U.S. Code > Title 23 Highways > CHAPTER 2—OTHER HIGHWAYS (§§ 201—219) > § 204. Federal Lands Highways Program

§ 204. Federal Lands Highways Program

(a) Establishment.—
(1) In general.— Recognizing the need for all Federal roads that are public roads to be treated under uniform policies similar to the policies that apply to Federal-aid highways, there is established a coordinated Federal lands highways program that shall apply to public lands highways, park roads and parkways, refuge roads, and Indian reservation roads and bridges.
(2) Transportation planning procedures.— In consultation with the Secretary of each appropriate Federal land management agency, the Secretary shall develop, by rule, transportation planning procedures that are consistent with the metropolitan and statewide planning processes required under sections 134 and 135.
(3) Approval of transportation improvement program.— The transportation improvement program developed as a part of the transportation planning process under this section shall be approved by the Secretary.
(4) Inclusion in other plans.— All regionally significant Federal lands highways program projects—
(A) shall be developed in cooperation with States and metropolitan planning organizations; and
(B) shall be included in appropriate Federal lands highways program, State, and metropolitan plans and transportation improvement programs.
(5) Inclusion in state programs.— The approved Federal lands highways program transportation improvement program shall be included in appropriate State and metropolitan planning organization plans and programs without further action on the transportation improvement program.
(6) Development of systems.— The Secretary and the Secretary of each appropriate Federal land management agency shall, to the extent appropriate, develop by rule safety, bridge, pavement, and congestion management systems for roads funded under the Federal lands highways program.
(b) Use of Funds.—
(1) In general.— Funds made available for public lands highways, park roads and parkways, and Indian reservation roads shall be used by the Secretary and the Secretary of the appropriate Federal land management agency to pay the cost of—
(A) transportation planning, research, and engineering and construction of, highways, roads, parkways, and transit facilities located on public lands, national parks, and Indian reservations; and
(B) operation and maintenance of transit facilities located on public lands, national parks, and Indian reservations.
(2) Contract.— In connection with an activity described in paragraph (1), the Secretary and the Secretary of the appropriate Federal land management agency may enter into a contract or other appropriate agreement with respect to such activity with—
(A) a State (including a political subdivision of a State); or
(B) an Indian tribe.
(3) Indian reservation roads.— In the case of an Indian reservation road—
(A) Indian labor may be employed, in accordance with such rules and regulations as may be promulgated by the Secretary of the Interior, to carry out any construction or other activity described in paragraph (1); and
(B) funds made available to carry out this section may be used to pay bridge preconstruction costs (including planning, design, and engineering).
(4) Federal employment.— No maximum limitation on Federal employment shall be applicable to construction or improvement of Indian reservation roads.
(5) Availability of funds.— Funds made available under this section for each class of Federal lands highways shall be available for any transportation project eligible for assistance under this title that is within or adjacent to, or that provides access to, the areas served by the particular class of Federal lands highways.
(6) Reservation of funds.— The Secretary of the Interior may reserve funds from administrative funds of the Bureau of Indian Affairs that are associated with the Indian reservation roads program to finance Indian technical centers under section 504 (b).
(c) Before approving as a project on an Indian reservation road any project eligible for funds apportioned under section 104 or section 144 of this title in a State, the Secretary must determine that the obligation of funds for such project is supplementary to and not in lieu of the obligation, for projects on Indian reservation roads, of a fair and equitable share of funds apportioned to such State under section 104 of this title. Notwithstanding any other provision of this title, of the amount of funds allocated for Indian reservation roads from the Highway Trust Fund, not more than 25 percent of the funds allocated to an Indian tribe may be expended for the purpose of maintenance, excluding road sealing which shall not be subject to any limitation. The Bureau of Indian Affairs shall continue to retain primary responsibility, including annual funding request responsibility, for road maintenance programs on Indian reservations. The Secretary shall ensure that funding made available under this subsection for maintenance of Indian reservation roads for each fiscal year is supplementary to and not in lieu of any obligation of funds by the Bureau of Indian Affairs for road maintenance programs on Indian reservations.
(d) Cooperation of States, counties, or other local subdivisions may be accepted in construction and improvement, and any funds received from a State, county, or local subdivision shall be credited to appropriations available for the class of Federal lands highways to which such funds were contributed.
