PRIA, Government Policy, Made Personal

Summary

The Secretary of the Interior can buy, accept as gifts, or trade for land, submerged land, water, or property rights inside the seashore. Land owned by a State or its local governments can be taken only if the owner agrees. The Secretary can also get up to 400 acres outside the seashore on the Biloxi‑Gulfport, Mississippi, mainland for an administrative site and access. Federal property already in the area can be moved to the Secretary’s control for seashore use if the agency that holds it agrees. If the Secretary buys a single‑family home that began construction before January 1, 1967, and was the owner’s main home when bought, the owner may keep the right to live there for noncommercial use either until the owner or the owner’s spouse dies (whichever is later) or for up to 25 years. The owner is paid the fair market value of the property when bought, minus the value of the kept right. The kept right can be transferred. The Secretary can end that right if it conflicts with the park’s purposes and must pay the value of the unused time left. For Cat Island area matters, the Secretary may buy certain lands above the mean high tide line in Harrison County, get an easement over about 150 acres called the Boddie Family Tract, buy lands on Cat Island outside a 2,000‑acre mapped area, and acquire submerged land within 1 mile seaward of Cat Island (state‑owned submerged land only by donation). Lands bought under these rules will be run by the National Park Service director, the State of Mississippi won’t be forced to give buffer rights to establish the buffer zone, and park boundaries change only after the land is acquired.

Title 16, §459h–1

Conservation, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Within the boundaries of the seashore, the Secretary may acquire submerged land, land, waters, and interests therein by donation, purchase with donated or appropriated funds, or exchange, except that property owned by a State or any political subdivision thereof may be acquired only with the consent of the owner. The Secretary may acquire by any of the above methods not more than four hundred acres of land or interests therein outside of the seashore boundaries on the mainland in the vicinity of Biloxi-Gulfport, Mississippi, for an administrative site and related facilities for access to the seashore. With the concurrence of the agency having custody thereof, any Federal property within the seashore and mainland site may be transferred without consideration to the administrative jurisdiction of the Secretary for the purposes of the seashore.

(b)With respect to improved residential property acquired for the purposes of sections 459h to 459h–10 of this title, which is beneficially owned by a natural person and which the Secretary of the Interior determines can be continued in that use for a limited period of time without undue interference with the administration, development, or public use of the seashore, the owner thereof may on the date of its acquisition by the Secretary retain a right of use and occupancy of the property for noncommercial residential purposes for a term, as the owner may elect, ending either (1) at the death of the owner or his spouse, whichever occurs later, or (2) not more than twenty-five years from the date of acquisition. Any right so retained may during its existence be transferred or assigned. The Secretary shall pay to the owner the fair market value of the property on the date of such acquisition, less their 11 So in original. Probably should be “the”. fair market value on such date of the right retained by the owner.

(c)As used in sections 459h to 459h–10 of this title, “improved residential property” means a single-family year-round dwelling, the construction of which began before January 1, 1967, and which serves as the owner’s permanent place of abode at the time of its acquisition by the United States, together with not more than three acres of land on which the dwelling and appurtenant buildings are located that the Secretary finds is reasonably necessary for the owner’s continued use and occupancy of the dwelling: Provided, That the Secretary may exclude from improved residential property any marsh, beach, or waters and adjoining land that the Secretary deems is necessary for public access to such marsh, beach, or waters.

(d)The Secretary may terminate a right of use and occupancy retained pursuant to this section upon his determination that such use and occupancy is being exercised in a manner not consistent with the purposes of sections 459h to 459h–10 of this title, and upon tender to the holder of the right an amount equal to the fair market value of that portion of the right which remains unexpired on the date of termination.

(e)(1)The Secretary may acquire, from a willing seller only—

(A)all land comprising the parcel described in subsection (b)(3) 22 See References in Text note below. that is above the mean line of ordinary high tide, lying and being situated in Harrison County, Mississippi;

(B)an easement over the approximately 150-acre parcel depicted as the “Boddie Family Tract” on the Cat Island Map for the purpose of implementing an agreement with the owners of the parcel concerning the development and use of the parcel; and

(C)(i)land and interests in land on Cat Island outside the 2,000-acre area depicted on the Cat Island Map; and

(ii)submerged land that lies within 1 mile seaward of Cat Island (referred to in sections 459h to 459h–10 of this title 2 as the “buffer zone”), except that submerged land owned by the State of Mississippi (or a subdivision of the State) may be acquired only by donation.

(2)(A)Land and interests in land acquired under this subsection shall be administered by the Secretary, acting through the Director of the National Park Service.

(B)Nothing in sections 459h to 459h–10 of this title 2 or any other provision of law shall require the State of Mississippi to convey to the Secretary any right, title, or interest in or to the buffer zone as a condition for the establishment of the buffer zone.

(3)The boundary of the seashore shall be modified to reflect the acquisition of land under this subsection only after completion of the acquisition.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Subsection (b)(3), referred to in subsec. (e)(1)(A), probably means subsection (b)(3) of section 459h of this title. Subsection (b) of this section does not contain a par. (3). Sections 459h to 459h–10 of this title, referred to in subsec. (e)(1)(C)(ii), (2)(B), was in the original “this title”, and was translated as reading “this Act”, meaning Pub. L. 91–660, which enacted sections 459h to 459h–10 of this title, to reflect the probable intent of Congress, because Pub. L. 91–660 does not contain titles.

Amendments

2000—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 106–554, § 1(a)(4) [div. B, title I, § 137(b)(1)], substituted “submerged land, land,” for “lands,” in first sentence. Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 106–554, § 1(a)(4) [div. B, title I, § 137(b)(2)], added subsec. (e). 1972—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 92–275 increased amount of property authorized to be acquired from one hundred thirty-five to four hundred acres.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Gulf Islands National Seashore Land Exchange Pub. L. 115–279, Nov. 20, 2018, 132 Stat. 4187, known as the Gulf Islands National Seashore Land Exchange Act, authorized the Secretary of the Interior to exchange certain Federal lands located within the Gulf Islands National Seashore in Jackson County, Mississippi, for non-Federal land identified as “VFW Exchange Area” located in Jackson County, Mississippi, owned by the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5699, with the stipulation for equal value exchange and provision for methods of equalizing the exchange, for the conveyance agreement and title approval, and for the modification of the boundary of the Gulf Islands National Seashore to reflect the exchange.

§459h–1 Acquisition of Property