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Title 30, Mineral Lands and MiningRelease 119-102

§701 Authorization to Convey; Acreage Limitations; Qualified Applicants; Payment; “qualified Officer of the United States” Defined

Title 30 › CHAPTER 20 — CONVEYANCES TO OCCUPANTS OF UNPATENTED MINING CLAIMS › § 701

Last updated Aug 21, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary of the Interior may give or sell up to full ownership of part of an unpatented mining claim he finds invalid to the person occupying it, but the area cannot be more than five acres or the area actually occupied, whichever is less. He can also do this for someone who, after notice from a qualified officer that the claim is believed invalid, gives up all rights to the United States. Only "qualified applicants" (see section 702) who apply by June 30, 1971 and pay the amount set under section 705 can get these transfers. A "qualified officer" means the Secretary or an Interior employee he names; he may let other agency heads name officers for lands they manage.

Full Legal Text

Title 30, §701

Mineral Lands and Mining, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

The Secretary of the Interior may convey to any occupant of an unpatented mining claim which is determined by the Secretary to be invalid an interest, up to and including a fee simple, in and to an area within the claim of not more than (a) five acres or (b) the acreage actually occupied by him, whichever is less. The Secretary may make a like conveyance to any occupant of an unpatented mining claim who, after notice from a qualified officer of the United States that the claim is believed to be invalid, relinquishes to the United States all rights in and to such claim which he may have under the mining laws. Any conveyance authorized by this section, however, shall be made only to a qualified applicant, as that term is defined in section 702 of this title, who applies therefor within the period ending June 30, 1971, and upon payment of an amount established in accordance with section 705 of this title. As used in this section, the term “qualified officer of the United States” means the Secretary of the Interior or an employee of the Department of the Interior so designated by him: Provided, That the Secretary may delegate his authority to designate qualified officers to the head of any other department or agency of the United States with respect to lands within the administrative jurisdiction of that department or agency.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1967—Pub. L. 90–111 extended from Oct. 23, 1967, to June 30, 1971, the period in which qualified individuals shall apply for conveyances authorized by this section.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

30 U.S.C. § 701

Title 30, Mineral Lands and Mining

Last Updated

Aug 21, 2026

Release point: 119-102