16 U.S.C. § 198c — Prohibited acts; rules and regulations; penalties for offenses

submitted 97 years ago by ch. 583 to r/title-16-CONSERVATION · 433 words · no verdicts yet

in plain englishAI-generated · not legal advice

Hunting, killing, or trapping wild birds or animals is illegal in this park. One exception allows stopping a dangerous animal that threatens people. Breaking any park rule is a crime with fines up to $500 or jail time.

This section bans hunting, killing, wounding, or capturing any wild bird or animal inside the park at any time. There is one exception: dangerous animals may be killed if it's necessary to stop them from killing or injuring people. Fish may only be taken from the park's waters using a hook and line, and only during the seasons, times, and methods the Secretary of the Interior sets. The Secretary of the Interior must write and publish general rules to manage and care for the park and protect its property. This includes special rules to preserve timber, natural wonders, and other remarkable things from damage, and rules to protect the park's animals and birds from being captured, killed, frightened, or driven away. The Secretary must also make rules about taking fish from the park's streams and lakes. If someone is found possessing the dead body (or any part of it) of a wild bird or animal from the park, that alone counts as strong evidence ("prima facie evidence") that they broke this law. The law also applies to anyone — including a stage, express, or railway company — who transports animals, birds, or fish while knowing or having reason to believe they were illegally taken or killed. It applies to anyone who breaks any rule the Secretary makes about managing the park, protecting its property, preserving timber or natural wonders, or protecting its animals, birds, or fish. It also applies to anyone who damages or destroys buildings, fences, hedges, gates, guideposts, trees, wood, gardens, crops, plants, land, springs, natural wonders, or anything else growing or located in the park. Anyone who does these things has committed a misdemeanor. The punishment is a fine of up to $500, up to six months in jail, or both, plus the costs of the legal case.

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

All hunting or the killing, wounding, or capturing at any time of any wild bird or 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. That the Secretary of the Interior shall make and publish such general 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, 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; and 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 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, 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, 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: (Mar. 2, 1929, ch. 583, § 4, 45 Stat. 1537.)

history & why it existsrecord from the source credit

1929Enacted · Act of Mar. 2, 1929, ch. 583 · 45 Stat. 1537

A history note hasn’t been published yet. The record shows enactment by ch. 583 on 1929-03-02.

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