Title 16ConservationRelease 119-73

§460mm–4 Administration of recreation area

Title 16 › Chapter CHAPTER 1— - NATIONAL PARKS, MILITARY PARKS, MONUMENTS, AND SEASHORES › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER XCVIII— - STEESE NATIONAL CONSERVATION AREA AND WHITE MOUNTAINS NATIONAL RECREATION AREA › § 460mm–4

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary must run the White Mountains National Recreation Area so people can use it for outdoor recreation and so its scenic, scientific, historic, fish and wildlife values are protected. Management must aim to provide public recreation, conserve those special values, and handle natural resources and existing uses in ways that promote, are compatible with, or do not significantly harm recreation and conservation. The Secretary can use any legal authorities needed for conservation, management, or compatible resource development. The lands are withdrawn from State selection and from mining location, entry, and patent rules, except for valid existing rights. The Secretary may allow removal of nonleasable minerals under reasonable rules and in the way described in section 387 of title 43, and may allow leasable minerals under the mineral leasing laws if doing so will not have significant adverse effects. Money from mineral leases is handled as those laws require, and money from nonleasable mineral sales is handled like receipts from public land sales.

Full Legal Text

Title 16, §460mm–4

Conservation — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The White Mountains National Recreation area established by this Act shall be administered by the Secretary in order to provide for public outdoor recreation use and enjoyment and for the conservation of the scenic, scientific, historic, fish and wildlife, and other values contributing to public enjoyment of such area. Except as otherwise provided in this Act, the Secretary shall administer the recreation area in a manner which in his judgment will best provide for (1) public outdoor recreation benefits; (2) conservation of scenic, scientific, historic, fish and wildlife, and other values contributing to public enjoyment; and (3) such management, utilization, and disposal of natural resources and the continuation of such existing uses and developments as will promote, or are compatible with, or do not significantly impair public recreation and conservation of the scenic, scientific, historic, fish and wildlife, or other values contributing to public enjoyment. In administering the recreation area, the Secretary may utilize such statutory authorities available to him for the conservation and management of natural resources as he deems appropriate for recreation and preservation purposes and for resource development compatible therewith.
(b)The lands within the recreation area, subject to valid existing rights, are hereby withdrawn from State selection under the Alaska Statehood Act or other law, and from location, entry, and patent under the United States mining laws. The Secretary under such reasonable regulations as he deems appropriate, may permit the removal of the nonleasable minerals from lands or interests in lands within the recreation area in the manner described by section 387 of title 43, and he may permit the removal of leasable minerals from lands or interests in lands within the recreation areas in accordance with the mineral leasing laws, if he finds that such disposition would not have significant adverse effects on the administration of the recreation areas.
(c)All receipts derived from permits and leases issued on lands or interest in lands within the recreation area under the mineral leasing laws shall be disposed of as provided in such laws; and receipts from the disposition of nonleasable minerals within the recreation area shall be disposed of in the same manner as moneys received from the sale of public lands.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

This Act, referred to in subsec. (a), is Pub. L. 96–487, Dec. 2, 1980, 94 Stat. 2371, known as the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 3101 of this title and Tables. The Alaska Statehood Act, referred to in subsec. (b), is Pub. L. 85–508, July 7, 1958, 72 Stat. 339, which is set out as a note preceding section 21 of Title 48, Territories and Insular Possessions. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Tables. Codification Section was not enacted as part of title IV of Pub. L. 96–487, which comprises this subchapter.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

16 U.S.C. § 460mm–4

Title 16Conservation

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73