The purpose of this part is:

(a) To assist the Secretary in managing sunken military craft under the jurisdiction of the Department of the Navy (DON) pursuant to the Sunken Military Craft Act (SMCA), 10 U.S.C. 113 note; Public Law 108-375, Title XIV, sections 1401 to 1408, Oct. 28, 2004, 118 Stat. 2094.

(b) To establish the procedural rules for the issuance of permits authorizing persons to engage in activities directed at sunken military craft and terrestrial military craft under the jurisdiction of the DON for archaeological, historical, or educational purposes, when the proposed activities may disturb, remove, or injure the sunken military craft or terrestrial military craft.

(c) To set forth the procedures governing administrative proceedings for assessment of civil penalties or liability damages in the case of a sunken military craft permit violation or violation of section 1402 of the SMCA.

Agency means the Department of the Navy.

Artifact means any portion of a sunken military craft or terrestrial military craft that by itself or through its relationship to another object or assemblage of objects, regardless of age, whether in situ or not, may carry archaeological or historical data that yields or is likely to yield information that contributes to the understanding of culture or human history.

Associated Contents means:

(1) The equipment, cargo, and contents of a sunken military craft or terrestrial military craft that are within its debris field; and

(2) The remains and personal effects of the crew and passengers of a sunken military craft or terrestrial military craft that are within its debris field.

Debris field means an area, whether contiguous or non-contiguous, that consists of portions of one or more sunken military craft or terrestrial military craft and associated artifacts distributed due to, or as a consequence of, a wrecking event and post-depositional site formation processes.

Directed at means an intentional or negligent act that disturbs, removes, or injures a craft that the person knew or should have known to be a sunken military craft.

Disturb or disturbance means to affect the physical condition of any portion of a sunken military craft or terrestrial military craft, alter the position or arrangement of any portion of a sunken military craft or terrestrial military craft, or influence the wrecksite or its immediate environment in such a way that any portion of a craft's physical condition is affected or its position or arrangement is altered.

Historic in the case of a sunken military craft or a terrestrial military craft means fifty (50) years have elapsed since the date of its loss and/or the craft is listed on, eligible for, or potentially eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.

Injure or injury means to inflict physical damage on or impair the soundness of any portion of a sunken military craft or terrestrial military craft.

Permit holder means any person authorized and given the right by the Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC) to conduct activities authorized under these regulations.

Permitted activity means any activity that is authorized by the NHHC under the regulations in this part.

Person means an individual, corporation, partnership, trust, institution, association; or any other private entity, or any officer, employee, agent, instrumentality, or political subdivision of the United States.

Possession or in possession of means having physical custody or control over any portion of a sunken military craft or terrestrial military craft.

Remove or removal means to move or relocate any portion of a sunken military craft or terrestrial military craft by lifting, pulling, pushing, detaching, extracting, or taking away or off.

Respondent means a vessel or person subject to a civil penalty, enforcement costs and/or liability for damages based on an alleged violation of this part or a permit issued under this part.

Secretary means the Secretary of the Navy or his or her designee. The Director of the NHHC is the Secretary's designee for DON sunken military craft and terrestrial military craft management and policy; the permitting of activities that disturb, remove, or injure DON sunken military craft and terrestrial military craft; the permitting of activities that disturb, remove, or injure sunken military craft of other departments, agencies or sovereigns incorporated into the DON permitting program; the initiation of enforcement actions; and, assessment of civil penalties or liability for damages. The Secretary's designee for appeals of Notices of Violations is the Defense Office of Hearings and Appeals (DOHA).

Secretary concerned means:

(1) The Secretary of a military department;

(2) In the case of a Coast Guard sunken military craft, the Secretary of the Department in which the Coast Guard is operating.

