§ 818. Public lands included in project; reservation of lands from entry

Any lands of the United States included in any proposed project under the provisions of this subchapter shall from the date of filing of application therefor be reserved from entry, location, or other disposal under the laws of the United States until otherwise directed by the Commission or by Congress. Notice that such application has been made, together with the date of filing thereof and a description of the lands of the United States affected thereby, shall be filed in the local land office for the district in which such lands are located. Whenever the Commission shall determine that the value of any lands of the United States so applied for, or heretofore or hereafter reserved or classified as power sites, will not be injured or destroyed for the purposes of power development by location, entry, or selection under the public-land laws, the Secretary of the Interior, upon notice of such determination, shall declare such lands open to location, entry, or selection, for such purpose or purposes and under such restrictions as the Commission may determine, subject to and with a reservation of the right of the United States or its permittees or licensees to enter upon, occupy, and use any part or all of said lands necessary, in the judgment of the Commission, for the purposes of this subchapter, which right shall be expressly reserved in every patent issued for such lands; and no claim or right to compensation shall accrue from the occupation or use of any of said lands for said purposes. The United States or any licensee for any such lands hereunder may enter thereupon for the purposes of this subchapter, upon payment of any damages to crops, buildings, or other improvements caused thereby to the owner thereof, or upon giving a good and sufficient bond to the United States for the use and benefit of the owner to secure the payment of such damages as may be determined and fixed in an action brought upon the bond in a court of competent jurisdiction, said bond to be in the form prescribed by the Commission: Provided, That locations, entries, selections, or filings heretofore made for lands reserved as water-power sites, or in connection with water-power development, or electrical transmission may proceed to approval or patent under and subject to the limitations and conditions in this section contained: Provided further, That before any lands applied for, or heretofore or hereafter reserved, or classified as power sites, are declared open to location, entry, or selection by the Secretary of the Interior, notice of intention to make such declaration shall be given to the Governor of the State within which such lands are located, and such State shall have ninety days from the date of such notice within which to file, under any statute or regulation applicable thereto, an application for the reservation to the State, or any political subdivision thereof, of any lands required as a right-of-way for a public highway or as a source of materials for the construction and maintenance of such highways, and a copy of such application shall be filed with the Federal Power Commission; and any location, entry, or selection of such lands, or subsequent patent thereof, shall be subject to any rights granted the State pursuant to such application.

(June 10, 1920, ch. 285, pt. I, § 24, 41 Stat. 1075; renumbered pt. I and amended, Aug. 26, 1935, ch. 687, title II, §§ 211, 212, 49 Stat. 846, 847; May 28, 1948, ch. 351, 62 Stat. 275.)

Amendments

Amendments

1948—Act May 28, 1948, inserted second proviso in last sentence so that States may apply for reservations of portions of power sites released for entry, location, or selection to the States for highway purposes.

1935—Act Aug. 26, 1935, § 211, amended section generally, inserting “for such purpose or purposes and under such restrictions as the commission may determine”, substituted “part” for “chapter” wherever appearing, and striking out from proviso “prior to June 10, 1920” after “made”.