§644 Preference Right to Entryman Under State Laws

Summary

When the Secretary of the Interior returns lands that had been set aside to a State under sections 641, 642, and 643 back to the public domain, he may, at his choice and under rules he creates, give any person who entered those lands under the State laws up to 90 days’ priority to claim them under federal land laws. That person must have lived on the land or made substantial, permanent improvements, and the time they actually lived there counts toward the residence requirement for a new homestead claim.