Washington : Government Printing Office
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| Chap. 263 | Public lands. 174 |
| Chap. 263 | Disposal for public or recreational purposes. |
| Chap. 263 | Limitations. |
| Chap. 263 | Sale or lease, etc. States, etc. |
| Chap. 263 | Historic monuments. |
| Chap. 263 | Nonprofit corporation, etc. |
| Chap. 263 | 175 |
| Chap. 263 | Reservation to U.S. |
| Chap. 263 | Title transfer. |
| Chap. 263 | Authorization. |
| Chap. 263 | Repeals. |
| Chap. 263 | 26 Stat. 502; 54 Stat. 1192. 43 U.S.C. 729 and note. |
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Act approved June 14, 1926 (44 Stat. 741; 43 U. S. C., sec. 869), entitled "An Act to authorize acquisition or use of public lands by States, counties, or municipalities for recreational purposes", is hereby amended to read as follows:
"SECTION 1. (a) The Secretary of the Interior upon application filed by a duly qualified applicant under section 2 of this Act may, in the manner prescribed by this Act, dispose of any public lands to a State, Territory, county, municipality, or other State, Territorial, or Federal instrumentality or political subdivision for any public purposes, or to a nonprofit corporation or nonprofit association for any recreational or any public purpose consistent with its articles of incorporation or other creating authority. Before the land may be disposed of under this Act it must be shown to the satisfaction of the Secretary that the
land is to be used for an established or definitely proposed project. The Secretary may classify public lands in Alaska for disposition under this Act. Lands so classified may not be appropriated under any other public land law unless the Secretary revises such classification or authorizes the disposition of an interest in the lands under other applicable law. If, within eighteen months following such classification, no application has been filed for the purpose for which the lands have been so classified, than the Secretary shall restore such lands to appropriation under the applicable public land laws.
"(b) No more than six hundred and forty acres may be conveyed to any one grantee in any one calendar year.
"(c) Where the lands have been withdrawn in aid of a function of a Federal department or agency other than the Department of the Interior, or of a State, Territory, county, municipality, water district, or other local governmental subdivision or agency, the Secretary of the Interior may make disposals under this Act only with the consent of such Federal department or agency, or of such State, Territory, or local governmental unit. Nothing in this Act shall be construed to apply to lands in any national forest, national park, or national monument, or national wildlife refuge, or the revested Oregon and California Railroad grant lands in the State of Oregon, or the reconveyed Coos Bay Wagon Road grant lands in the State of Oregon, or to any Indian lands, or lands set aside or held for the use or benefit of Indians, including lands over which jurisdiction has been transferred to the Department of the Interior by Executive order for the use of Indians. Nor shall any disposition be made under this Act for any use authorized under any other law, except for a use authorized under the Act of June 1, 1938 (52 Stat. 609; 43 U. S. C., sec. 682a), as amended.
"SEC. 2. The Secretary of the Interior may after due consideration as to the power value of the land, whether or not withdrawn therefor, (a) sell such land to the State, Territory, county, or other State, Territorial, or Federal instrumentality or political subdivision in which the lands are situated, or to a nearby municipal corporation in the same State or Territory, for the purpose for which the land has been classified, and conveyances of such land for historic-monument purposes under this subsection shall be made without monetary consideration, while conveyances for any other purpose under this subsection shall be made at a price to be fixed by the Secretary of the Interior through appraisal or otherwise, after taking into consideration the purpose for which the lands are to be used; (b) lease such land to the State, Territory, county, or other State, Territorial, or Federal instrumentality or political subdivision in which the lands are situated, or to a nearby municipal corporation in the same State or Territory, for the purpose for which the land has been classified, at a reasonable annual rental, for a period up to twenty years, and, at the discretion of the Secretary, with a privilege of renewal for a like period, (c) sell such land to a nonprofit corporation or nonprofit association, for the purpose for which the land has been classified, at a price to be fixed by the Secretary of the Interior through appraisal, after taking into consideration the purpose for which the lands are to be used, or (d) lease such land to a nonprofit corporation or nonprofit association at a reasonable annual rental, for a period up to twenty years, and, at the discretion of the Secretary, with a privilege of renewal for a like period. Each patent or lease so issued shall contain a reservation to the United States of all mineral deposits in the lands conveyed or leased and of the right to mine and remove the same, under applicable laws and regulations to be established by the Secretary. Each lease shall contain a provision for its termination upon a finding by the Secretary that the land has not been used by the lessee for the purpose specified in the lease for such period, not over five
years, as may be specified in the lease, or that such land or any part thereof is being devoted to another use.
"SEC. 3. Title to lands conveyed by the Government under this Act may not be transferred by the grantee or its successor except, with the consent of the Secretary of the Interior, to a transferee which would be a qualified grantee under section 2 (a) or (c) and subject to the acreage limitation contained in section 1 (b) of this Act. A grantee or its successor may not change the use specified in the conveyance to another or additional use except, with the consent of the Secretary, to a use for which such grantee or its successor could obtain a conveyance under this Act. If at any time after the lands are conveyed by the Government, the grantee or its successor attempts to transfer title to or control over these lands to another or the lands are devoted to a use other than that for which the lands were conveyed, without the consent of the Secretary, title to the lands shall revert to the United States. The provisions of this section, however, shall cease to be in effect as to any lands patented under this Act twenty-five years after the issuance of patent for such lands.
"SEC. 4. The Secretary may authorize transfers of title or changes in use in accordance with the provisions of section 3 of this Act with respect to any patent heretofore issued under any Act upon application by a patentee qualified to obtain a conveyance under section 2 (a) or (c) of this Act. If the Secretary, pursuant to such an application, authorizes such transfer or use, all reverter provisions and other limitations on transfer or use, under this or any other Act affecting the lands involved, shall cease to be in effect twenty-five years after the Secretary authorizes the transfer or use for a changed or additional purpose under the provisions of this section.
"SEC. 5. The Act of September 30, 1890, entitled 'An Act to authorize entry of the public lands by incorporated cities and towns for cemetery and park purposes', and the Act of October 17, 1940, entitled 'An Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to sell or lease for park or recreational purposes, and to sell for cemetery purposes, certain public lands in Alaska', are hereby repealed."
Approved, June 4, 1954.
