§ 679. — Patents to State of South Dakota of certain lands in Custer State Park; reservation of coal, oil, gas, and other mineral rights.
[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 16USC679]
TITLE 16--CONSERVATION
CHAPTER 6--GAME AND BIRD PRESERVES; PROTECTION
Sec. 679. Patents to State of South Dakota of certain lands in
Custer State Park; reservation of coal, oil, gas, and other
mineral rights
The Secretary of the Interior is authorized and directed to issue to
the State of South Dakota patents conveying title, but reserving the
minerals therein, to any unpatented lands of the United States held or
claimed by virtue of locations made prior to March 3, 1925, under the
United States general mining laws, within the Custer State Park, not
exceeding a total of two thousand acres, upon payment to the United
States of $1.25 per acre therefor, and upon evidence being furnished
that all claim, right, title, and interest of such claimants have been
transferred to the State or have been abandoned. Patents so issued to
the State of South Dakota shall be conditioned upon the lands being used
for park purposes, and provide for the reversion of the lands of the
United States in the event of failure to so hold and use. The United
States reserves all coal, oil, gas, or other minerals in the lands
patented under this section with the right, in case any of said patented
lands are found by the Secretary of the Interior to be more valuable for
the minerals therein than for park purposes, to provide, by special
legislation, having due regard for the rights of the State of South
Dakota, for the disposition and extraction of the coal, oil, gas or
other minerals therein. The provisions of this section are limited to
lands lying within the limits of the Custer State Park, within townships
3 and 4 south, range 6 east, and the east one-third of townships 3 and 4
south, range 5 east, Black Hills meridian.
(Mar. 3, 1925, ch. 465, 43 Stat. 1185.)
References in Text
The United States general mining laws, referred to in text, are
classified generally to Title 30, Mineral Lands and Mining.
