Title 16 › Chapter 1— NATIONAL PARKS, MILITARY PARKS, MONUMENTS, AND SEASHORES › Subchapter LIX–UU— MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK › § 410www–1
The Secretary of the Interior must run the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park and Preservation District under the same laws that cover national historic sites, including the Act of August 25, 1916 (39 Stat. 535; 16 U.S.C. 1, 2–4) and the Act of August 21, 1935 (49 Stat. 666; 16 U.S.C. 461–7). The Secretary can acquire land inside the park by donation, purchase with donated or appropriated money, transfer, or exchange. Land owned by the State of Georgia or its local governments can only be taken by donation or exchange. Land owned by the widow of Martin Luther King, Jr., or by the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Social Change can be taken only with the owner’s consent, except if the property’s use is changing in a way that conflicts with the park’s purposes. For Center-owned property, the Secretary has the first right to buy it at no more than its fair market value when it’s offered for sale. The Secretary may place reasonable conditions on acquisitions, including allowing Mrs. King to be buried if a burial site is acquired. Any title or interests held by the Department of Housing and Urban Development in “Parcel A” are given to the Secretary. The Park Service should meet its space needs inside the district by reusing existing buildings as much as possible without forcing residents to move.
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Conservation, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Legislative History
Reference
Citation
16 U.S.C. § 410www–1
Title 16, Conservation
Last Updated
Apr 5, 2026
Release point: 119-73not60