Title 16 — ConservationRelease 119-73

§679 Patents to State of South Dakota of certain lands in Custer State Park; reservation of coal, oil, gas, and other mineral rights

Title 16 › Chapter CHAPTER 6— - GAME AND BIRD PRESERVES; PROTECTION › § 679

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary of the Interior must transfer ownership to South Dakota of up to 2,000 acres of unpatented U.S. land inside Custer State Park if those lands were claimed under federal mining laws before March 3, 1925. South Dakota must pay $1.25 per acre and show any earlier claimants gave up or transferred their rights. The United States keeps all mineral rights (coal, oil, gas, and others) and can allow mineral removal by special law if minerals prove more valuable than park use. The offer applies only to lands in townships 3 and 4 south, range 6 east, and the east one-third of townships 3 and 4 south, range 5 east, Black Hills meridian. Patents require the land be used for park purposes or ownership returns to the United States.

Full Legal Text

Title 16, §679

Conservation — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

The Secretary of the Interior is authorized and directed to issue to the State of South Dakota patents conveying title, but reserving the minerals therein, to any unpatented lands of the United States held or claimed by virtue of locations made prior to March 3, 1925, under the United States general mining laws, within the Custer State Park, not exceeding a total of two thousand acres, upon payment to the United States of $1.25 per acre therefor, and upon evidence being furnished that all claim, right, title, and interest of such claimants have been transferred to the State or have been abandoned. Patents so issued to the State of South Dakota shall be conditioned upon the lands being used for park purposes, and provide for the reversion of the lands of the United States in the event of failure to so hold and use. The United States reserves all coal, oil, gas, or other minerals in the lands patented under this section with the right, in case any of said patented lands are found by the Secretary of the Interior to be more valuable for the minerals therein than for park purposes, to provide, by special legislation, having due regard for the rights of the State of South Dakota, for the disposition and extraction of the coal, oil, gas or other minerals therein. The provisions of this section are limited to lands lying within the limits of the Custer State Park, within townships 3 and 4 south, range 6 east, and the east one-third of townships 3 and 4 south, range 5 east, Black Hills meridian.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

16 U.S.C. § 679

Title 16 — Conservation

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73