16 U.S.C. § 98 — Protection of game and fish; forfeitures and punishments

submitted 110 years ago by ch. 197 to r/title-16-CONSERVATION · 472 words · no verdicts yet

in plain englishAI-generated · not legal advice

Hunting and fishing are tightly restricted inside the park, except killing dangerous animals to protect people. The Secretary of the Interior sets rules to protect wildlife, timber, and natural features, and violators face fines up to $500 or up to six months in jail.

You cannot hunt, kill, wound, or capture any wild bird or animal in the park at any time. The only exception: killing a dangerous animal when necessary to stop it from taking human lives or causing injury. You cannot take fish from the park's waters except by hook and line, and only during the seasons, times, and ways the Secretary of the Interior allows. The Secretary of the Interior must make and publish rules to manage and care for the park and protect its property. These rules especially aim to: protect timber; protect mineral deposits, except those legally claimed before May 27, 1908; protect natural curiosities and other remarkable features; and protect the park's animals and birds from being captured, killed, frightened, or driven away. The Secretary must also make rules governing how fish are taken from the park's streams and lakes. If someone is found in the park possessing the dead body, or any part of it, of a wild bird or animal, that possession alone counts as strong first-look evidence — “prima facie evidence” — that they violated this Act. Anyone who transports animals, birds, or fish taken from the park, knowing or having reason to believe they were illegally killed, caught, or taken, has also violated this Act. So has anyone who breaks any other rule in this Act, or any rule the Secretary of the Interior makes to manage the park, protect its property, protect timber, protect mineral deposits (except those legally claimed before May 27, 1908), protect natural curiosities, or protect the park's animals, birds, or fish. So has anyone who damages, injures, or destroys any building, fence, hedge, gate, guidepost, tree, wood, timber, garden, crops, vegetables, plants, land, springs, mineral deposits (except those legally claimed before May 27, 1908), natural curiosities, or anything else growing or located in the park. Anyone who breaks these rules commits a misdemeanor. The punishment is a fine of up to $500, imprisonment of up to six months, or both — plus the person must pay all costs of the legal proceedings.

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 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 27, 1908, 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 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 27, 1908, 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 27, 1908, 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: (June 30, 1916, ch. 197, § 4, 39 Stat. 244.)

history & why it existsrecord from the source credit

1916Enacted · Act of June 30, 1916, ch. 197 · 39 Stat. 244

A history note hasn’t been published yet. The record shows enactment by ch. 197 on 1916-06-30.

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