Title 16 — ConservationRelease 119-73not60

§410e Acquisition of Additional Lands; Reservation of Oil, Gas, and Mineral Rights; Reservation of Royalty Rights

Title 16 › Chapter 1— NATIONAL PARKS, MILITARY PARKS, MONUMENTS, AND SEASHORES › Subchapter LIV— EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK › § 410e

Last updated Apr 5, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary of the Interior can buy land or land interests inside the area described in deed number 19035 (signed December 28, 1944, accepted March 14, 1947) for Everglades National Park, using money set aside for that. Owners are the original landowners and their heirs, executors, administrators, successors, or assigns. They can choose to keep certain rights when the government buys the land. Owners can keep all oil, gas, and mineral rights — including the right to lease, explore, produce, store, and remove them — until October 9, 1958. If commercial oil, gas, or mineral production starts anywhere inside the deed boundary by that date, those keep-rights stay in effect for all owners for as long as production continues. Owners and their agents may enter the land as needed. After those rights end, owners still keep the usual royalty payments for any minerals produced before January 1, 1985, if the Federal Government or its assigns allow the production.

Full Legal Text

Title 16, §410e

Conservation — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

In order to consolidate the Federal ownership of lands within the boundary set forth in deed numbered 19035 executed December 28, 1944, by the trustees of the Internal Improvement Fund of the State of Florida, and accepted by the Secretary of the Interior on March 14, 1947, for Everglades National Park purposes, the said Secretary is authorized, within the aforesaid boundary and with any funds made available for that purpose, to procure lands or interests therein by purchase or otherwise, subject, however, to the right of retention by owners of lands, interests in lands, interests in oil, gas, and mineral rights, or royalties, their heirs, executors, administrators, successors, or assigns (hereinafter referred to as “owners”), at their election, of the following:

(1)The reservation until October 9, 1958, of all oil, gas, and mineral rights or interests, including the right to lease, explore for, produce, store, and remove oil, gas, and other minerals from such lands: Provided, That if on or before said date, oil, gas, or other minerals are being produced in commercial quantities anywhere within the boundary set forth in aforesaid deed numbered 19035, then in that event the time of the reservation as set forth in this subsection shall automatically extend for all owners, regardless of whether such production is from land in which such owners have an interest, for so long as oil, gas, or other minerals are produced in commercial quantities anywhere within said boundary. To exercise this reservation, the owners, their lessees, agents, employees, and assigns shall have such right of ingress and egress to and from such lands as may be necessary; and

(2)After the termination of the reserved rights of owners as set forth in subsection (1) hereof, a further reservation of the right to customary royalties, applying at the time of production, in any oil, gas, or other minerals which may be produced from such lands at any time before January 1, 1985, should production ever be authorized by the Federal Government or its assigns.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

16 U.S.C. § 410e

Title 16 — Conservation

Last Updated

Apr 5, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60