16 U.S.C. § 1279: Withdrawal of public lands…

Summary

Public lands inside the official boundaries of any part of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System that was listed in section 1274 or added after October 2, 1968, are taken off the market and cannot be claimed, sold, or otherwise given away under the federal public land laws. This does not limit the authorities in sections 1277(d) or 1285a. Public lands that are the riverbed or bank, or within one-quarter mile of the bank, of rivers listed in section 1276(a) are also taken off the market for the time periods in section 1278(b). For the river segments named in paragraphs (77) through (88) of section 1276(a), lands that are the bed or bank, or lie within two miles of the river on both sides, are taken off the market for the periods in section 1278(b), subject only to valid existing rights, including valid Alaska Native selection rights under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.).

Title 16, §1279

Conservation, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Lands within authorized boundaries of components of system

All public lands within the authorized boundaries of any component of the national wild and scenic rivers system which is designated in section 1274 of this title or which is designated after October 2, 1968, for inclusion in that system are hereby withdrawn from entry, sale, or other disposition under the public land laws of the United States. This subsection shall not be construed to limit the authorities granted in section 1277(d) or section 1285a of this title.

(b)Lands constituting bed or bank of river; lands within bank area

All public lands which constitute the bed or bank, or are within one-quarter mile of the bank, of any river which is listed in section 1276(a) of this title are hereby withdrawn from entry, sale, or other disposition under the public land laws of the United States for the periods specified in section 1278(b) of this title. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this subsection or any other provision of this chapter, subject only to valid existing rights, including valid Native selection rights under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act [43 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.], all public lands which constitute the bed or bank, or are within an area extending two miles from the bank of the river channel on both sides of the river segments referred to in paragraphs (77) through (88) of section 1276(a) of this title are hereby withdrawn from entry, sale, State selection or other disposition under the public land laws of the United States for the periods specified in section 1278(b) of this title.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The public land laws of the United States, referred to in text, are classified generally to Title 43, Public Lands. The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, referred to in subsec. (b), is Pub. L. 92–203, Dec. 18, 1971, 85 Stat. 688, which is classified generally to chapter 33 (§ 1601 et seq.) of Title 43. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 1601 of Title 43 and Tables.

Amendments

1986—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 99–590 inserted provisions relating to

Construction

of subsec. (a) with respect to authorities granted in section 1277(d) or 1285a of this title. 1980—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 96–487 inserted provision withdrawing, subject to valid existing rights, all public lands which constitute the bed or bank, or are within an area extending two miles from the bank of the river channel on both sides of the river segments referred to in section 1276(a)(77) through (88) of this title, from entry, sale, State selection or other disposition under the public land laws for periods specified in section 1278(b) of this title.

§1279 Withdrawal of Public Lands From Entry, Sale, or Other Disposition Under Public Land Laws