USC Subchapter LXXIII

in effect

16 U.S.C. § 460o Establishment

In order to further the purposes of the joint resolution approved September 27, 1961 (re Delaware River Basin compact; 75 Stat. 688), and to provide in a manner coordinated with the other purposes of the Tocks Island Reservoir project, for public outdoor recreation use and enjoyment of the proposed Tocks Island Reservoir and lands adjacent thereto by the people of the United States and for preservation of the scenic, scientific, and historic features contributing to public enjoyment of such lands and waters, the Secretary of the Interior is authorized, as herein provided, to establish and administer the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, hereinafter referred to as the “area”, as part of the Tocks Island Reservoir project, hereinafter referred to as “the project”.

16 U.S.C. § 460o–1 Acquisition of lands

(a) Authority of Secretary of Army; transfer of jurisdiction over lands to Secretary of the Interior; authority of such Secretary; retention of use and occupancy rights; termination and transfer of authority and funds; acquisition prioritiesThe Secretary of the Army is authorized and directed to acquire, by such means as he may deem to be in the public interest, and as a part of his acquisition of properties for the project, lands and interests therein within the boundaries of the area, as generally depicted on the drawing entitled “Proposed Tocks Island National Recreation Area” dated and numbered September 1962, NRA–TI–7100, which drawing is on file in the Office of the National Park Service, Department of the Interior. In acquiring these lands, the Secretary of the Army may utilize such statutory authorities as are available to him for the acquisition of project lands: Provided, That the Secretary of the Army shall acquire no lands or interests in land by exchange for lands or interests in land in Federal ownership unless the latter are in the States of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, or New York. Periodically, and as soon as practicable after such lands and interests within the area are acquired, the Secretary of the Army shall transfer jurisdiction thereover to the Secretary of the Interior for the purposes of this subchapter. Beginning on November 10, 1978, the Secretary of the Interior is authorized to acquire for purposes of the recreation area established under this subchapter all lands and interests therein within the exterior boundaries of the area depicted on the drawing referred to in this subsection (including any lands within such exterior boundaries designated for acquisition by the Secretary of the Army in connection with the project referred to in this subsection). In exercising such authority, the Secretary of the Interior may permit the retention of rights of use and occupancy in the same manner as provided in the case of acquisitions by the Secretary of the Army under subsection (d). On November 10, 1978, the acquisition authorities of any other Federal agency contained in this subsection shall terminate and the head of any other Federal agency shall transfer to the Secretary of the Interior jurisdiction over all lands and interests therein acquired by said agency under the authority of this subchapter, or any other authority of law which lands are within the exterior boundaries of the area depicted on the drawing referred to in this subsection. On November 10, 1978, all unexpended balances available to any other Federal agency for acquisition of land within the exterior boundaries referred to in the preceding sentence shall be transferred to the Secretary of the Interior to be used for such purposes. In carrying out his acquisition authority under this section the Secretary shall give priority to the following:(1) completion of acquisition of lands for which condemnation proceedings have been started pursuant to the authorization of the project referred to in this subsection; (2) acquisition of lands of beneficial owners, not being a corporation, who in the judgment of the Secretary would suffer hardship if acquisition of their lands were delayed; (3) acquisition of lands on which, in the judgment of the Secretary, there is an imminent danger of development that would be incompatible with the purposes of the recreation area; (4) acquisition of lands of beneficial owners, not being a corporation, who are willing to sell their lands provided they are able to continue to use it for noncommercial residential purposes for a limited period of time which will not, in the judgment of the Secretary, unduly interfere with the development of public use facilities for such national recreation area, pursuant to the authorization for such area; (5) acquisition of scenic easements when, in the judgment of the Secretary, such easements are sufficient to carry out the purposes for which such national recreation area was authorized; and (6) acquisition of lands necessary to preserve the integrity of the recreation area. (b) Omission of designated lands from areaNotwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, the Secretary of the Interior is authorized, after consultation with appropriate public officials of the affected political subdivisions of the States of Pennsylvania or New Jersey, as the case may be, to designate not more than three hundred acres adjacent and contiguous to the Borough of Milford, Pennsylvania, and not more than one thousand acres in Sussex County, New Jersey, for omission from the Delaware Valley National Recreation Area and the lands so designated shall not be acquired for said national recreation area under authority of this subchapter. (c) Extension of boundaries; study and report to CongressThe Secretary of the Interior shall investigate, study, and report to the President and the Congress on the feasibility and usefulness of extending the boundaries of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area to include, in whole or in part, that portion of Tocks Island Reservoir which lies upstream from the northern terminus of the national recreation area as shown on the map hereinbefore referred to and lands adjacent to said portion of said reservoir. No such extension of boundaries, however, shall be made until authorized by Act of Congress. (d) Noncommercial residential occupancy for life or fixed term of years; price for property; “improved residential property” defined; waiver of relocation assistance benefits or rightsThe beneficial owner, not being a corporation, of a freehold interest acquired before January 1, 1965, in improved residential property within the area to be acquired by the Secretary of the Army under authority of this subchapter, the continued use of which property for noncommercial residential purposes for a limited time will not, in the judgment of the Secretary of the Interior, unduly interfere with the development of public-use facilities for the national recreation area and will not, in the judgment of the Secretary of the Army, unduly interfere with the operation of the Tocks Island Reservoir project, may retain a right of use and occupancy of such property for noncommercial residential purposes for, as said owner may elect, either (i) a period terminating upon his death or the death of his spouse, whichever occurs later, or (ii) a term of not more than twenty-five years: Provided, That in no case shall the period or term for which such right of use and occupancy is retained extend beyond the term of the freehold interest acquired by the United States. The price payable to the owner of such property shall be reduced by an amount equal to the value of the right retained. As used in this subchapter “improved residential property” means a single-family year-round dwelling, the construction of which was begun before January 21, 1963, which dwelling serves as the owner’s permanent place of abode at the time of its acquisition by the United States, together with not more than three acres of land on which the dwelling and appurtenant buildings are located which land the Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary of the Army, as the case may be, finds is reasonably necessary for the owner’s continued use and occupancy of the dwelling: Provided, further, That whenever an owner of property elects to retain a right of use and occupancy pursuant to this subchapter, such owner shall be deemed to have waived any benefits or rights under the Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970 [42 U.S.C. 4601 et seq.].

