28 C.F.R. Subpart M—Land and Natural Resources Division
Title 28 - Judicial Administration
The following functions are assigned to and shall be conducted, handled, or supervised by the Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Land and Natural Resources Division: (a) Civil suits and matters in Federal and State courts (and administrative tribunals), by or against the United States, its agencies, officers, or contractors, or in which the United States has an interest, whether for specific or monetary relief, and also nonlitigation matters, relating to: (1) The public domain lands and the outer continental shelf of the United States. (2) Other lands and interests in real property owned, leased, or otherwise claimed or controlled, or allegedly impaired or taken, by the United States, its agencies, officers, or contractors, including the acquisition of such lands by condemnation proceedings or otherwise, (3) The water and air resources controlled or used by the United States, its agencies, officers, or contractors, without regard to whether the same are in or related to the lands enumerated in paragraphs (a) (1) and (2) of this section, and (4) The other natural resources in or related to such lands, water, and air, except that the following matters which would otherwise be included in such assignment are excluded therefrom: (i) Suits and matters relating to the use or obstruction of navigable waters or the navigable capacity of such waters by ships or shipping thereon, the same being specifically assigned to the Civil Division; (ii) Suits and matters involving tort claims against the United States under the Federal Tort Claims Act and special acts of Congress, the same being specifically assigned to the Civil Division; (iii) Suits and matters involving the foreclosure of mortgages and other liens held by the United States, the same being specifically assigned to the Civil and Tax Divisions according to the nature of the lien involved; (iv) Suits arising under 28 U.S.C. 2410 to quiet title or to foreclose a mortgage or other lien, the same being specifically assigned to the Civil and Tax Divisions according to the nature of the lien held by the United States, and all other actions arising under 28 U.S.C. 2410 involving federal tax liens held by the United States, which are specifically assigned to the Tax Division; (v) Matters involving the immunity of the Federal Government from State and local taxation specifically delegated to the Tax Division by §0.71. (b) Representation of the interests of the United States in all civil litigation in Federal and State courts, and before the Indian Claims Commission, pertaining to Indians, Indian tribes, and Indian affairs, and matters relating to restricted Indian property, real or personal, and the treaty rights of restricted Indians (except matters involving the constitutional and civil rights of Indians assigned to the Civil Rights Division by subpart J of this part). (c) Rendering opinions as to the validity of title to all lands acquired by the United States, except as otherwise specified by statute. (d) Civil and criminal suits and matters involving air, water, noise, and other types of pollution, the regulation of solid wastes, toxic substances, pesticides under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, and the control of the environmental impacts of surface coal mining. (e) Civil and criminal suits and matters involving obstructions to navigation, and dredging or filling (33 U.S.C. 403). (f) Civil and criminal suits and matters arising under the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (42 U.S.C. 2011, et seq.) insofar as it relates to the prosecution of violations committed by a company in matters involving the licensing and operations of nuclear power plants. (g) Civil and criminal suits and matters relating to the natural and biological resources of the coastal and marine environments, the outer continental shelf, the fishery conservation zone and, where permitted by law, the high seas. (h) Performance of the Department's functions under §706.5 of the regulations for the prevention of conflict of interests promulgated by the Secretary of the Interior under the authority of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977, section 201(f), 91 Stat. 450, and contained in 30 CFR part 706. (i) Conducting the studies of processing sites required by section 115(b) of the Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act of 1978, publishing the results of the studies and furnishing the results thereof to the Congress. (j) Criminal suits and civil penalty and forfeiture actions relating to wildlife law enforcement under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531–1543); the Lacey Act and related provisions (18 U.S.C. 41–44, 47); the Black Bass Act (16 U.S.C. 851–856); the Airborne Hunting Act (16 U.S.C. 742j–1); the Migratory Bird Act (16 U.S.C. 701, et seq.); the Wild Horses and Wild Burros Act (16 U.S.C. 1331–1340); the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act (16 U.S.C. 668–668d); and the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act (16 U.S.C. 661 et seq.). [Order No. 423–69, 34 FR 20388, Dec. 31, 1969, as amended by Order No. 540–73, 38 FR 26910, Sept. 27, 1973; Order No. 699–77, 42 FR 15315, Mar. 21, 1977; Order No. 764–78, 43 FR 3115, Jan. 23, 1978; Order No. 809–78, 43 FR 55394, Nov. 28, 1978; Order No. 960–81, 46 FR 52346, Oct. 27, 1981; Order No. 1083–85, 50 FR 8607, Mar. 4, 1985] With respect to any matter assigned to the Land and natural Resources Division in which the Environmental Protection Agency is a party, the Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Land and Natural Resources Division, and such members of his staff as he may specifically designate in writing, are authorized to exercise the functions and responsibilities undertaken by the Attorney General in the Memorandum of Understanding between the Department of Justice and the Environmental Protection Agency (42 FR 48942), except that subpart Y of this part shall continue to govern as authority to compromise and close civil claims in