§3103 — Title 16 Conservation | U.S. Code

Summary

Keep official boundary maps on file and open to the public in the office of the Secretary (or the Secretary of Agriculture for national forests). If the map and the written acreage disagree, the map controls. In coastal areas of Alaska, boundaries cannot reach past the average high-tide line to include State-owned land unless the State agrees and the law’s notice and reporting steps are followed. After December 2, 1980, maps and written descriptions of every change made by the Act must be published in the Federal Register and given to the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate. Small clerical errors may be fixed. With written notice to Congress, the Secretary and the Secretary of Agriculture may make minor boundary changes. A minor change cannot add or remove more than 23,000 acres. Only lands that are public lands count as part of a conservation unit. Land that is or becomes State-owned, owned by a Native Corporation, or privately owned is not subject to public-land-only rules unless the Secretary buys it, in which case it becomes part of the unit.

Title 16, §3103

Conservation — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The boundary maps described in this Act shall be on file and available for public inspection in the office of the Secretary or the Secretary of Agriculture with regard to the National Forest System. In the event of discrepancies between the acreages specified in this Act and those depicted on such maps, the maps shall be controlling, but the boundaries of areas added to the National Park, Wildlife Refuge and National Forest Systems shall, in coastal areas not extend seaward beyond the mean high tide line to include lands owned by the State of Alaska unless the State shall have concurred in such boundary extension and such extension is accomplished under the notice and reporting requirements of this Act.

(b)As soon as practicable after December 2, 1980, a map and legal description of each change in land management status effected by this Act, including the National Wilderness Preservation System, shall be published in the Federal Register and filed with the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the Senate, and each such description shall have the same force and effect as if included in this Act: Provided, however, That correction of clerical and typographical errors in each such legal description and map may be made. Each such map and legal description shall be on file and available for public inspection in the office of the Secretary. Whenever possible boundaries shall follow hydrographic divides or embrace other topographic or natural features. Following reasonable notice in writing to the Congress of his intention to do so the Secretary and the Secretary of Agriculture may make minor adjustments in the boundaries of the areas added to or established by this Act as units of National Park, Wildlife Refuge, Wild and Scenic Rivers, National Wilderness Preservation, and National Forest Systems and as national conservation areas and national recreation areas. For the purposes of this subsection, a minor boundary adjustment shall not increase or decrease the amount of land within any such area by more than 23,000 acres.

(c)Only those lands within the boundaries of any conservation system unit which are public lands (as such term is defined in this Act) shall be deemed to be included as a portion of such unit. No lands which, before, on, or after December 2, 1980, are conveyed to the State, to any Native Corporation, or to any private party shall be subject to the regulations applicable solely to public lands within such units. If the State, a Native Corporation, or other owner desires to convey any such lands, the Secretary may acquire such lands in accordance with applicable law (including this Act), and any such lands shall become part of the unit, and be administered accordingly.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

This Act, referred to in text, 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.

§3103 Maps