43 USC § 957 - Right of way to electric power companies

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t43/s957"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_prima_facie"
title: "43 USC § 957 - Right of way to electric power companies"
title_number: 43
title_name: "PUBLIC LANDS"
section_number: "957"
section_name: "Right of way to electric power companies"
chapter_number: 22
chapter_name: "RIGHTS-OF-WAY AND OTHER EASEMENTS IN PUBLIC LANDS"
positive_law: false
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Jan. 21, 1895, ch. 37, § 2, as added May 14, 1896, ch. 179, 29 Stat. 120; amended Mar. 4, 1907, ch. 2907, 34 Stat. 1269.)"
---


# § 957. Right of way to electric power companies

The Secretary of the Interior is authorized and empowered, under general regulations to be fixed by him, to permit the use of right of way to the extent of twenty-five feet, together with the use of necessary ground, not exceeding forty acres, upon the public lands and national forests of the United States by any citizen or association of citizens of the United States for the purposes of generating, manufacturing, or distributing electric power.

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**Source Credit**: (Jan. 21, 1895, ch. 37, § 2, as added May 14, 1896, ch. 179, 29 Stat. 120; amended Mar. 4, 1907, ch. 2907, 34 Stat. 1269.)

## Editorial Notes

### Codification

The words “national forests” substituted in text for “forest reservations” pursuant to act , which changed the designation of forest reserves to national forests.

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Repeal; Savings Provision

Section repealed by , , , effective on and after , insofar as applicable to the issuance of rights-of-way over, upon, under, and through the public lands and lands in the National Forest System. Such repeal not to be construed as terminating any valid lease, permit, patent, etc., existing on , see , set out as a note under .