50 CFR § 29.40 - What are the purpose and scope of the regulations in this subpart?

---
identifier: "/us/cfr/t50/s29.40"
source: "ecfr"
legal_status: "authoritative_unofficial"
title: "50 CFR § 29.40 - What are the purpose and scope of the regulations in this subpart?"
title_number: 50
title_name: "Wildlife and Fisheries"
section_number: "29.40"
section_name: "What are the purpose and scope of the regulations in this subpart?"
chapter_name: "UNITED STATES FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR"
subchapter_number: "C"
subchapter_name: "THE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE SYSTEM"
part_number: "29"
part_name: "LAND USE MANAGEMENT"
positive_law: false
currency: "2026-03-24"
last_updated: "2026-03-24"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
authority: "5 U.S.C. 301; 16 U.S.C. 460k, 664, 668dd, 685, 690d, 715i, 725, 3161; 30 U.S.C. 185; 31 U.S.C. 3711, 9701; 40 U.S.C. 319; 43 U.S.C. 315a; 113 Stat. 1501A-140."
regulatory_source: "31 FR 16026, Dec. 15, 1966, unless otherwise noted."
cfr_part: "29"
---


# 29.40 What are the purpose and scope of the regulations in this subpart?

(a) The purpose of this subpart is to ensure that operators exercising non-Federal oil and gas rights within the National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS) outside of Alaska use technologically feasible, least damaging methods to:

(1) Protect Service-administered lands and waters, and resources of refuges;

(2) Protect refuge wildlife-dependent recreational uses and experiences and visitor or employee health and safety; and

(3) Conserve refuges for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans.

(b) This subpart applies to all operators conducting non-Federal oil and gas operations outside of Alaska on Service-administered lands held in fee or less-than fee (excluding coordination areas) or Service-administered waters to the extent necessary to protect those property interests. These regulations do not apply to non-Federal surface locations within the boundaries of a refuge (*i.e.,* inholdings), except to the extent that activities associated with those operations, including access to an inholding, occur on Service-administered lands or waters.

(c) This subpart is not intended to result in a taking of any property interest. The purpose of this subpart is to reasonably regulate operations to protect Service-administered lands and waters, resources of refuges, visitor uses and experiences, and visitor or employee health and safety.