Sunken military craft means all or any portion of:

(1) Any sunken warship, naval auxiliary, or other vessel that was owned or operated by a government on military noncommercial service when it sank;

(2) Any sunken military aircraft or military spacecraft that was owned or operated by a government when it sank;

(3) The associated contents of a craft referred to in paragraph (1) or (2) of this definition;

(4) Any craft referred to in paragraph (1) or (2) of this definition which may now be on land or in water, if title thereto has not been abandoned or transferred by the government concerned.

Sunken Military Craft Act refers to the provisions of 10 U.S.C. 113 note; Public Law 108-375, Title XIV, sections 1401 to 1408, Oct. 28, 2004, 118 Stat. 2094.

Terrestrial military craft means the physical remains of all or any portion of a historic ship, aircraft, spacecraft, or other craft, intact or otherwise, manned or unmanned, along with all associated contents, located on land and under the jurisdiction of the DON. Terrestrial military craft sites are distinguished from sunken military craft by never having sunk in a body of water.

United States Contiguous Zone means the contiguous zone of the United States declared by Presidential Proclamation 7219, dated September 2, 1999. Accordingly, the contiguous zone of the United States extends to 24 nautical miles from the baselines of the United States determined in accordance with international law, but in no case within the territorial sea of another nation.

United States internal waters means all waters of the United States on the landward side of the baseline from which the breadth of the United States territorial sea is measured.

United States sunken military craft means all or any portion of a sunken military craft owned or operated by the United States.

United States territorial sea means the waters of the United States territorial sea claimed by and described in Presidential Proclamation 5928, dated December 27, 1988. Accordingly, the territorial sea of the United States extends to 12 nautical miles from the baselines of the United States determined in accordance with international law.

United States waters means United States internal waters, the United States territorial sea, and the United States contiguous zone.

Wrecksite means the location of a sunken military craft or terrestrial military craft. The craft may be intact, scattered or completely deteriorated, and may presently be on land or in water. The wrecksite includes any physical remains of the craft and all associated contents.

(a) Unauthorized activities directed at sunken military craft or terrestrial military craft. No person shall engage in or attempt to engage in any activity directed at a sunken military craft or terrestrial military craft that disturbs, removes, or injures any sunken military craft or terrestrial military craft, except:

(1) As authorized by a permit issued pursuant to these regulations;

(2) As otherwise authorized by these regulations; or

(3) As otherwise authorized by law.

(b) Possession of sunken military craft or terrestrial military craft. No person may possess, disturb, remove, or injure any sunken military craft or terrestrial military craft in violation, where applicable, of:

(1) Section 1402 of the SMCA; or

(2) Any regulation set forth in this part or any permit issued under it; or

(3) Any prohibition, rule, regulation, ordinance, or permit that applies under any other applicable law.

(c) Limitations on application. Prohibitions in section 1402 of the SMCA shall not apply to:

(1) Actions taken by, or at the direction of, the United States.

(2) Any action by a person who is not a citizen, national, or resident alien of the United States, except in accordance with:

(i) Generally recognized principles of international law;

(ii) An agreement between the United States and the foreign country of which the person is a citizen;

(iii) In the case of an individual who is a crew member or other individual on a foreign vessel or foreign aircraft, an agreement between the United States and the flag State of the foreign vessel or aircraft that applies to the individual.

(a) As stewards of the DON's sunken military craft and terrestrial military craft, the NHHC is responsible for managing these irreplaceable resources for the continued education and appreciation of present and future generations. To ensure consistent and effective stewardship, the NHHC has developed a comprehensive program that encompasses the following aspects: Preservation planning; wrecksite management; archaeological research; conservation and curation; and public information, interpretation, and education. The NHHC strongly encourages cooperation with other Department of Defense commands, Federal and State agencies, educational institutions, and individuals interested in preserving DON's maritime and aviation heritage.