(e) Construction of each project shall be performed by contract awarded by competitive bidding, unless the Secretary or the Secretary of the appropriate Federal land management agency shall affirmatively find that, under the circumstances relating to such project, some other method is in the public interest. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the provisions of section 23 of the “Buy Indian” Act of June 25, 1910 (36 Stat. 891), and the provisions of section 7(b) of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (88 Stat. 2205) shall apply to all funds administered by the Secretary of the Interior which are appropriated for the construction and improvement of Indian reservation roads.
(f) All appropriations for the construction and improvement of each class of Federal lands highways shall be administered in conformity with regulations and agreements jointly approved by the Secretary and the Secretary of the appropriate Federal land managing agency.
(g) The Secretary shall transfer to the Secretary of Agriculture from appropriations for forest highways such amounts as may be needed to cover necessary administrative expenses of the Forest Service in connection with forest highways.
(h) Eligible Projects.— Funds available for each class of Federal lands highways may be available for the following:
(1) Transportation planning for tourism and recreational travel including the National Forest Scenic Byways Program, Bureau of Land Management Back Country Byways Program, National Trail System Program, and other similar Federal programs that benefit recreational development.
(2) Adjacent vehicular parking areas.
(3) Interpretive signage.
(4) Acquisition of necessary scenic easements and scenic or historic sites.
(5) Provision for pedestrians and bicycles.
(6) Construction and reconstruction of roadside rest areas including sanitary and water facilities.
(7) Other appropriate public road facilities such as visitor centers as determined by the Secretary.
(8) A project to build a replacement of the federally owned bridge over the Hoover Dam in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area between Nevada and Arizona.
(i) Transfers of Costs to Secretaries of Federal Land Management Agencies.—
(1) Administrative costs.— The Secretary shall transfer to the appropriate Federal land management agency from amounts made available for public lands highways such amounts as are necessary to pay necessary administrative costs of the agency in connection with public lands highways.
(2) Transportation planning costs.— The Secretary shall transfer to the appropriate Federal land management agency from amounts made available for public lands highways such amounts as are necessary to pay the cost to the agency to conduct necessary transportation planning for Federal lands, if funding for the planning is not otherwise provided under this section.
(j) Indian Reservation Roads Planning.— Up to 2 percent of funds made available for Indian reservation roads for each fiscal year shall be allocated to those Indian tribal governments applying for transportation planning pursuant to the provisions of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act. The Indian tribal government, in cooperation with the Secretary of the Interior, and as appropriate, with a State, local government, or metropolitan planning organization, shall carry out a transportation planning process in accordance with subsection (a). Projects shall be selected by the Indian tribal government from the transportation improvement program and shall be subject to the approval of the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary.
(k) Refuge Roads.—
(1) In general.— Notwithstanding any other provision of this title, funds made available for refuge roads shall be used by the Secretary and the Secretary of the Interior only to pay the cost of—
(A) maintenance and improvements of refuge roads;
(B) maintenance and improvements of eligible projects described in paragraphs (2), (3), (5), and (6) of subsection (h) that are located in or adjacent to wildlife refuges;
(C) administrative costs associated with such maintenance and improvements;
(D) the non-Federal share of the cost of any project funded under this title or chapter 53 of title 49 that provides access to or within a wildlife refuge; and
(E) maintenance and improvement of recreational trails; except that expenditures on trails under this subparagraph shall not exceed 5 percent of available funds for each fiscal year.
(2) Contracts.— In carrying out paragraph (1), the Secretary and the Secretary of the Interior, as appropriate, may enter into contracts with a State or civil subdivision of a State or Indian tribe as is determined advisable.
(3) Compliance with other law.— Funds made available for refuge roads shall be used only for projects that are in compliance with the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 (16 U.S.C. 668dd et seq.).
(l) Tribal-State Road Maintenance Agreements.—
(1) In general.— An Indian tribe and a State may enter into a road maintenance agreement under which an Indian tribe assumes the responsibilities of the State for—
(A) Indian reservation roads; and
(B) roads providing access to Indian reservation roads.
(2) Tribal-state agreements.— Agreements entered into under paragraph (1)—
(A) shall be negotiated between the State and the Indian tribe; and
(B) shall not require the approval of the Secretary.
(3) Annual report.— Effective beginning with fiscal year 2005, the Secretary shall prepare and submit to Congress an annual report that identifies—
(A) the Indian tribes and States that have entered into agreements under paragraph (1);
(B) the number of miles of roads for which Indian tribes have assumed maintenance responsibilities; and
(C) the amount of funding transferred to Indian tribes for the fiscal year under agreements entered into under paragraph (1).