Laws: Cases and Codes : U.S. Code : Title 16 : Section 679


   
U.S. Code as of: 01/19/04
Section 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.



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