USC Subchapter I

in effect

54 U.S.C. § 100701 Protection, interpretation, and research in System

Recognizing the ever increasing societal pressures being placed upon America’s unique natural and cultural resources contained in the System, the Secretary shall continually improve the ability of the Service to provide state-of-the-art management, protection, and interpretation of, and research on, the resources of the System.

54 U.S.C. § 100702 Research mandate

The Secretary shall ensure that management of System units is enhanced by the availability and utilization of a broad program of the highest quality science and information.

54 U.S.C. § 100703 Cooperative study units

The Secretary shall enter into cooperative agreements with colleges and universities, including land grant schools, in partnership with other Federal and State agencies, to establish cooperative study units to conduct multi-disciplinary research and develop integrated information products on the resources of the System, or the larger region of which System units are a part.

54 U.S.C. § 100704 Inventory and monitoring program

The Secretary shall undertake a program of inventory and monitoring of System resources to establish baseline information and to provide information on the long-term trends in the condition of System resources. The monitoring program shall be developed in cooperation with other Federal monitoring and information collection efforts to ensure a cost-effective approach.

54 U.S.C. § 100705 Availability of System units for scientific study

(a) In General.—The Secretary may solicit, receive, and consider requests from Federal or non-Federal public or private agencies, organizations, individuals, or other entities for the use of any System unit for purposes of scientific study. (b) Criteria.—A request for use of a System unit under subsection (a) may be approved only if the Secretary determines that the proposed study—(1) is consistent with applicable laws and Service management policies; and (2) will be conducted in a manner that poses no threat to the System unit resources or public enjoyment derived from System unit resources. (c) Fee Waiver.—The Secretary may waive any System unit admission or recreational use fee in order to facilitate the conduct of scientific study under this section. (d) Benefit-Sharing Arrangements.—The Secretary may negotiate for and enter into equitable, efficient benefit-sharing arrangements with the research community and private industry.

54 U.S.C. § 100706 Integration of study results into management decisions

The Secretary shall take such measures as are necessary to ensure the full and proper utilization of the results of scientific study for System unit management decisions. In each case in which an action undertaken by the Service may cause a significant adverse effect on a System unit resource, the administrative record shall reflect the manner in which System unit resource studies have been considered. The trend in the condition of resources of the System shall be a significant factor in the annual performance evaluation of each superintendent of a System unit.

54 U.S.C. § 100707 Confidentiality of information

Information concerning the nature and specific location of a System resource that is endangered, threatened, rare, or commercially valuable, of mineral or paleontological objects within System units, or of objects of cultural patrimony within System units, may be withheld from the public in response to a request under section 552 of title 5 unless the Secretary determines that— (1) disclosure of the information would further the purposes of the System unit in which the resource or object is located and would not create an unreasonable risk of harm, theft, or destruction of the resource or object, including individual organic or inorganic specimens; and (2) disclosure is consistent with other laws protecting the resource or object.