* Act of March 3, 1925 (P.L. 68-575, Ch. 117, 43 Stat. 1132, as amended; 16 U.S.C. 555, 557, 572)

Land Acquisition by Purchase

Sec. 5. Where not suitable Gov-ernment land is available for Na-tional Forest headquarters, ranger stations, dwell-ings, or other sites required for the effective conduct of the authorized activities of the For-est Service, the Secretary of Agri-culture is hereby authorized to purchase lands out of the appropriation applicable to the purpose for which the land is to be used, and to accept donations of land for any National Forest or experimental purpose: Provided, That such lands may be acquired subject to such reservations and outstanding inter-ests as the Secre-tary determines will not interfere with the purpose for which acquired; Provided further, That not to exceed $50,000 may be ex-pended in any one fiscal year pursu-ant to this authority. (16 U.S.C. 555)

Employee Subsistence, Equipment and Medical Attention

Sec. 6. The Secretary of Agricul-ture is authorized to furnish subsis-tence to employees of the Forest Service, to purchase personal equip-ment and supplies for them, and to make deductions therefor from moneys appropriat-ed for salary payments or otherwise due such employees. He is also authorized, in his discretion, to pro-vide out of moneys appropri-ated for the general expenses of the Forest Ser-vice, medical attention for em-ploy-ees of the Forest Service locat-ed at isolated situations, includ-ing the moving of such employees to hospi-tals or other places where medical assistance is available, and in case of death to remove the bod-ies of deceased employees to the nearest place where they can be prepared for shipment or for burial: Provid-ed, That when a transient without per-manent residence, or any other person while away from his place of residence, is temporarily employed by the Forest Service and while so em-ployed becomes dis-abled because of injury or illness not attributable to official work, he may be provided hospitalization and other necessary medical care, subsis-tence, and lodg-ing for a period of not to exceed fifteen days during such disability, the cost thereof to be payable from any funds available to the Forest Service applicable to the work for which such person is employed. (16 U.S.C. 557)

Work Performed on Nonfederal Lands

(a) The Secretary of Agriculture is authorized, where the public interest justifies, to cooperate with or assist public and private agencies, organizations, institutions, and persons in performing work on land in State, county, municipal, or private ownership, situated within or near a National Forest, for which the administering agency, owner, or other interested party deposits in one or more payments a sufficient sum to cover the total estimated cost of the work to be done for the benefit of the depositor, for administration, protection, improvement, reforesta-tion, and such other kinds of work as the Forest Service is authorized to do on lands of the United States; Provided, That the United States shall not be liable to the depositor or landowner for any damage inci-dent to the performance of such work.

(b) Cooperation and assistance on the same basis as that authorized in subsection (a) is authorized also in the performance of any such kinds of work in connection with the occu-pancy or use of the National Forests or other lands administered by the Forest Service.

(c) Moneys deposited under this section shall be covered into the Treasury and shall constitute a spe-cial fund, which is made available until expended for payment of the cost of work performed by the For-est Service and for refunds to de-positors of amounts deposited by them in excess of their share of said cost: Provided, That when deposits are received for a number of similar types of work on adjacent or over-lapping areas, or on areas which in the aggregate are determined to cover a single work unit, they may be expended on such combined areas for the purposes for which deposited, in which event refunds to the depositors of the total amount of the excess deposits involved will be made on a proportionate basis: Provided further, That when so provided by written agreement pay-ment for work undertaken pursuant to this section may be made from any Forest Service appropriation available for similar types of work, and reimbursement received from said agencies, organizations, institu-tions, or persons covering their proportionate share of the cost and the funds received as reimburse-ment shall be deposited to the credit of the Forest Service appropriation from which initially paid or to ap-propriations for similar purposes currently available at the time of deposit: Provided further, That when by the terms of a written agreement either party thereto fur-nishes materials, supplies, equip-ment, or services for fire emergen-cies in excess of its proportionate share, adjustment may be made by reimbursement or by replacement in kind of supplies, materials, and equipment consumed or destroyed in excess of the furnishing party's proportionate share. (16 U.S.C. 572)