose determination shall be final, in accordance with the following formula:
    (1) two-fifths shall be apportioned equally among the several States; and
    (2) three-fifths shall be apportioned on the basis of need to individual States by the Secretary in such amounts as in his judgment will best accomplish the purposes of this Act. The determination of need shall include among other things a consideration of the proportion which the population of each State bears to the total population of the United States and of the use of outdoor recreation resources of individual States by persons from outside ​the State as well as a consideration of the Federal resources and programs in the particular States.
The total allocation to an individual State under paragraphs (1) and (2) of this subsection shall not exceed 7 per centum of the total amount allocated to the several States in any one year.
The Secretary shall notify each State of its apportionments; and the amounts thereof shall be available thereafter for payment to such State for planning, acquisition, or development projects as hereafter prescribed. Any amount of any apportionment that has not been paid or obligated by the Secretary during the fiscal year in which such notification is given and for two fiscal years thereafter shall be reapportioned by the Secretary in accordance with paragraph (2) of this subsection.
The District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, and American Samoa shall be treated as States for the purposes of this title, except for the purpose of paragraph (1) of this subsection. Their population also shall be included as a part of the total population in computing the apportionment under paragraph (2) of this subsection.
(c) Matching Requirements.—Payments to any State shall cover not more than 50 per centum of the cost of planning, acquisition, or development projects that are undertaken by the State. The remaining share of the cost shall be borne by the State in a manner and with such funds or services as shall be satisfactory to the Secretary. No payment may be made to any State for or on account of any cost or obligation incurred or any service rendered prior to the date of approval of this Act.
(d) Comprehensive State Plan Required; Planning Projects.—A comprehensive statewide outdoor recreation plan shall be required prior to the consideration by the Secretary of financial assistance for acquisition or development projects. The plan shall be adequate if, in the judgment of the Secretary, it encompasses and will promote the purposes of this Act. The plan shall contain—
    (1) the name of the State agency that will have authority to represent and act for the State in dealing with the Secretary for purposes of this Act;
    (2) an evaluation of the demand for and supply of outdoor recreation resources and facilities in the State;
    (3) a program for the implementation of the plan; and
    (4) other necessary information, as may be determined by the Secretary.
The plan shall take into account relevant Federal resources and programs and shall be correlated so far as practicable with other State, regional, and local plans. Where there exists or is in preparation for any particular State a comprehensive plan financed in part with funds supplied by the Housing and Home Finance Agency, any statewide outdoor recreation plan prepared for purposes of this Act shall be based upon the same population, growth, and other pertinent factors as are used in formulating the Housing and Home Finance Agency financed plans.
The Secretary may provide financial assistance to any State for projects for the preparation of a comprehensive statewide outdoor recreation plan when such plan is not otherwise available or for the maintenance of such plan.
(e) Projects for Land and Water Acquisition; Development.—In addition to assistance for planning projects, the Secretary may provide financial assistance to any State for the following types of ​projects or combinations thereof if they are in accordance with the btate comprehensive plan:
    (1) Acquisition of land and waters.—For the acquisition of land, waters, or interests in land or waters (other than land, waters, or interests in land or waters acquired from the United States for less than fair market value), but not including incidental costs relating to acquisition.
    (2) Development.—For development, including but not limited to site planning and the development of Federal lands under lease to States for terms of twenty-five years or more.
(f) Requirements for Project Approval; Condition.—Payments may be made to States by the Secretary only for those planning, acquisition, or development projects that are approved by him. No payment may be made by the Secretary for or on account of any project with respect to which financial assistance has been given or promised under any other Federal program or activity, and no financial assistance may be given under any other Federal program or activity for or on account of any project with respect to which such assistance has been given or promised under this Act. The Secretary may make payments from time to time in keeping with the rate of progress toward the satisfactory completion of individual projects: Provided, That the approval of all projects and all payments, or any commitments relating thereto, shall be withheld until the Secretary receives appropriate written assurance from the State that the State has the ability and intention to finance its share of the cost of the particular project, and to operate and maintain by acceptable standards, at State expense, the particular properties or facilities acquired or developed for public outdoor recreation use.
Payments for all projects shall be made by the Secretary to the Governor of the State or to a State official or agency designated by the Governor or by State law having authority and responsibility to accept and to administer funds paid hereunder for approved projects. If consistent with an approved project, funds may be transferred by the State to a political subdivision or other appropriate public agency.
No property acquired or developed with assistance under this section shall, without the approval of the Secretary, be converted to other than public outdoor recreation uses. The Secretary shall approve such conversion only if he finds it to be in accord with the then existing comprehensive statewide outdoor recreation plan and only upon such conditions as he deems necessary to assure the substitution of other recreation properties of at least equal fair market value and of reasonably equivalent usefulness and location.
No payment shall be made to any State until the State has agreed to (1) provide such reports to the Secretary, in such form and containing such information, as may be reasonably necessary to enable the Secretary to perform his duties under this Act, and (2) provide such fiscal control and fund accounting procedures as may be necessary to assure proper disbursement and accounting for Federal funds paid to the State under this Act.
Each recipient of assistance under this Act shall keep such records as the Secretary of the Interior shall prescribe, including records which fully disclose the amount and the disposition by such recipient of the proceeds of such assistance, the total cost of the project or undertaking in connection with which such assistance is given or used, and the amount and nature of that portion of the cost of the project or undertaking supplied by other sources, and such other records as will facilitate an effective audit.
