Title 16ConservationRelease 119-73

§460hh–1 Acquisition of property

Title 16 › Chapter CHAPTER 1— - NATIONAL PARKS, MILITARY PARKS, MONUMENTS, AND SEASHORES › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER XCII— - CHICKASAW NATIONAL RECREATION AREA › § 460hh–1

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary may get land inside the recreation area by donation, by buying it with donated or government money, or by trading for it. If a tract is partly outside the boundaries, the Secretary may also buy the outside part to avoid high severance costs. Land bought outside can be traded for non‑Federal land inside the area. Any land bought and not traded must be reported to the General Services Administration for disposal under chapters 1–11 of Title 40 and Division C (except sections 3302, 3307(e), 3501(b), 3509, 3906, 4710, and 4711) of Subtitle I of Title 41. Federal property inside the area can be moved to the Secretary’s control without payment. Land owned by the State of Oklahoma or its local governments can only be taken by donation, except the Secretary may trade with the city of Sulphur using lands that were once in Platt National Park and are now excluded. If a person owns an improved residential property that the Secretary can let continue to be used without harming the park, the owner may keep the right to live there for either until the owner or the owner’s spouse dies (whichever is later) or for not more than 25 years. That right can be transferred. The Secretary pays the owner the fair market value of the property at purchase, minus the value of the kept right. “Improved residential property” means a single‑family, year‑round home whose construction began before March 1, 1975, was the owner’s main home when bought, and includes up to three acres needed for continued use; the Secretary may leave out waters and nearby land needed for public access. The Secretary can end a kept right if it is used in a way that does not fit the purposes here and must pay the owner the fair market value of the unused part of that right when ending it.

Full Legal Text

Title 16, §460hh–1

Conservation — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Secretary may acquire land or interests in lands within the boundaries of the recreation area by donation, purchase with donated or appropriated funds, or exchange. When any tract of land is only partly within such boundaries, the Secretary may acquire all or any portion of the land outside of such boundaries in order to minimize the payment of severance costs. Land so acquired outside of the boundaries may be exchanged by the Secretary for non-Federal lands within the boundaries, and any land so acquired 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. Any Federal property located within the boundaries of the recreation area may be transferred without consideration to the administrative jurisdiction of the Secretary for the purposes of the recreation area. Lands within the boundaries of the recreation area owned by the State of Oklahoma, or any political subdivision thereof, may be acquired only by donation: Provided, That the Secretary may also acquire lands by exchange with the city of Sulphur, utilizing therefor only such lands as may be excluded from the recreation area which were formerly within the Platt National Park.
(b)With respect to improved residential property acquired for the purposes of this subchapter, which is beneficially owned by a natural person and which the Secretary determines can be continued in that use for a limited period of time without undue interference with the administration, development, or public use of the recreation area, the owner thereof may on the date of its acquisition by the Secretary retain a right of use and occupancy of the property for noncommercial residential purposes for a term, as the owner may elect, ending either (1) at the death of the owner or his spouse, whichever occurs later, or (2) not more than twenty-five years from the date of acquisition. Any right so retained may, during its existence, be transferred or assigned. The Secretary shall pay to the owner the fair market value of the property on the date of such acquisition, less the fair market value on such date of the right retained by the owner.
(c)As used in this subchapter, “improved residential property” means a single-family year-round dwelling, the construction of which began before March 1, 1975, and which serves as the owner’s permanent place of abode at the time of its acquisition by the United States, together with not more than three acres of land on which the dwelling and appurtenant buildings are located that the Secretary finds is reasonably necessary for the owner’s continued use and occupancy of the dwelling: Provided, That the Secretary may exclude from improved residential property any waters and adjoining land that the Secretary deems is necessary for public access to such waters.
(d)The Secretary may terminate a right to use and occupancy retained pursuant to this section upon his determination that such use and occupancy is being exercised in a manner not consistent with the purposes of this subchapter, and upon tender to the holder of the right an amount equal to the fair market value of that portion of the right which remains unexpired on the date of termination.

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.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

16 U.S.C. § 460hh–1

Title 16Conservation

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73