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Title 16, ConservationRelease 119-102

§403h–1 Acceptance of Jurisdiction by United States; Saving Provisions

Title 16 › CHAPTER 1 — NATIONAL PARKS, MILITARY PARKS, MONUMENTS, AND SEASHORES › SUBCHAPTER XLVI — SHENANDOAH NATIONAL PARK AND GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK › § 403h–1

Last updated Aug 21, 2026|Official source

Summary

The United States takes exclusive control of land in North Carolina and Tennessee that it may buy for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Each State keeps some rights inside the ceded area. States can serve civil and criminal legal papers there for matters that happened in the State outside the park. States can still tax people, businesses, franchises, and property on those lands. People who live in the park now or later keep the right to vote in their county elections. States can tax sales of gasoline, motor fuels, and motor oil sold in the ceded area. This does not mean the United States agrees that States may tax fuel sales used only by the United States.

Full Legal Text

Title 16, §403h–1

Conservation, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

Sole and exclusive jurisdiction is assumed by the United States over certain lands within the States of North Carolina and Tennessee as may be acquired for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, saving, however, to the State of North Carolina and to the State of Tennessee, respectively, the right to serve civil or criminal process within the limits of the area ceded by such State in suits or prosecutions for or on account of any rights acquired, obligations incurred, or crimes committed in such State outside of said park; and saving further to each such State the right to tax persons and corporations, their franchises and property on the lands included in such ceded area; and saving also to the persons residing in said park now, or hereafter, the right to vote at all elections held within the county in which they reside; and saving further to each such State the right to tax sales in such ceded area of gasoline and other motor-vehicle fuels and oil for use in motor vehicles. Nothing in this section shall be construed as a consent by the United States to the taxation by the States of such sales for the exclusive use of the United States.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Codification A provision accepting the act of the North Carolina Legislature and the act of the Tennessee Legislature which ceded to the United States exclusive jurisdiction over the territory referred to in this section has been omitted as executed.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

16 U.S.C. § 403h–1

Title 16, Conservation

Last Updated

Aug 21, 2026

Release point: 119-102