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Title 16, ConservationRelease 119-73not60

§460ii–1 Acquisition of Property

Title 16 › Chapter 1— NATIONAL PARKS, MILITARY PARKS, MONUMENTS, AND SEASHORES › Subchapter XCIII— CHATTAHOOCHEE RIVER NATIONAL RECREATION AREA › § 460ii–1

Last updated Apr 5, 2026|Official source

Summary

Allows the Secretary to get land, water, and property rights inside the recreation area by donation, by buying from willing sellers with donated or appropriated money, or by exchanging land. Land owned by the State of Georgia or its local governments can only be accepted as a donation. If a parcel lies partly inside and partly outside the park, the Secretary may take the whole parcel to avoid severance costs, and may exchange parts outside the park for non-Federal land inside. Any part not used in exchanges may be disposed of under chapters 1 to 11 of title 40 and division C of subtitle I of title 41, except sections 3302, 3307(e), 3501(b), 3509, 3906, 4710, and 4711. An owner of improved property used only as a noncommercial home when the government acquires it may keep a right to live there unless the Secretary needs the property for administration, development, access, or public use. The owner picks either a fixed term up to 25 years or a term that lasts until the owner’s or spouse’s death, whichever is later. The Secretary pays the owner the fair market value at acquisition minus the value of the kept occupancy right. That right can be transferred but must follow the Secretary’s conditions. If the property stops being used as allowed, the Secretary can end the right and pay the holder the fair market value of the unused portion at the time of termination. Defined term — improved property: a detached, year-round noncommercial house started before January 1, 1975, plus the land and accessory structures the Secretary says are reasonably needed for its noncommercial residential use.

Full Legal Text

Title 16, §460ii–1

Conservation, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Within the recreation area the Secretary is authorized to acquire lands, waters, and interests therein by donation, purchase from willing sellers with donated or appropriated funds, or exchange. Property owned by the State of Georgia or any political subdivision thereof may be acquired only by donation.
(b)When a tract of land lies partly within and partly without the boundaries of the recreation area, the Secretary may acquire the entire tract by any of the above methods in order to avoid the payment of severance costs. Land so acquired outside of the boundaries of the recreation area may be exchanged by the Secretary for non-Federal land within such boundaries, and any portion of the land not utilized for such exchanges may be disposed of in accordance with the provisions of chapters 1 to 11 of title 40 and division C (except section 3302, 3307(e), 3501(b), 3509, 3906, 4710, and 4711) of subtitle I of title 41.
(c)Except for property which the Secretary determines to be necessary for the purposes of administration, development, access, or public use, an owner of improved property which is used solely for noncommercial residential purposes on the date of its acquisition by the Secretary may retain, as a condition of such acquisition, a right of use and occupancy of the property for such residential purposes. The right retained may be for a definite term which shall not exceed twenty-five years or, in lieu thereof, for a term ending at the death of the owner or the death of the spouse, whichever occurs later. The owner shall elect the term to be retained. The Secretary shall pay the owner the fair market value of the property on the date of such acquisition, less the fair market value of the term retained by the owner.
(d)Any right of use and occupancy retained pursuant to this section may, during its existence, be conveyed or transferred, but all rights of use and occupancy shall be subject to such terms and conditions as the Secretary deems appropriate to assure the use of the property in accordance with the purposes of this subchapter. Upon his determination that the property, or any portion thereof, has ceased to be so used in accordance with such terms and conditions, the Secretary may terminate the right of use and occupancy by tendering to the holder of such right an amount equal to the fair market value, as of the date of the tender, of that portion of the right which remains unexpired on the date of termination.
(e)As used in this section, the term “improved property” means a detached, year-round noncommercial residential dwelling, the construction of which was begun before January 1, 1975, together with so much of the land on which the dwelling is situated, the said land being in the same ownership as the dwelling, as the Secretary shall designate to be reasonably necessary for the enjoyment of the dwelling for the sole purpose of noncommercial residential use, together with any structures accessory to the dwelling which are situated on the land so designated.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Codification In subsec. (b), “chapters 1 to 11 of title 40 and division C (except section 3302, 3307(e), 3501(b), 3509, 3906, 4710, and 4711) of subtitle I of title 41” substituted for “the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 (40 U.S.C. 471 et seq.)” on authority of Pub. L. 107–217, § 5(c), Aug. 21, 2002, 116 Stat. 1303, which Act enacted Title 40, Public Buildings, Property, and Works, and Pub. L. 111–350, § 6(c), Jan. 4, 2011, 124 Stat. 3854, which Act enacted Title 41, Public Contracts.

Amendments

1999—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 106–154, § 2(b)(1), inserted “from willing sellers” after “purchase”. Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 106–154, § 2(e)(1), substituted “this subchapter” for “this subchapter and chapter 43 of this title”. Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 106–154, § 2(b)(2), struck out subsec. (f) which read as follows: “(f)(1) The Secretary shall exchange those federally owned lands identified on the map referenced in section 460ii of this title as ‘exchange lands’ for non-Federal lands which are within the boundaries of the recreation area. The values of the lands exchanged under this subsection shall be equal, or shall be equalized in the same manner as provided in section 1716 of title 43. “(2) At three year intervals after
October 30, 1984, the Secretary shall publish in the Federal Register a progress report on the land exchanges which have taken place and the exchanges which are likely to take place under the authority of this subsection. Such report shall identify the lands which are unsuitable for exchange pursuant to such authority. “(3) Effective on the date ten years after
October 30, 1984, the exchange authority of paragraph (1) shall terminate. The exchange lands identified under paragraph (1) which have not been exchanged prior to such date shall be retained in Federal ownership as a part of the recreation area. “(4) The Secretary shall publish a revision of the boundary map referred to in section 460ii of this title to exclude from the boundaries of the recreation area any exchange lands which are used to acquire non-Federal lands under paragraph (3).” 1984—Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 98–568 added subsec. (f).

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

16 U.S.C. § 460ii–1

Title 16, Conservation

Last Updated

Apr 5, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60