Title 16 — Conservation
Chapter 30 — Wild Horses and Burros: Protection, Management, and Control
§ 1331. Congressional findings and declaration of policy
Statutory text
Congress finds and declares that wild free-roaming horses and burros are living symbols of the historic and pioneer spirit of the West; that they contribute to the diversity of life forms within the Nation and enrich the lives of the American people; and that these horses and burros are fast disappearing from the American scene. It is the policy of Congress that wild free-roaming horses and burros shall be protected from capture, branding, harassment, or death; and to accomplish this they are to be considered in the area where presently found, as an integral part of the natural system of the public lands.
Legislative history
Reconstructed from this section’s Code source credit and amendment notes, resolved against the local Statutes at Large. Editorial notes are evidence, not the law that made the change.
Pub. L. 92–195 § 1 · 85 Stat. 649
Enacted · 16 U.S.C. § 1331
(Pub. L. 92–195, § 1, Dec. 15, 1971, 85 Stat. 649.)
Source evidence
Code source credit
(Pub. L. 92–195, § 1, Dec. 15, 1971, 85 Stat. 649.)Enacted provision · exact public law section
(1) willfully removes or attempts to remove a wild free-roaming horse or burro from the public lands, without authority from the Secretary, or
1 of 1 references resolved to an enrolled provision
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Short Title
Pub. L. 92–195, , 85 Stat. 649, which enacted this chapter, is popularly known as the “Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act”.