16 U.S.C. § 170 — Hunting and fishing; regulations; punishment

submitted 112 years ago by ch. 264 to r/title-16-CONSERVATION · 470 words · no verdicts yet

in plain englishAI-generated · not legal advice

This law bans hunting or killing most wild animals and birds in the park, except dangerous animals threatening people. It limits fishing to hook and line under rules set by the Secretary of the Interior. Violators face a fine up to $500, up to six months in jail, or both.

Hunting, killing, wounding, or capturing any bird or wild animal in the park is illegal at any time. The only exception: dangerous animals may be killed if necessary to stop them from killing or injuring people. Fishing is allowed only with a hook and line. The Secretary of the Interior decides the seasons, times, and manner for fishing. The Secretary must write and publish rules for managing and protecting the park. These rules must especially protect timber, mineral deposits (except those legally claimed before May 11, 1910), natural curiosities, and other wonderful objects. The rules must also protect animals and birds from being captured, killed, frightened, or driven out of the park. The Secretary must also make rules about fishing in the park's streams and lakes. If someone is found with the dead body, or any part of it, of a wild bird or animal inside the park, that counts as "prima facie evidence" — first-look proof — that the person broke this law. Any person, stagecoach company, express company, or railway company that transports animals, birds, or fish taken illegally — and knows or has reason to believe they were taken illegally — is breaking the law. So is anyone who violates any other part of the law or any rule the Secretary makes about park management, protecting property, timber, minerals (with the same 1910 exception), natural curiosities, wonderful objects, or animals, birds, and fish in the park. It is also illegal to damage or destroy buildings, fences, hedges, gates, guideposts, trees, wood, timber, gardens, crops, vegetables, plants, land, springs, mineral deposits (same exception), natural curiosities, or anything else growing or located in the park. Anyone who breaks this law is guilty of a misdemeanor. The punishment is a fine of up to $500, up to six months in prison, or both, plus the person must pay the costs of the court case.

the actual law source: uscode.house.gov ↗public domain

All hunting or the killing, wounding, or capturing at any time of any bird or wild animal, except dangerous animals when it is necessary to prevent them from destroying human lives or inflicting personal injury, is prohibited within the limits of said park; nor shall any fish be taken out of the waters of the park in any other way than by hook and line, and then only at such seasons and in such times and manner as may be directed by the Secretary of the Interior. The Secretary of the Interior shall make and publish such rules and regulations as he may deem necessary and proper for the management and care of the park and for the protection of the property therein, especially for the preservation from injury or spoliation of all timber, mineral deposits other than those legally located prior to May 11, 1910, natural curiosities, or wonderful objects within said park, and for the protection of the animals and birds in the park from capture or destruction, and to prevent their being frightened or driven from the park. He shall make rules and regulations governing the taking of fish from the streams or lakes in the park. Possession within said park of the dead bodies, or any part thereof, of any wild bird or animal shall be prima facie evidence that the person or persons having the same are guilty of violating this Act. Any person or persons, or stage or express company, or railway company, who knows or has reason to believe that they were taken or killed contrary to the provisions of this Act and who receives for transportation any of said animals, birds, or fish so killed, caught, or taken, or who shall violate any of the other provisions of this Act, or any rule or regulation that may be promulgated by the Secretary of the Interior with reference to the management and care of the park or for the protection of the property therein, for the preservation from injury or spoliation of timber, mineral deposits, other than those legally located prior to May 11, 1910, natural curiosities, or wonderful objects within said park, or for the protection of the animals, birds, or fish in the park, or who shall within said park commit any damage, injury, or spoliation to or upon any building, fence, hedge, gate, guidepost, tree, wood, underwood, timber, garden, crops, vegetables, plants, land, springs, mineral deposits other than those legally located prior to May 11, 1910, natural curiosities, or other matter or thing growing or being thereon, or situated therein, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be subject to a fine of not more than $500, or imprisonment not exceeding six months, or both, and be adjudged to pay all costs of the proceedings.

Source credit: (Aug. 22, 1914, ch. 264, § 4, 38 Stat. 700.)

history & why it existsrecord from the source credit

1914Enacted · Act of Aug. 22, 1914, ch. 264 · 38 Stat. 700

A history note hasn’t been published yet. The record shows enactment by ch. 264 on 1914-08-22.

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