- § 2631. Unselected and unpatented odd-numbered sections as revested grant lands; administration as national-forest lands; revenues; prohibition against disposition or exchange
- § 2632. Exchange of jurisdiction between Secretaries; conditions; publication in Federal Register
- § 2633. Designation of national-forest areas within counties; disposition of revenues; approval by court
- § 2634. Appropriations to carry out sections 2632 and 2633
Those unselected and unpatented odd-numbered sections within the indemnity limits of the Oregon and California Railroad land grant authorized by the Act of July 25, 1866 (14 Stat. 239), as amended by the Act of April 10, 1869 (16 Stat. 47), and for which payment was made by the United States to such railroad or its successors in interest under the Act of June 9, 1916 (39 Stat. 218), pursuant to the decree in the case of United States against Oregon and California R. R. Co. (8 F. (2d) 645), which were included within the boundaries of national forests by proclamations of the President of the United States issued under the dates of June 17, 1892, September 28, 1893, October 5, 1906, January 25, 1907, March 1, 1907, and March 2, 1907, are declared to be revested Oregon and California Railroad grant lands; and said lands shall continue to be administered as national-forest lands by the Secretary of Agriculture subject to all laws, rules, and regulations applicable to the national forests: Provided, That all revenues hereafter derived from said lands and those revenues heretofore derived from such lands and placed in special deposit by agreement between the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior shall be disposed of in accordance with the provisions of section 2605 of this title and said lands shall not hereafter be subject to the provisions of any other laws or parts of laws which otherwise prescribe the disposal or distribution of receipts from lands of the United States, except that none of the provisions of this subchapter shall affect revenues distributed prior to June 24, 1954. No part of said lands or the resources thereof shall be subject to exchange under the provisions of this or any other law applicable to national-forest lands or otherwise.
The Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture are authorized and directed, within two years after June 24, 1954, to exchange administrative jurisdiction of revested Oregon and California Railroad grant lands lying within the boundaries of any national forest or within two miles of such boundaries, and national-forest lands of approximately equal aggregate value, when by such exchange the administration of the lands will be facilitated. Such exchanges shall be made subject to outstanding contracts, permits or other existing rights: Provided, That the said national-forest lands, administrative jurisdiction of which is transferred to the Secretary of the Interior, shall be excluded from the national forest and shall become subject to administration under the same provisions of law as the revested lands in exchange for which they were transferred, and the revested lands, administrative jurisdiction of which is transferred to the Secretary of Agriculture, shall become a part of the national forests subject to administration under the laws applicable to national forests: Provided further, That subject to the requirement of approximate equal aggregate value for the overall exchange, the revested lands and the national-forest lands, administrative jurisdiction of which is exchanged in any county, shall be approximately equal in area unless otherwise agreed to by the counties concerned. The exchanges provided for in this section shall in each case be evidenced by an order signed by the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture and such orders shall be transmitted to the Division of the Federal Register for filing and publication.
For the purpose of consolidating and thereby facilitating administration and accounting the Secretary of Agriculture is authorized to designate in the several counties in which the lands described in section 2631 of this title are situated (such designation to be published in the Federal Register), an area of national-forest land of a value substantially equal to the value of the lands in such county from which all revenues shall be disposed of in accordance with the provisions of title II of the Act of August 28, 1937 (50 Stat. 874), and upon such designation the provisions of that Act shall be applicable to the lands so designated in lieu of the lands described in section 2631 of this title: Provided, however, That such designation shall not become effective until approved by the county court of the county in which the lands are located.
For the purpose of carrying out the provisions of sections 2632 and 2633 of this title there are authorized to be appropriated such sums as the Congress may from time to time determine to be necessary.