Multiple Use - Sustained Yield Act of 1960
Encyclopedia
The Multiple Use - Sustained Yield Act of 1960 (or MUSYA) (Public Law
Public law
Public law is a theory of law governing the relationship between individuals and the state. Under this theory, constitutional law, administrative law and criminal law are sub-divisions of public law...

 86-517) is a federal law passed by the US Congress on June 12, 1960. This law authorizes and directs the Secretary of Agriculture to develop and administer the renewable resources of timber, range, water, recreation and wildlife on the national forests for multiple use and sustained yield of the products and services.

This is the first law to have the five major uses of national forests contained in one law equally, with no use greater than any other.

By the 1950s, the national forests no longer held enough resources to meet the growing needs of an increasing population and expanding economy. The Forest Service
Forest Service
Forest Service may refer to:* Canadian Forest Service* Indian Forest Service* New Zealand Forest Service* United States Forest Service* Forestry Commission in the United Kingdom...

 had operated within broad authorities since Gifford Pinchot
Gifford Pinchot
Gifford Pinchot was the first Chief of the United States Forest Service and the 28th Governor of Pennsylvania...

's time as Chief Forester. Now, for the first time the agency had a specific congressional directive which stipulated that economic return was not in all cases to be the limiting factor.

MUSYA defines the terms "multiple use" and "sustained yield" as follows:

Mulitiple Use- the "management of all the various renewable surface resources of the national forests so that they are utilized in the combination that will best meet the needs of the American people ...."

Sustained Yield- "the achievement and maintenance in perpetuity of a high-level annual or regular periodic output of the various renewable resources of the national forests without impairment of the productivity of the land."

In 1996, this law was amended by P.L.104-333.
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