Fences destroyed; livestock entering
Official text prohibited actmental stateif conditionpenaltylegal term
Whoever knowingly and unlawfully breaks, opens, or destroys any gate, fence, hedge, or wall inclosing any lands of the United States reserved or purchased for any public use; or
Whoever drives any cattle, horses, hogs, or other livestock upon any such lands for the purposes of destroying the grass or trees on said lands, or where they may destroy the said grass or trees; or
Whoever knowingly permits his cattle, horses, hogs, or other livestock to enter through any such inclosure upon any such lands of the United States, where such cattle, horses, hogs, or other livestock may or can destroy the grass or trees or other property of the United States on the said lands—
Shall be or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.
This section shall not apply to unreserved public lands.
History: (June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 788 (PDF, 39 MB); Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, §330016(1)(G), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147 (PDF, 52 MB).)
Simplified explanation
It is a federal crime to knowingly and unlawfully break or destroy a gate, fence, hedge, or wall around U.S. land reserved for public use. It is also a crime to drive livestock onto such land to destroy grass or trees (or where they may destroy them), or to knowingly let livestock enter through the fence where they can damage grass, trees, or other U.S. property.