Title 54 — National Park Service and Related ProgramsRelease 119-73
§100731 Findings and declaration
Title 54 › Subtitle Subtitle I— - National Park System › Chapter CHAPTER 1007— - RESOURCE MANAGEMENT › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER III— - MINING ACTIVITY WITHIN SYSTEM UNITS › § 100731
Summary
Congress finds modern mining technology makes old mining laws conflict with System units' purposes, and mining there must prevent or minimize environmental and resource damage.
Full Legal Text
Title 54, §100731
National Park Service and Related Programs — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Congress finds and declares that—
(1)the level of technology of mineral exploration and development has changed radically, and continued application of the mining laws of the United States to System units to which the mining laws apply conflicts with the purposes for which the System units were established; and
(2)all mining operations in System units should be conducted so as to prevent or minimize damage to the environment and other resource values.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Historical and Revision Notes
Revised SectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 10073116 U.S.C. 1901.Pub. L. 94–429, § 1, Sept. 28, 1976, 90 Stat. 1342. In paragraph (1), the words “in recent years” are omitted as obsolete. In paragraph (2), the words “in certain areas of the National Park System, surface disturbances from mineral development should be temporarily halted while Congress determines whether or not to acquire any valid mineral rights which may exist in such areas” are omitted as obsolete.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
54 U.S.C. § 100731
Title 54 — National Park Service and Related Programs
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73