This Act, referred to in text, is Pub. L. 92–300, May 18, 1972, 86 Stat. 147, as amended generally by Pub. L. 118–234, title III, § 341, Jan. 4, 2025, 138 Stat. 2913, known as the Volunteers in the National Forests and Public Lands Act, which enacted this section and sections 558b to 558g of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out below and Tables.

The Volunteers in the National Forests and Public Lands Act, enacting this section and sections 558b to 558g of this title, was orignally enacted as Pub. L. 92–300, May 18, 1972, 86 Stat. 147, known as the Volunteers in the National Forests Act of 1972, which enacted former sections 558a to 558d of this title. Pub. L. 92–300 was amended by Pub. L. 95–289, § 1, June 5, 1978, 92 Stat. 289; Pub. L. 101–286, title II, § 204(a), May 9, 1990, 104 Stat. 175; Pub. L. 103–82, title IV, § 405(d), Sept. 21, 1993, 107 Stat. 921; Pub. L. 114–245, § 4(d)(1), Nov. 28, 2016, 130 Stat. 992. Pub. L. 92–300 was subsequently amended generally by Pub. L. 118–234, title III, § 341, Jan. 4, 2025, 138 Stat. 2913, including an amendment to provide that the Act be cited as the Volunteers in the National Forests and Public Lands Act. Pub. L. 92–300 is shown herein, however, as having been added by Pub. L. 118–234 without reference to those intervening amendments because of the extensive revision of Pub. L. 92–300 by Pub. L. 118–234.

A prior section 558a, Pub. L. 92–300, § 1, May 18, 1972, 86 Stat. 147; Pub. L. 103–82, title IV, § 405(d), Sept. 21, 1993, 107 Stat. 921, authorized the Secretary of Agriculture to recruit, train, and accept volunteers in the National Forests Program, prior to the general amendment of the Volunteers in the National Forests Act of 1972 by Pub. L. 118–234.

A prior section 2 of Pub. L. 92–300, May 18, 1972, 86 Stat. 147, was classified to section 558b of this title, prior to the general amendment of the Volunteers in the National Forests Act of 1972 by Pub. L. 118–234.

Pub. L. 92–300, § 1, as added by Pub. L. 118–234, title III, § 341, Jan. 4, 2025, 138 Stat. 2913, provided that: “This Act [enacting this section and sections 558b to 558g of this title] may be cited as the ‘Volunteers in the National Forests and Public Lands Act’.”

[For prior section 1 of Pub. L. 92–300, see Prior Provisions note above.]

Pub. L. 92–300, § 5, May 18, 1972, 86 Stat. 147, provided that Pub. L. 92–300, which enacted former sections 558a to 558d of this title, could be cited as the “Volunteers in the National Forests Act of 1972”, prior to the general amendment of Pub. L. 92–300 by Pub. L. 118–234.

Pub. L. 118–234, title III, § 342, Jan. 4, 2025, 138 Stat. 2914, provided that: “Any reference to the Volunteers in the National Forests Act of 1972 in any law, regulation, map, document, record, or other paper of the United States shall be deemed to be a reference to the Volunteers in the National Forests and Public Land[s] Act [see Short Title note above].”