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Title 18 — Crimes and Criminal Procedure

Part I · Chapter 91 — Public Lands

§ 1852. Timber removed or transported

Statutory text

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.

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.

  1. Pub. L. 80–645 · 62 Stat. 683

    Enacted · 18 U.S.C. § 1852

    June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 787

    Source evidence

    Code source credit
    June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 787

  2. Economic Espionage Act of 1996

    Pub. L. 104–294 title VI § 601(a)(8) · 110 Stat. 3488

    Substituted · 18 U.S.C. § 1852

    Pub. L. 104–294 substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $1,000” in fourth par

    Source evidence

    Code amendment note
    Pub. L. 104–294 substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $1,000” in fourth par.

    Enacted provision · exact public law section
    (8) Sections 1821, 1851, 1852, 1853, 1854, 1905, 1916, 1918, 1991, 2115, 2116, 2191, 2192, 2194, 2199, 2234, 2235, and 2236 of title 18, United States Code, are each amended by striking “fined not more than $1,000” each place it appears and inserting “fined under this title”.

1 of 2 references resolved to an enrolled provision · 1 partial

Notes

Historical and Revision Notes

Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., § 103 (Mar. 4, 1909, ch. 321, § 49, 35 Stat. 1098).

Reference to persons causing or procuring was omitted as unnecessary in view of definition of “principal” in section 2 of this title.

Words “motor vehicle or aircraft” were inserted in third paragraph to remove any doubt as to scope of section in view of rapidly advancing methods of transportation.

Minor changes were made in phraseology.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1996—Pub. L. 104–294 substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $1,000” in fourth par.

Credits

1948–1996 · 2 acts
  1. 1948June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 787
  2. 1996Pub. L. 104–294, title VI, § 601(a)(8), , 110 Stat. 3498.
Show as published

(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 787; Pub. L. 104–294, title VI, § 601(a)(8), , 110 Stat. 3498.)

Parsed from the official OLRC USLM XML in data/usc_all/usc18.xml · release point 119-108 · OLRC build 2026-05-04

USLM identifier /us/usc/t18/s1852