2017 US Code
Title 16 - Conservation
Chapter 2 - National Forests
Subchapter I - Establishment and Administration
Sec. 473 - Revocation, modification, or vacation of orders or proclamations establishing national forests

The President of the United States is authorized and empowered to revoke, modify, or suspend any and all Executive orders and proclamations or any part thereof issued under section 471 ¹ of this title, from time to time as he shall deem best for the public interests. By such modification he may reduce the area or change the boundary lines or may vacate altogether any order creating a national forest.

(June 4, 1897, ch. 2, §1, 30 Stat. 34, 36.)

Section 471 of this title, referred to in text, was repealed by Pub. L. 94–579, title VII, §704(a), Oct. 21, 1976, 90 Stat. 2792.

The two sentences of this section are from provisions in section 1 of the Sundry Civil Appropriation Act for the fiscal year 1898, act June 4, 1897.

The first sentence is a portion of the third paragraph and was prefaced by the words "To remove any doubt which may exist pertaining to the authority of the President thereunto." Other provisions of the same paragraph have been omitted as temporary.

The second sentence is a portion of the seventh paragraph the whole of which reads as follows: "The President is hereby authorized at any time to modify any Executive order that has been or may hereafter be made establishing any forest reserve, and by such modification may reduce the area or change the boundary lines of such reserve, or may vacate altogether any order creating such reserve."

Certain provisions of act June 4, 1897, ch. 2, 30 Stat. 34, under the headings "under the department of the interior." and "surveying the public lands.", which enacted sections 473 to 478, 479 to 482, and 551 of this title, are popularly known as the Organic Administration Act.

¹ See References in Text note below.