18 U.S.C. § 1853
Section 1853 · Trees cut or injured
Amended 2 times on record
Applied in 22 court decisions — leading case United States v. Genschow (2011)
Most recently applied in State v. Logan (December 2017)
How often courts cite this section
Court decisions citing this, by year.Markers show enactment, consequential amendments, and circuit splits over this section — watch for a citation surge after a change or a disagreement. The dip in the last several years is a data-coverage gap, not a real trend — our corpus holds fewer opinions from the most recent years, so recent citations are undercounted.
Whoever unlawfully cuts, or wantonly injures or destroys any tree growing, standing, or being upon any land of the United States which, in pursuance of law, has been reserved or purchased by the United States for any public use, or upon any Indian reservation, or lands belonging to or occupied by any tribe of Indians under the authority of the United States, or any Indian allotment while the title to the same shall be held in trust by the Government, or while the same shall remain inalienable by the allottee without the consent of the United States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.
Editorial notes U.S. Code · Office of the Law Revision Counsel
Historical and Revision Notes
Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., §104 (Mar. 4, 1909, ch. 321, §50, 35 Stat. 1098; June 25, 1910, ch. 431, §6, 36 Stat. 857).
Reference to persons aiding or procuring was deleted as unnecessary since such persons are made principals by section 2 of this title.
Maximum fine was increased from $500 to $1,000 to conform to other comparable sections of this chapter. (See sections 1851 and 1852 of this title.)
Minor changes were also made in phraseology.
Amendments
1996—Pub. L. 104–294 substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $1,000”.
Cross References
General provisions relating to Indian lands and reservations, see Title 25, Indians.
Protection of national forests and violation of rules and regulations relating thereto, see section 551 of Title 16, Conservation.