§ 482. — Mineral lands; restoration to public domain; location and entry.
[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 16USC482]
TITLE 16--CONSERVATION
CHAPTER 2--NATIONAL FORESTS
SUBCHAPTER I--ESTABLISHMENT AND ADMINISTRATION
Sec. 482. Mineral lands; restoration to public domain; location
and entry
Upon the recommendation of the Secretary of the Interior, with the
approval of the President, after sixty days' notice thereof, published
in two papers of general circulation in the State or Territory wherein
any national forest is situated, and near the said national forest, any
public lands embraced within the limits of any such forest which, after
due examination by personal inspection of a competent person appointed
for that purpose by the Secretary of the Interior, shall be found better
adapted for mining or for agricultural purposes than for forest usage,
may be restored to the public domain. And any mineral lands in any
national forest which have been or which may be shown to be such, and
subject to entry under the existing mining laws of the United States and
the rules and regulations applying thereto, shall continue to be subject
to such location and entry, notwithstanding any provisions contained in
sections 473 to 478, 479 to 482 and 551 of this title.
(June 4, 1897, ch. 2, Sec. 1, 30 Stat. 36.)
References in Text
The United States mining laws, referred to in text, are classified
generally to Title 30, Mineral Lands and Mining.
Codification
``National forest'' substituted in text for ``forest reservation''
twice and ``reservation'' once, on authority of act Mar. 4, 1907, ch.
2907, 34 Stat. 1269, which provided that forest reserves shall hereafter
be known as national forests.
Transfer of Functions
Enforcement functions of Secretary or other official in Department
of Agriculture, insofar as they involve lands and programs under
jurisdiction of that Department, related to compliance with provisions
of sections 473, 474 to 482, and 551 of this title with respect to pre-
construction, construction, and initial operation of transportation
system for Canadian and Alaskan natural gas transferred to Federal
Inspector, Office of Federal Inspector for Alaska Natural Gas
Transportation System, until first anniversary of date of initial
operation of Alaska Natural Gas Transportation System, see Reorg. Plan
No. 1 of 1979, Secs. 102(f), 203(a), 44 F.R. 33663, 33666, 93 Stat.
1373, 1376, effective July 1, 1979, set out in the Appendix to Title 5,
Government Organization and Employees. Office of Federal Inspector for
the Alaska Natural Gas Transportation System abolished and functions and
authority vested in Inspector transferred to Secretary of Energy by
section 3012(b) of Pub. L. 102-486, set out as an Abolition of Office of
Federal Inspector note under section 719e of Title 15, Commerce and
Trade.
For transfer of certain functions with regard to the administration
of national forests from Secretary of the Interior to Secretary of
Agriculture, see section 472 of this title.
Section Referred to in Other Sections
This section is referred to in sections 478, 551 of this title.
