Title 16ConservationRelease 119-73

§160b Land acquisitions

Title 16 › Chapter CHAPTER 1— - NATIONAL PARKS, MILITARY PARKS, MONUMENTS, AND SEASHORES › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER XIX— - VOYAGEURS NATIONAL PARK › § 160b

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary can get land for the park by donation, by buying it with donated or government money, or by trading other land. If only part of a property lies in the park, the Secretary can buy the rest of that property outside the park to avoid extra severance costs. Land bought outside can be traded for non‑Federal land inside the park. Any outside land not used for trade must be sent to the General Services Administration for disposal under federal property rules. Federal property inside the park can be moved into the Secretary’s control without payment. Beginning March 12, 2019, certain Bureau of Land Management lands inside the park map and other BLM public land identified for transfer are placed under National Park Service control. Land owned by the State of Minnesota or its subdivisions may only be acquired by donation or exchange, and the park boundary must be updated after such an acquisition. The Secretary must promptly and carefully consider any offer from a landowner inside the park to sell, and must take into account any hardship an owner would suffer from an undue delay.

Full Legal Text

Title 16, §160b

Conservation — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)(1)The Secretary may acquire lands or interests therein within the boundaries of the park by donation, purchase with donated or appropriated funds, or exchange.
(2)(A)In any case in which only a portion of a tract of land is within the boundaries of the park, the Secretary may acquire all or any portion of the land outside of such boundaries in order to minimize the payment of severance costs.
(B)(i)Any land acquired pursuant to subparagraph (A) outside of the park boundaries may be exchanged by the Secretary for non-Federal lands within the park boundaries.
(ii)Any portion of land acquired outside the park boundaries and not utilized for exchange shall be reported to the General Services Administration for disposal under chapters 1 to 11 of title 40 and division C (except section 3302, 3307(e), 3501(b), 3509, 3906, 4710, and 4711) of subtitle I of title 41.
(C)Any Federal property located within the boundaries of the park may be transferred without consideration to the administrative jurisdiction of the Secretary for the purposes of the park.
(D)Effective beginning on March 12, 2019, there is transferred to the National Park Service administrative jurisdiction over—
(i)any land managed by the Bureau of Land Management within the boundaries of the park, as depicted on the map described in section 160a–1(a) of this title; and
(ii)any additional public land identified by the Bureau of Land Management as appropriate for transfer within the boundaries of the park.
(E)(i)Any land located within or adjacent to the boundaries of the park that is owned by the State of Minnesota (or a political subdivision of the State) may be acquired by the Secretary only through donation or exchange.
(ii)On completion of an acquisition from the State under clause (i), the Secretary shall revise the boundaries of the park to reflect the acquisition.
(b)In exercising the authority to acquire property under this section, the Secretary shall give immediate and careful consideration to any offer made by any individual owning property within the park area to sell such property to the Secretary. In considering such offer, the Secretary shall take into consideration any hardship to the owner which might result from any undue delay in acquiring his property.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Codification In subsec. (a), “chapters 1 to 11 of title 40 and division C (except section 3302, 3307(e), 3501(b), 3509, 3906, 4710, and 4711) of subtitle I of title 41” substituted for “the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 (63 Stat. 377), as amended” on authority of Pub. L. 107–217, § 5(c), Aug. 21, 2002, 116 Stat. 1303, which Act enacted Title 40, Public Buildings, Property, and Works, and Pub. L. 111–350, § 6(c), Jan. 4, 2011, 124 Stat. 3854, which Act enacted Title 41, Public Contracts.

Amendments

2019—Pub. L. 116–9, § 2107(b)(1), inserted section catchline. Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 116–9, § 2107(b)(1), (2), inserted subsec. heading and in six sentences of existing provisions: designated first sentence as par. (1) and inserted heading; designated second to fifth sentences collectively as par. (2) and individually as subpars. (A), (B)(i), (B)(ii), and (C) of par. (2), respectively, and inserted par., subpar., and cl. headings; and struck out sixth sentence which read as follows: “Lands within the boundaries of the park owned by the State of Minnesota, or any political subdivision thereof, may be acquired only by donation.” Subsec. (a)(2)(A). Pub. L. 116–9, § 2107(b)(2)(A), substituted “In any case in which only a portion of a tract of land is within the boundaries of the park” for “When any tract of land is only partly within such boundaries”. Subsec. (a)(2)(B)(i). Pub. L. 116–9, § 2107(b)(2)(B), substituted “Any land acquired pursuant to subparagraph (A)” for “Land so acquired”. Subsec. (a)(2)(D), (E). Pub. L. 116–9, § 2107(b)(2)(E), added subpars. (D) and (E). Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 116–9, § 2107(b)(3), inserted heading and substituted “the authority” for “his authority”.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

16 U.S.C. § 160b

Title 16Conservation

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73