§539a. Mining and mineral leasing on certain national forest lands

Subject to valid existing rights, the minerals in public lands within the Copper River addition to the Chugach National Forest, are hereby withdrawn from location, entry, and patent under the United States mining laws. With respect to such areas, the Secretary, under such reasonable regulations as he deems appropriate, may permit the removal of nonleasable minerals from the lands in the manner prescribed by Reorganization Plan Numbered 3 of 1946 and section 520 of this title, and the removal of leasable minerals from such lands in accordance with the mineral leasing laws, if the Secretary finds that such disposition would not have significant adverse effects on the administration of the area. All receipts derived from disposal of nonleasable minerals under this section shall be paid into the same funds or accounts in the Treasury of the United States and shall be distributed in the same manner as provided for receipts from national forests.

( Pub. L. 96–487, title V, §502, Dec. 2, 1980, 94 Stat. 2399 .)

References in Text

The United States mining laws, referred to in text, are classified generally to Title 30, Mineral Lands and Mining.

Reorganization Plan Numbered 3 of 1946, referred to in text, is Reorg. Plan No. 3 of 1946, July 16, 1946, 11 F.R. 7875, 60 Stat. 1097, which is set out in the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and Employees.

The mineral leasing laws, referred to in text, have been defined in sections 315, 505, 530, and 541e of Title 30, Mineral Lands and Mining, to mean acts Oct. 20, 1914, ch. 330, 38 Stat. 741 ; Feb. 25, 1920, ch. 85, 41 Stat. 437 ; Apr. 17, 1926, ch. 158, 44 Stat. 301 ; and Feb. 7, 1927, ch. 66, 44 Stat. 1057 . The act of Oct. 20, 1914, was repealed by Pub. L. 86–252, §1, Sept. 9, 1959, 73 Stat 490. The act of Feb. 25, 1920, is known as the Mineral Leasing Act and is classified generally to chapter 3A (§181 et seq.) of Title 30. The act of Apr. 17, 1926, is classified generally to subchapter VIII (§271 et seq.) of chapter 3A of Title 30. The act of Feb. 7, 1927, is classified principally to subchapter IX (§281 et seq.) of chapter 3A of Title 30. For complete classification of these Acts to the Code, see Tables.