The Secretary of the Interior, and the Comptroller General of the United States, or any of their duly authorized representatives, shall ​have access for the purpose of audit and examination to any books, documents, papers, and records of the recipient that are pertinent to assistance received under this Act.
(g) Coordination With Federal Agencies.—In order to assure consistency in policies and actions under this Act, with other related Federal programs and activities (including those conducted pursuant to title VII of the Housing Act of 196175 Stat. 183. 42 USC 1500–1500e. 73 Stat. 678; Ante, pp. 792, 793. 40 USC 461. and section 701 of the Housing Act of 1954) and to assure coordination of the planning, acquisition, and development assistance to States under this section with other related Federal programs and activities, the President may issue such regulations with respect thereto as he deems desirable and such assistance may be provided only in accordance with such regulations.
ALLOCATION OF MONEYS FOR FEDERAL PURPOSES
Sec. 6. (a) Moneys appropriated from the fund for Federal purposes shall, unless otherwise allotted in the appropriation Act making them available, be allotted by the President to the following purposes and subpurposes in substantially the same proportion as the number of visitor-days in areas and projects hereinafter described for which admission fees are charged under section 2 of this Act:
(1) For the acquisition of land, waters, or interests in land or waters as follows:
    National park system; recreation areas.—Within the exterior boundaries of areas of the national park system now or hereafter authorized or established and of areas now or hereafter authorized to be administered by the Secretary of the Interior for outdoor recreation purposes.
    National forest system.—Inholdings within (a) wilderness areas of the National Forest System, and (b) other areas of national forests as the boundaries of those forests exist on the effective date of this Act which other areas are primarily of value for outdoor recreation purposes: Provided, That lands outside of but adjacent to an existing national forest boundary, not to exceed five hundred acres in the case of any one forest, which would comprise an integral part of a forest recreational management area may also be acquired with moneys appropriated from this fund: Provided further, That not more than 15 per centum of the acreage added to the National Forest System pursuant to this section shall be west of the 100th meridian.
    Threatened species.—For any national area which may be authorized for the preservation of species of fish or wildlife that are threatened with extinction.
    Recreation at refuges.—For the incidental recreation purposes of section 2 of the Act of September 28, 1962 (76 Stat. 653; 16 U.S.C. 460k-1); and
(2) For payment into miscellaneous receipts of the Treasury as a partial offset for those capital costs, if any, of Federal water development projects hereafter authorized to be constructed by or pursuant to an Act of Congress which are allocated to public recreation and the enhancement of fish and wildlife values and financed through appropriations to water resource agencies.
(b) Acquisition Restriction.—Appropriations from the fund pursuant to this section shall not be used for acquisition unless such acquisition is otherwise authorized by law.
FUNDS NOT TO BE USED FOR PUBLICITY
TITLE II—MOTORBOAT FUEL TAX PROVISIONS
TRANSFERS TO AND FROM LAND AND WATER CONSERVATION FUND
Sec. 201. (a) There shall be set aside in the land and water conservation fund in the Treasury of the United States provided for in title I of this Act the amounts specified in section 209(f)(5) of the Highway Revenue Act of 1956 (relating to special motor fuels and gasoline used in motorboats).
(b) There shall be paid from time to time from the land and water conservation fund into the general fund of the Treasury amounts estimated by the Secretary of the Treasury as equivalent to—
    (1) the amounts paid before July 1, 1973, under section 6421 of the Internal Revenue Code of 195470 Stat. 394. 26 USC 6421. (relating to amounts paid in respect of gasoline used for certain nonhighway purposes or by local transit systems) with respect to gasoline used after December 31, 1964, in motorboats, on the basis of claims filed for periods ending before October 1, 1972; and
    (2) 80 percent of the floor stocks refunds made before July 1, 1973, under section 6412(a)(2) of such Code70 Stat. 393. 26 USC 6412. with respect to gasoline to be used in motorboats.
AMENDMENTS TO HIGHWAY REVENUE ACT OF 1956
Sec. 202. (a) Section 209(f) of the Highway Revenue Act of 195670 Stat. 397. 23 USC 120 note. (relating to expenditures from highway trust fund) is amended by adding at the end thereof the following new paragraph:
    “(5) Transfers from the trust fund for special motor fuels and gasoline used in motorboats.—The Secretary of the Treasury shall pay from time to time from the trust fund into the land and water conservation fund provided for in title I of the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965 amounts as determined by him in consultation with the Secretary of Commerce equivalent to the taxes received, on or after January 1, 1965, under section 4041(b) of the Internal Revenue Code of 195468A Stat. 478; 70 Stat. 387. 26 USC 4041. 70 Stat. 389. 26 USC 4081. with respect to special motor fuels used as fuel for the propulsion of motorboats and under section 4081 of such Code with respect to gasoline used as fuel in motorboats.”
(b) Section 209(f) of such Act is further amended—
    (1) by adding at the end of paragraph (3) the following new sentence: “This paragraph shall not apply to amounts estimated by the Secretary of the Treasury as paid under section 6421 of such Code with respect to gasoline used after December 31, 1964, in motorboats.”; and
    (2) by inserting after “such Code” in paragraph (4)(C) the following: “(other than gasoline to be used in motorboats, as estimated by the Secretary of the Treasury)”.
Approved September 3, 1964.
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