(a) Existing or proposed forest roads that are or will be part of a transportation system of a State, county, or other local public road authority. Forest roads that are or will be part of a transportation system of a State, county, or other local public road authority and are on rights-of-way held by a State, county, or other local public road authority may be constructed, reconstructed, improved, or maintained by the Forest Service when there is an appropriate agreement with the State, county, or other local public road authority under 23 U.S.C. 205 and the construction, reconstruction, improvement, or maintenance is essential to provide safe and economical access to National Forest System lands.

(b) Acquisition of easements and rights of use. Except as otherwise provided in the regulations of this part, easements for road and trail construction across non-Federal lands and easements or rights of use over non-Federal roads and trails will be acquired in the name of the United States of America and its assigns. The easements or rights of use may be acquired by purchase, condemnation, donation, or as a reciprocal for permits or easements for roads or trails to be constructed or for easements over or permits to use existing roads or trails.

(c) Methods of compensation for easements and rights of use acquired by the United States. Compensation in negotiated acquisitions may be:

(1) By payment from appropriated funds;

(2) Pursuant to reservation in the grant of easement to the United States whereby the grantor reserves the right to require haulers of Federal timber or other Federal products over the road conveyed or thereafter constructed by the grantor to make payments to the grantor in accordance with the terms of the reservation;

(3) By granting reciprocal rights; or

(4) By a combination of these methods.

(d) Cooperative construction and use agreements. Where areas, partly lands administered by the Forest Service and partly private or other ownership are undeveloped or inadequately developed by roads, the Chief will, to the extent feasible and advantageous to the United States, join in planning, constructing, reconstructing, improving, maintaining, and using an adequate road system on the basis of each party bearing the proportion of the cost attributable to the anticipated benefits as set forth in §212.9.

(e) Condemnation. Where access across non-Federal land or over a non-Federal road or trail cannot be obtained through negotiations with reasonable promptness, condemnation will be undertaken.

(f) Access over non-Federal land and use of non-Federal roads or trails on a temporary basis. The Chief may negotiate a temporary agreement for access over non-Federal land and for use of an existing non-Federal road or trail where there is immediate need for temporary access for limited purposes that can be economically met by such procedure, or where the foreseeable need does not justify the expenditures necessary to provide a permanent road or trail.

(g) Use and control of interests in roads, trails, and easements acquired by the United States. Interests in roads, trails, and easements acquired by the United States shall be under the control of the United States, subject to approved reservations, limitations and other provisions set forth in the easement, permit, or other indenture. This control by the United States may include restricting or conditioning the use of the interest owned by the United States in the road, trail, or easement where necessary.

(25 Stat. 357, 26 Stat. 1103, 30 Stat. 35-36, 1233, 38 Stat. 430, 46 Stat. 1421, 64 Stat. 82, 72 Stat. 885, as amended, 74 Stat. 215, 78 Stat. 1089; 16 U.S.C. 471, 478, 498, 525, 528-531, 532, 551, 572, 23 U.S.C. 101, 205, 40 U.S.C. 257, 258a et seq.; 42 Atty. Gen. Op. No. 7; Comp. Gen. B-65972, May 19, 1947; 40 Comp. Gen. 372; 41 Comp. Gen. 1; 41 Comp. Gen. 576, and 42 Comp. Gen. 590)

[30 FR 5476, Apr. 16, 1965, as amended at 39 FR 27650, July 31, 1974; 62 FR 58654, Oct. 30, 1997. Redesignated and amended at 62 FR 58654, Oct. 30, 1997; 66 FR 3217, Jan. 12, 2001; 70 FR 68288, Nov. 9, 2005]