PRIA, Government Policy, Made Personal

Summary

The Secretary of the Interior can lease federal land that has phosphate and related minerals to qualified applicants. Leases are made by notice, competitive bidding, or other methods the Secretary sets, only when it serves the public interest. Leased units must be reasonably compact and no larger than 2,560 acres. The Secretary can also give exclusive prospecting permits to qualified applicants for up to 2 years and up to 2,560 acres. If valuable phosphate is found before the permit ends, the permit holder can get a lease for any or all of that land. The Secretary may extend a permit for up to 4 more years if more exploration is needed and the permit holder has been reasonably diligent.

Title 30, §211

Mineral Lands and Mining, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Authorization to lease land; terms and conditions; acreage

The Secretary of the Interior is authorized to lease to any applicant qualified under this chapter, through advertisement, competitive bidding, or such other methods as he may by general regulations adopt, any phosphate deposits of the United States, and lands containing such deposits, including associated and related minerals, when in his judgment the public interest will be best served thereby. The lands shall be leased under such terms and conditions as are herein specified, in units reasonably compact in form of not to exceed two thousand five hundred and sixty acres.

(b)Prospecting permits; issuance; term; acreage; entitlement to lease

Where prospecting or exploratory work is necessary to determine the existence or workability of phosphate deposits in any unclaimed, undeveloped area, the Secretary of the Interior is authorized to issue, to any applicant qualified under this chapter, a prospecting permit which shall give the exclusive right to prospect for phosphate deposits, including associated minerals, for a period of two years, for not more than two thousand five hundred and sixty acres; and if prior to the expiration of the permit the permittee shows to the Secretary that valuable deposits of phosphate have been discovered within the area covered by his permit, the permittee shall be entitled to a lease for any or all of the land embraced in the prospecting permit.

(c)Extension of term of permit

Any phosphate permit issued under this section may be extended by the Secretary for such an additional period, not in excess of four years, as he deems advisable, if he finds that the permittee has been unable, with reasonable diligence, to determine the existence or workability of phosphate deposits in the area covered by the permit and desires to prosecute further prospecting or exploration, or for other reasons warranting such an extension in the opinion of the Secretary.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1960—Pub. L. 86–391 designated existing provisions as subsec. (a) and added subsecs. (b) and (c). 1948—Act June 3, 1948, included provision limiting amount of land in lease.

§211 Phosphate Deposits

Summary

Title 30, §211

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

Citations & Metadata