16 U.S.C. § 119 - U.S. Code - Unannotated Title 16. Conservation § 119. Establishment; notice in Federal Register; administration; exchange and acquisition of lands; remaining funds

In order to permit the establishment of the Petrified Forest National Monument, Arizona, and other lands as provided for herein, as the Petrified Forest National Park, such national park shall be established (a) after title to all of the lands described in section 119a of this title shall have been vested in the United States, with the exception of such easements and rights-of-way for railroad, public utilities, and highway purposes as may be acceptable to the Secretary of the Interior, and (b) when notification of the effective date of such establishment of the park, as determined by the said Secretary, is published in the Federal Register. Disestablishment of the Petrified Forest National Monument shall be effected concurrently with the establishment of the park.

The Petrified Forest National Park shall be preserved and administered in its natural condition by the Secretary of the Interior for the public benefit in accordance with the general laws governing areas of the National Park System and in accordance with the basic policies relating thereto as prescribed by the Act of August 25, 1916 (39 Stat. 535; 16 U.S.C., 1952 edition, secs. 1-3). 1

The exchange authority prescribed for the Petrified Forest National Monument in sections 444 and 444a of this title, is hereby extended to all the lands within the Petrified Forest National Park as herein authorized.

For the purposes of this section and section 119a of this title, the Secretary is authorized to acquire, in such manner as he shall consider to be in the public interest, any non-Federal land or interests in land within the area hereby authorized to be established as the Petrified Forest National Park. In acquiring any State-owned land or interests therein within the aforesaid area, such property may be procured by the United States without regard to any limitations heretofore prescribed by the Congress relating to the disposal of State-owned properties.

Upon establishment of the Petrified Forest National Park, as authorized by this section and section 119a of this title, any remaining balance of funds that may be available for purposes of the Petrified Forest National Monument shall thereafter be available for expenditure for purposes of the Petrified Forest National Park.