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Title 43 — Public LandsRelease 119-73not60

§315m Lease of Isolated or Disconnected Tracts for Grazing; Preferences

Title 43 › Chapter 8A— GRAZING LANDS › Subchapter I— GENERALLY › § 315m

Last updated Apr 5, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary of the Interior may lease vacant, unclaimed, and unreserved public lands for grazing when those lands are too isolated to join a grazing district. The Secretary sets the lease rules. People who own, homestead, lease, or lawfully occupy land next to or touching those tracts get first priority to lease them so they can use their land properly. If an isolated tract is 760 acres or less, adjoining or cornering neighbors have the first chance to lease the whole tract for 90 days after it is offered, under the Secretary’s terms. If public land is returned after a withdrawal, the Secretary may give a similar lease preference to people who grazed the land under the agency that managed it before.

Full Legal Text

Title 43, §315m

Public Lands — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

The Secretary of the Interior is further authorized, in his discretion, where vacant, unappropriated, and unreserved lands of the public domain are so situated as not to justify their inclusion in any grazing district to be established pursuant to this subchapter, to lease any such lands for grazing purposes, upon such terms and conditions as the Secretary may prescribe: Provided, That preference shall be given to owners, homesteaders, lessees, or other lawful occupants of contiguous lands to the extent necessary to permit proper use of such contiguous lands, except, that when such isolated or disconnected tracts embrace seven hundred and sixty acres or less, the owners, homesteaders, lessees, or other lawful occupants of lands contiguous thereto or cornering thereon shall have a preference right to lease the whole of such tract, during a period of ninety days after such tract is offered for lease, upon the terms and conditions prescribed by the Secretary: Provided further, That when public lands are restored from a withdrawal, the Secretary may grant an appropriate preference right for a grazing lease, license, or permit to users of the land for grazing purposes under authority of the agency which had jurisdiction over the lands immediately prior to the time of their restoration.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1954—Act
May 28, 1954, inserted proviso authorizing Secretary to grant a preference right to users of withdrawn public lands for grazing purposes when lands are restored from withdrawal. 1936—Act
June 26, 1936, inserted first proviso.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

43 U.S.C. § 315m

Title 43 — Public Lands

Last Updated

Apr 5, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60