Washington : Government Printing Office
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| Chap. 498 | Oklahoma. Management and disposition of Indian lands. |
| Sec. 2 | 446 |
| Sec. 4 | Quitclaim deeds. |
| Sec. 4 | Reservation to U.S. |
| Sec. 5 | Surveys. |
| Sec. 5 | Easements, etc. |
| Sec. 6 | Contributions. |
| Sec. 6 | 447 |
| Sec. 7 | Regulations. |
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Secretary of the Interior is authorized to provide, in accordance with the terms of this Act, for the management and disposition of any interest of the United States in those lands which were reconveyed to the United States by deeds of conveyance executed on November 29, 1950, by the principal chief of the Choctaw Nation and the governor of the Chickasaw Nation, or which have been, or may be, reconveyed to the United States by any further and supplemental conveyances made under the authority of the Interior Department Appropriation Act of June 28, 1944 (58 Stat. 463, 483), the joint resolution of June 24, 1948 (62 Stat. 596), and the First Deficiency Appropriation Act of May 24, 1949 (63 Stat. 76, 84).
(a) The Secretary of the Interior, in order to facilitate the administration and management of the lands, to remove any clouds on the titles of any persons to interests in such lands, or to establish definite boundaries for such lands, may (1) sell any tract of the lands at public sale to the highest responsible bidder, or at private sale; or (2) relinquish any tract of such lands, with or without compensation, to any person having a legal or equitable interest therein. In passing upon a proposed disposition of any tract of land under this subsection, the Secretary shall take into account the uses to which the tract involved is most suited and whether it may be better utilized in private ownership.
(b) In selling any tract under subsection (a) of this section, the Secretary shall make such provision as he may deem appropriate to give a preference right to any occupant of the tract who has, or whose predecessors in interest have, lawfully and continuously occupied the tract for home, business, or school purposes since April 30, 1949, or earlier. The Secretary shall give any occupant who is lawfully in possession of a tract at the time of its offer for sale, an appropriate period within which such occupant may remove improvements constructed by him or by his predecessors in interest, or may elect to receive compensation for such improvements from the successful purchaser of the tract in an amount equal to the appraised value of the improvements as determined by the Secretary.
(c) In disposing of an interest in any tract under this Act, the Secretary may also give a preference right, when he deems it appropriate, to any owner of an interest in any land adjoining the tract to be disposed.
(a) The Secretary may sell or lease any tract under the provisions of the Act of June 4, 1954 (68 Stat. 173; 43 U. S. C., sec. 869, and the following), to the State of Oklahoma or any other agency or organization qualified under that Act.
(b) Upon the filing of an application by an appropriate local governing body within two years after the first issuance of regulations under this Act, the Secretary of the Interior may relinquish or convey to such body, without compensation, the surface rights to any tract of the lands which, prior to the transfer of title to the United States, was set apart for streets, alleys, or other public purposes, even though not legally dedicated to such purposes.
(a) The Secretary of the Interior shall issue quitclaim deeds for any lands disposed of under section 2 or section 3 (b) of this Act. The Secretary shall fix through appraisal the minimum price to be paid for lands that are offered for sale under subsection (a) (1) of section 2. If any lands are relinquished under subsection (a) (2) of
section 2, without compensation, the Secretary shall require the grantee to pay a service charge of not less than $10.
(b) Any deed for lands disposed of under section 2 of this Act shall contain a reservation to the United States of all minerals deposits, together with the right to prospect for, mine, and remove the same under applicable provisions of law. Any deed for lands disposed of under this Act shall contain any provision which the Secretary determines is necessary in order to protect the rights of the holders of existing interests in the lands, or to permit access to any of the lands in which the Federal Government retains an interest.
(c) If a survey is necessary to describe properly any lands that are to be disposed of under this Act, the Secretary shall require the proposed grantee to pay the proportionate cost of such survey.
The Secretary of the Interior may issue easements, leases, or permits for the development and use of nonmineral resources of the lands or may sell such resources.
The Secretary of the Interior may accept contributions or donations of money, services, and property to further the provisions of this Act. Moneys received under this section shall be covered into the Treasury and are hereby appropriated and made available until expended, as the Secretary may direct, for payment of expenses incident to the function toward the administration of which the contributions were made and for refunds to contributors of amounts contributed by them in excess of their appropriate share of such expenses, as determined by the Secretary.
The Secretary of the Interior may issue such regulations as may be necessary or appropriate to carry out the provisions of this Act, including regulations providing for the protection of the surface and other nonmineral values of lands disposed of under this Act whenever any mineral rights reserved to the United States are exercised by it or under its authority.
All moneys realized under the provisions of this Act, except moneys received under the provisions of section 6, shall be deposited in the Treasury as miscellaneous receipts.
Approved, August 3, 1955.
