§ 208. Permits to take coal for local domestic needs without royalty payments; corporation exclusion; area to municipalities for household use without profit

That in order to provide for the supply of strictly local domestic needs for fuel, the Secretary of the Interior may, under such rules and regulations as he may prescribe in advance, issue limited licenses or permits to individuals or associations of individuals to prospect for, mine, and take for their use but not for sale, coal from the public lands without payment or royalty for the coal mined or the land occupied, on such conditions not inconsistent with this Act as in his opinion will safeguard the public interests: *Provided,* That this privilege shall not extend to any corporations: *Provided further,* That in the case of municipal corporations the Secretary of the Interior may issue such limited license or permit, for not to exceed three hundred and twenty acres for a municipality of less than one hundred thousand population, and not to exceed one thousand two hundred and eighty acres for a municipality of not less than one hundred thousand and not more than one hundred and fifty thousand population; and not to exceed two thousand five hundred and sixty acres for a municipality of one hundred and fifty thousand population or more, the land to be selected within the State wherein the municipal applicant may be located, upon condition that such municipal corporations will mine the coal therein under proper conditions and dispose of the same without profit to residents of such municipality for household use: *And provided further,* That the acquisition or holding of a lease under the preceding sections of this Act shall be no bar to the holding of such tract or operation of such mine under said limited license.