such matters. [Order No. 764–78, 43 FR 3115, Jan. 23, 1978] (a) The Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Land and Natural Resources Division or such members of his staff as he may specifically designate in writing, are authorized to sign the name of the Attorney General to opinions on the validity of titles to property acquired by or on behalf of the United States, except those which, in the opinion of the Assistant Attorney General involve questions of policy or for any other reason require the personal attention of the Attorney General. (b) Pursuant to the provisions of section 1 of Public Law 91–393, approved September 1, 1970, 84 Stat. 835, the Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Land and Natural Resources Division is authorized: (1) To exercise the Attorney General's power of delegating to other departments and agencies his (the Attorney General's) responsibility for approving the title to lands acquired by them, (2) With respect to delegations so made to other departments and agencies, to exercise the Attorney General's function of general supervision regarding the carrying out by such departments and agencies of the responsibility so entrusted to them, and (3) To promulgate regulations and any appropriate amendments thereto governing the approval of land titles by such departments and agencies. [Order No. 440–70, 35 FR 16084, Oct. 14, 1970] The Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Land and Natural Resources Division, and such members of his staff as he may specifically designate in writing, are authorized to exercise the power and authority vested in the Attorney General by section 23(b) of the Airport and Airway Development Act of 1970 (84 Stat. 219; 49 U.S.C. 1723) with respect to approving the performance of acts and execution of instruments necessary to make the conveyances requested in carrying out the purposes of that section, except those acts and instruments which, in the opinion of the Assistant Attorney General, involve questions of policy or for any other reason require the personal attention of the Attorney General. [Order No. 468–71, 36 FR 20428, Oct. 22, 1971] The Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Land and Natural Resources Division, and such members of his staff as he may specifically designate in writing, are authorized to execute the power and authority of the Attorney General under the provisions of section 3 of the act of August 7, 1947, 61 Stat. 914, 30 U.S.C. 352, respecting the leasing of minerals on lands under the jurisdiction of the Department of Justice. [Order No. 542–73, 38 FR 28289, Oct. 12, 1973] The Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Land and Natural Resources Division, or such members of his staff as he may specifically designate in writing, are authorized to exercise the power and authority vested in the Attorney General by Public Law 87–852, approved October 23, 1962 (40 U.S.C. 319), with respect to making the determinations and grants necessary in carrying out the purposes of that Act, except those acts and instruments which in the opinion of the Assistant Attorney General involve questions of policy or for any other reason require the personal attention of the Attorney General. [Order No. 736–77, 42 FR 38177, July 27, 1977] The Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Land and Natural Resources Division, and such members of his staff as he may specifically designate in writing, are authorized to exercise the power and authority vested in the Attorney General by the Act of June 4, 1934, 48 Stat. 836, with respect to approving the making or acceptance of conveyances by the Secretary of the Interior on behalf of the United States. [Order No. 947–81, 46 FR 29931, June 4, 1981] The Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Land and Natural Resources Division, and such members of his staff as he may specifically designate in writing, are authorized to exercise the power and authority vested in the Attorney General of section 516(b) of The Airport and Airway Improvement Act of 1982 (96 Stat. 671, 692) with respect to approving the performance of acts and execution of instruments necessary to make the conveyance requested in carrying out the purposes of that section, except those acts and instruments which in the opinion of the Assistant Attorney General, involve questions of policy or for any other reason require the personal attention of the Attorney General. [Order No. 1069–84, 49 FR 39843, Oct. 11, 1984] (a) The authority to receive complaints served upon the Attorney General pursuant to section 401 of the Hazardous Waste Amendments of 1984 (Pub. L. 616, 98th Cong.; 42 U.S.C. 6872(b)(2)(F)) is hereby delegated to the Assistant Attorney General, Land and Natural Resources Division. Every plaintiff required to serve upon the Attorney General a copy of their complaint, should do so by sending a copy of the complaint, together with all attachments thereto required by the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and the Local Rules for the Federal District Court in which the complaint if filed, via first class mail, to the Assistant Attorney General, Land and Natural Resources Division, U.S. Department of Justice, NW., Washington, DC 20530. (b) Services pursuant to section 401 shall be deemed effective upon the date the complaint is received by the Assistant Attorney General. [Order No. 1099–85, 50 FR 26198, June 25, 1985]
Title 28: Judicial Administration
PART 0—ORGANIZATION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Subpart M—Land and Natural Resources Division
§ 0.65 General functions.
§ 0.65a Litigation involving Environmental Protection Agency.
§ 0.66 Delegation respecting title opinions.
§ 0.67 Delegation respecting conveyances for public-airport purposes.
§ 0.68 Delegation respecting mineral leasing.
§ 0.69 Delegation of authority to make determinations and grants.
§ 0.69a Delegation respecting approval of conveyances.
§ 0.69b Delegation of authority respecting conveyances for public airports.
§ 0.69c Litigation involving the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.
