Part A - Establishment, Administration, and Jurisdiction

16 USC 460lll11 - Establishment

(a) In general
On the transfer of administrative jurisdiction under section 460lll–41 of this title, the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area in the States of Kentucky and Tennessee is established as a unit of the National Forest System.

(b) Management

(1) In general
The Secretary shall manage the Recreation Area for multiple use as a unit of the National Forest System.

(2) Emphases
The emphases in the management of the Recreation Area shall be

(A) to provide public recreational opportunities;

(B) to conserve fish and wildlife and their habitat; and

(C) to provide for diversity of native and desirable non-native plants, animals, opportunities for hunting and fishing, and environmental education.

(3) Status of unit
The Secretary may administer the Recreation Area as a separate unit of the National Forest System or in conjunction with an existing national forest.

(1) In general
The Recreation Area shall comprise the federally owned land, water, and interests in the land and water lying between Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley in the States of Kentucky and Tennessee, as generally depicted on the map entitled Land Between the Lakes National Recreation AreaJanuary, 1998

(2) Map
The map described in paragraph (1) shall be available for public inspection in the Office of the Chief of the Forest Service, Washington, D.C.

(d) Waters

(1) Water levels and navigation
Nothing in this subchapter affects the jurisdiction of the Tennessee Valley Authority or the Army Corps of Engineers to manage and regulate water levels and navigation of Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley and areas subject to flood easements.

(2) Occupancy and use
Subject to the jurisdiction of the Tennessee Valley Authority and the Army Corps of Engineers, the Secretary shall have jurisdiction to regulate the occupancy and use of the surface waters of the lakes for recreational purposes.

16 USC 460lll12 - Civil and criminal jurisdiction

(a) Administration
The Secretary, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service, shall administer the Recreation Area in accordance with this subchapter and the laws, rules, and regulations pertaining to the National Forest System.

(b) Status
Land within the Recreation Area shall have the status of land acquired under the Act of March 1, 1911 (commonly known as the Weeks Act) (16 U.S.C. 515 et seq.).

(c) Law enforcement
In order to provide for a cost-effective transfer of the law enforcement responsibilities between the Forest Service and the Tennessee Valley Authority, the law enforcement authorities designated under section 831c–3 of this title are hereby granted to special agents and law enforcement officers of the Forest Service. The law enforcement authorities designated under section 551 of this title, section 559 of this title, the National Forest System Drug Control Act of 1986 (16 U.S.C. 559b–559g) are hereby granted to law enforcement agents of the Tennessee Valley Authority, within the boundaries of the Recreation Area, for a period of 1 year from October 21, 1998.

16 USC 460lll13 - Payments to States and counties

(a) Payments in lieu of taxes
Land within the Recreation Area shall be subject to the provisions for payments in lieu of taxes under chapter 69 of title 31.

(b) Distribution
All amounts received from charges, use fees, and natural resource utilization, including timber and agricultural receipts, shall not be subject to distribution to States under section 500 of this title.

(c) Payments by the Tennessee Valley Authority
After the transfer of administrative jurisdiction is made under section 460lll–41 of this title

(1) the Tennessee Valley Authority shall continue to calculate the amount of payments to be made to States and counties under section 831l of this title; and

(2) each State (including, for the purposes of this subsection, the State of Kentucky, the State of Tennessee, and any other State) that receives a payment under that section shall continue to calculate the amounts to be distributed to the State and local governments, as though the transfer had not been made.

16 USC 460lll14 - Forest highways

(a) In general
For purposes of section 204 of title 23, the road known as The Trace and every other paved road within the Recreation Area (including any road constructed to secondary standards) shall be considered to be a forest highway.

(b) State responsibility

(1) In general
The States shall be responsible for the maintenance of forest highways within the Recreation Area.

(2) Reimbursement
To the maximum extent provided by law, from funds appropriated to the Department of Transportation and available for purposes of highway construction and maintenance, the Secretary of Transportation shall reimburse the States for all or a portion of the costs of maintenance of forest highways in the Recreation Area.