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[Laws in effect as of January 7, 2003]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
  January 7, 2003 and December 19, 2003]
[CITE: 43USC1715]

 
                         TITLE 43--PUBLIC LANDS
 
             CHAPTER 35--FEDERAL LAND POLICY AND MANAGEMENT
 
  SUBCHAPTER II--LAND USE PLANNING AND LAND ACQUISITION AND DISPOSITION
 
Sec. 1715. Acquisitions of public lands and access over non-
        Federal lands to National Forest System units
        

(a) Authorization and limitations on authority of Secretary of the 
        Interior and Secretary of Agriculture

    Notwithstanding any other provisions of law, the Secretary, with 
respect to the public lands and the Secretary of Agriculture, with 
respect to the acquisition of access over non-Federal lands to units of 
the National Forest System, are authorized to acquire pursuant to this 
Act by purchase, exchange, donation, or eminent domain, lands or 
interests therein: Provided, That with respect to the public lands, the 
Secretary may exercise the power of eminent domain only if necessary to 
secure access to public lands, and then only if the lands so acquired 
are confined to as narrow a corridor as is necessary to serve such 
purpose. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed as expanding or 
limiting the authority of the Secretary of Agriculture to acquire land 
by eminent domain within the boundaries of units of the National Forest 
System.

(b) Conformity to departmental policies and land-use plan of 
        acquisitions

    Acquisitions pursuant to this section shall be consistent with the 
mission of the department involved and with applicable departmental 
land-use plans.

(c) Status of lands and interests in lands upon acquisition by Secretary 
        of the Interior; transfers to Secretary of Agriculture of lands 
        and interests in lands acquired within National Forest System 
        boundaries

    Except as provided in subsection (e) of this section, lands and 
interests in lands acquired by the Secretary pursuant to this section or 
section 1716 of this title shall, upon acceptance of title, become 
public lands, and, for the administration of public land laws not 
repealed by this Act, shall remain public lands. If such acquired lands 
or interests in lands are located within the exterior boundaries of a 
grazing district established pursuant to section 315 of this title, they 
shall become a part of that district. Lands and interests in lands 
acquired pursuant to this section which are within boundaries of the 
National Forest System may be transferred to the Secretary of 
Agriculture and shall then become National Forest System lands and 
subject to all the laws, rules, and regulations applicable thereto.

(d) Status of lands and interests in lands upon acquisition by Secretary 
        of Agriculture

    Lands and interests in lands acquired by the Secretary of 
Agriculture pursuant to this section shall, upon acceptance of title, 
become National Forest System lands subject to all the laws, rules, and 
regulations applicable thereto.

(e) Status and administration of lands acquired in exchange for lands 
        revested in or reconveyed to United States

    Lands acquired by the Secretary pursuant to this section or section 
1716 of this title in exchange for lands which were revested in the 
United States pursuant to the provisions of the Act of June 9, 1916 (39 
Stat. 218) or reconveyed to the United States pursuant to the provisions 
of the Act of February 26, 1919 (40 Stat. 1179), shall be considered for 
all purposes to have the same status as, and shall be administered in 
accordance with the same provisions of law applicable to, the revested 
or reconveyed lands exchanged for the lands acquired by the Secretary.

(Pub. L. 94-579, title II, Sec. 205, Oct. 21, 1976, 90 Stat. 2755; Pub. 
L. 99-632, Sec. 5, Nov. 7, 1986, 100 Stat. 3521.)

                       References in Text

    This Act, referred to in subsecs. (a) and (c), is Pub. L. 94-579, 
Oct. 21, 1976, 90 Stat. 2743, as amended, known as the Federal Land 
Policy and Management Act of 1976. For complete classification of this 
Act to the Code, see Tables.
    The public land laws, referred to in subsec. (c), are classified 
generally to this title.
    Act of June 9, 1916, referred to in subsec. (e), is not classified 
to the Code.
    Act of February 26, 1919, referred to in subsec. (e), is act Feb. 
26, 1919, ch. 47, 40 Stat. 1179, which is not classified to the Code.


                               Amendments

    1986--Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 99-632, Sec. 5(1), inserted exception 
relating to subsec. (e).
    Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 99-632, Sec. 5(2), added subsec. (e).

                  Section Referred to in Other Sections

    This section is referred to in sections 1716, 1748 of this title.