View all text of Chapter 28 [§ 1271 - § 1287]
§ 1277. Land acquisition
(a) Grant of authority to acquire; State and Indian lands; use of appropriated funds; acquisition of tracts partially outside component boundaries; disposition of lands
(1) The Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture are each authorized to acquire lands and interests in land within the authorized boundaries of any component of the national wild and scenic rivers system designated in section 1274 of this title, or hereafter designated for inclusion in the system by Act of Congress, which is administered by him, but he shall not acquire fee title to an average of more than 100 acres per mile on both sides of the river. Lands owned by a State may be acquired only by donation or by exchange in accordance with subsection (d) of this section. Lands owned by an Indian tribe or a political subdivision of a State may not be acquired without the consent of the appropriate governing body thereof as long as the Indian tribe or political subdivision is following a plan for management and protection of the lands which the Secretary finds protects the land and assures its use for purposes consistent with this chapter. Money appropriated for Federal purposes from the land and water conservation fund shall, without prejudice to the use of appropriations from other sources, be available to Federal departments and agencies for the acquisition of property for the purposes of this chapter.
(2) When a tract of land lies partially within and partially outside the boundaries of a component of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, the appropriate Secretary may, with the consent of the landowners for the portion outside the boundaries, acquire the entire tract. The land or interest therein so acquired outside the boundaries shall not be counted against the average one-hundred-acre-per-mile fee title limitation of subsection (a)(1). The lands or interests therein outside such boundaries, shall be disposed of, consistent with existing authorities of law, by sale, lease, or exchange.
(b) Curtailment of condemnation power in area 50 per centum or more of which is owned in fee title by Federal or State government
(c) Curtailment of condemnation power in urban areas covered by valid and satisfactory zoning ordinances
(d) Exchange of property
(e) Transfer of jurisdiction over federally owned property to appropriate Secretary
(f) Acceptance of donated land, funds, and other property
(g) Retained right of use and occupancy; termination; fair market value; “improved property” defined
(1) Any owner or owners (hereinafter in this subsection referred to as “owner”) of improved property on the date of its acquisition, may retain for themselves and their successors or assigns a right of use and occupancy of the improved property for noncommercial residential purposes for a definite term not to exceed twenty-five years or, in lieu thereof, for a term ending at the death of the owner, or the death of his spouse, or the death of either or both of them. The owner shall elect the term to be reserved. The appropriate Secretary shall pay to the owner the fair market value of the property on the date of such acquisition less the fair market value on such date of the right retained by the owner.
(2) A right of use and occupancy retained pursuant to this subsection shall be subject to termination whenever the appropriate Secretary is given reasonable cause to find that such use and occupancy is being exercised in a manner which conflicts with the purposes of this chapter. In the event of such a finding, the Secretary shall tender to the holder of that right an amount equal to the fair market value of that portion of the right which remains unexpired on the date of termination. Such right of use or occupancy shall terminate by operation of law upon tender of the fair market price.
(3) The term “improved property”, as used in this chapter, means a detached, one-family dwelling (hereinafter referred to as “dwelling”), the construction of which was begun before January 1, 1967, (except where a different date is specifically provided by law with respect to any particular river) together with so much of the land on which the dwelling is situated, the said land being in the same ownership as the dwelling, as the appropriate Secretary shall designate to be reasonably necessary for the enjoyment of the dwelling for the sole purpose of noncommercial residential use, together with any structures accessory to the dwelling which are situated on the land so designated.
(Pub. L. 90–542, § 6, Oct. 2, 1968, 82 Stat. 912; Pub. L. 95–625, title VII, § 763(b), Nov. 10, 1978, 92 Stat. 3533; Pub. L. 99–590, title V, § 504, Oct. 30, 1986, 100 Stat. 3336.)