(a) Violations and penalties

(1) Any person who hunts, traps, or fishes on any public land which is subject to a conservation and rehabilitation program implemented under this subchapter without having on his person a valid public land management area stamp, if the possession of such a stamp is required, shall be fined not more than $1,000, or imprisoned for not more than six months, or both.

Terms Used In 16 USC 670j

  • Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
  • Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • officer: includes any person authorized by law to perform the duties of the office. See 1 USC 1
  • public land: means all lands, under the respective jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Agriculture, the Chairman, and the Administrator, except land which is, or hereafter may be, within or designated as&mdash. See 16 USC 670k
  • vessel: includes every description of watercraft or other artificial contrivance used, or capable of being used, as a means of transportation on water. See 1 USC 3

(2) Any person who knowingly violates or fails to comply with any regulations prescribed under section 670h(c)(5) of this title shall be fined not more than $500, or imprisoned not more than six months, or both.

(b) Enforcement powers and proceedings

(1) For the purpose of enforcing subsection (a) of this section, the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture may designate any employee of their respective departments, and any State officer or employee authorized under a cooperative agreement to enforce such subsection (a), to (i) carry firearms; (ii) execute and serve any warrant or other process issued by a court or officer of competent jurisdiction; (iii) make arrests without warrant or process for a misdemeanor he has reasonable grounds to believe is being committed in his presence or view; (iv) search without warrant or process any person, place, or conveyance as provided by law; and (v) seize without warrant or process any evidentiary item as provided by law.

(2) Upon the sworn information by a competent person, any United States magistrate judge or court of competent jurisdiction may issue process for the arrest of any person charged with committing any offense under subsection (a) of this section.

(3) Any person charged with committing any offense under subsection (a) of this section may be tried and sentenced by any United States magistrate judge designated for that purpose by the court by which he was appointed, in the same manner and subject to the same conditions as provided for in section 3401 of title 18.

(c) Seizure and forfeiture

All guns, traps, nets, and other equipment, vessels, vehicles, and other means of transportation used by any person when engaged in committing an offense under subsection (a) of this section shall be subject to forfeiture to the United States and may be seized and held pending the prosecution of any person arrested for committing such offense. Upon conviction for such offense, such forfeiture may be adjudicated as a penalty in addition to any other provided for committing such offense.

(d) Applicability of customs laws

All provisions of law relating to the seizure, forfeiture, and condemnation of a vessel for violation of the customs laws, the disposition of such vessel or the proceeds from the sale thereof, and the remission or mitigation of such forfeitures, shall apply to the seizures and forfeitures incurred, or alleged to have been incurred, under the provisions of this section, insofar as such provisions of law are applicable and not inconsistent with the provisions of this section; except that all powers, rights, and duties conferred or imposed by the customs laws upon any officer or employee of the Department of the Treasury shall, for the purposes of this section, be exercised or performed by the Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary of Agriculture, as the case may be, or by such persons as he may designate.

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