(b) Subject to operational requirements, sunken military craft and terrestrial military craft will generally be managed in place unless wrecksite disturbance, recovery, or injury is justified and necessary to protect the craft or the environment, to address matters pertaining to human remains or public safety, to mitigate adverse effects, to conduct research, or to provide for public education. While the NHHC prefers non-intrusive in situ research on sunken military craft and terrestrial military craft, it recognizes that wrecksite disturbance, removal, or injury may become necessary or appropriate. At such times, wrecksite disturbance, removal, or injury may be permitted by the NHHC with respect to DON sunken military craft for archaeological, historical, or educational purposes, subject to conditions set forth in accordance with these regulations. Historic shipwrecks under the jurisdiction of the DON that do not qualify as sunken military craft are to be provided the same consideration and treatment as terrestrial military craft.

(c) In addition to managing historic sunken military craft and terrestrial military craft, the NHHC will serve as the permitting authority for the disturbance of non-historic DON sunken military craft. Permit applications will only be issued in instances where there is a clear demonstrable benefit to the DON, and only special use permits can be issued in the case of non-historic sunken military craft. In such instances, prior to issuing a special use permit, the NHHC will consult with appropriate DON offices within affected commands or offices, including, but not limited to, the Naval Sea Systems Command, Naval Air Systems Command, Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command, Naval Supply Systems Command, Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Navy Personnel Command, Military Sealift Command, Supervisor of Salvage and Diving, Office of the Judge Advocate General of the Navy, the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, or other interested offices.

(d) The NHHC will serve as the permitting authority for disturbance of those foreign state sunken military craft located in U.S. waters addressed in § 767.15. The NHHC, in consultation with the Department of State as appropriate, will make a reasonable effort to inform the applicable agency of a foreign state of the discovery or significant changes to the condition of its sunken military craft upon becoming aware of such information. The NHHC will also serve as the permitting authority for disturbance of those sunken military craft of another military department, or the Department in which the Coast Guard is operating, that have been incorporated into the DON permitting program in accordance with § 767.15(e).

(e) The DON recognizes that, in accordance with section 1402(a)(3) of the Act and other statutes, certain federal agencies have statutory authority to conduct and permit specific activities directed at DON sunken military craft and terrestrial military craft. The NHHC will coordinate, consult, and enter into interagency agreements with those federal agencies to ensure effective management of DON sunken military craft and terrestrial military craft and compliance with applicable law.

(f) Where appropriate, the NHHC will coordinate, consult, and enter into agreements with the appropriate State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), or state land or resource manager, to ensure effective management of DON sunken military craft and terrestrial military craft and compliance with applicable law.

(g) Notwithstanding any other section of this part, no act by the owner of a vessel, or authorized agent of the owner of a vessel, under a time charter, voyage charter, or demise charter to the DON and operated on military service at the time of its sinking, provided that the sunken military craft is not considered historic as determined by the NHHC, shall be prohibited by, nor require a permit under, the SMCA or these regulations. This paragraph (g) shall not be construed to otherwise affect any right or remedy of the United States existing at law, in equity, or otherwise, in regard to any such sunken military craft, in regard to cargo owned by the United States on board or associated with any such craft, or in regard to other property or contents owned by the United States on board or associated with any such sunken military craft.

(h) The NHHC reserves the right to deny an applicant a permit if the proposed activity does not meet the permit application requirements; is inconsistent with DON policy or interests; does not serve the best interests of the sunken military craft or terrestrial military craft in question; in the case of foreign sunken military craft, is inconsistent with the desires of a foreign sovereign; is inconsistent with an existing resource management plan; is directed towards a sunken military craft or terrestrial military craft upon which other activities are being considered or have been authorized; will be undertaken in such a manner as will not permit the applicant to meet final report requirements; raises professional ethical conduct concerns or concerns over commercial exploitation; raises concerns over national security, foreign policy, environmental or ordnance issues; or out of respect for any human remains that may be associated with a wrecksite. The NHHC also reserves the right to deny an applicant a permit if the applicant has not fulfilled requirements of permits previously issued by the NHHC to the applicant.