Chapter 421. To authorize the President of the United States to make withdrawals of public lands in certain cases
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CHAP. 421.— An Act To authorize the President of the United States to make withdrawals of public lands in certain cases. June 25, 1910.[[H. R. 24070](/us/bill/61/hr/24070).][[Public, No. 303](/us/pl/61/303).] *Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled*, That the President may, at Public lands. Temporary withdrawals by President for power sites, irrigation, etc., authorized. any time in his discretion, temporarily withdraw from settlement, location, sale, or entry any of the public lands of the United States including the District of Alaska and reserve the same for water-power sites, irrigation, classification of lands, or other public purposes to be specified in the orders of withdrawals, and such withdrawals or reservations shall remain in force until revoked by him or by an Act of Congress.
Sec. 2. That all lands withdrawn under the provisions of this Act Mining rights continued. shall at all times be open to exploration, discovery, occupation, and purchase, under the mining laws of the United States, so far as the Exceptions. same apply to minerals other than coal, oil, gas, and phosphates: *Provided*, *Provisos*. Rights of bona fide oil or gas claimants. That the rights of any person who, at the date of any order of withdrawal heretofore or hereafter made, is a bona fide occupant or claimant of oil or gas bearing lands, and who, at such date, is in diligent prosecution of work leading to discovery of oil or gas, shall not be affected or impaired by such order, so long as such occupant or claimant shall continue in diligent prosecution of said work: *And provided further*, Status of prior claims.
That this Act shall not be construed as a recognition, 848abridgment, or enlargement of any asserted rights or claims initiated upon any oil or gas bearing lands after any withdrawal of such lands Homestead, etc., settlements excepted. made prior to the passage of this Act: *And provided further*, That there shall be excepted from the force and effect of any withdrawal made under the provisions of this Act all lands which are, on the date of such withdrawal, embraced in any lawful homestead or desert-land entry theretofore made, or upon which any valid settlement has been made and is at said date being maintained and perfected pursuant to law: but the terms of this proviso shall not continue to apply to any particular tract of land unless the entryman or settler shall continue to comply with the law under which the entry or settlement was made:
Restriction on new forest reserves. *And provided farther*, That hereafter no forest reserve shall be created nor shall any additions be made to one heretofore created within the limits of the States of Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Colorado, or Wyoming, except by Act of Congress. Sec. 3. Report of withdrawals to Congress. That the Secretary of the Interior shall report all such withdrawals to Congress at the beginning of its next regular session after the date of the withdrawals.
Approved, June 25, 1910.