16 U.S.C. § 460o–2 Designation of area; boundaries

(a) Publication in Federal Register; description of boundaries; administration of transferred lands and watersAs soon as practicable after September 1, 1965, and following the transfer to the Secretary of the Interior by the Secretary of the Army of jurisdiction over those lands and interests therein within the boundary generally depicted on the drawing described in section 460o–1 of this title which, in the opinion of the Secretary of the Interior, constitute an efficiently administrable unit, the Secretary of the Interior shall declare establishment of the area by publication of notice thereof in the Federal Register. Such notice shall contain a detailed description of the boundaries of the area which shall encompass, to the extent practicable, the lands and waters shown on said drawing. Prior to such establishment, the Secretary of the Interior shall administer such transferred lands and waters, consistent with the construction of the project, for purposes in contemplation of the establishment of the area pursuant to this subchapter. (b) Adjustments in boundaries; publication in Federal Register; acquisition of additional lands; acreage limitationsThe Secretary of the Interior may subsequently make adjustments in the boundary of the area by publication of the amended description thereof in the Federal Register and acquire, by such means as he may deem to be in the public interest, including an exchange of excluded for included lands or interests therein with or without the payment or receipt of money to equalize values, additional lands and interests therein included in the area by reason of the boundary adjustment: Provided, That the area encompassed by such revised boundary shall not exceed the acreage included within the detailed boundary first described pursuant to this section. (c) Continuance of existing usesOn lands acquired pursuant to this subchapter for recreation purposes, the Secretary of the Army, with the concurrence of the Secretary of the Interior, may permit the continuance of existing uses consistent with the purposes of this subchapter.

16 U.S.C. § 460o–3 Administration authorities for conservation, management, or disposal of natural resources; coordination of administrative responsibilities of the Secretary of the Interior and Secretary of the Army

In the administration of the area for the purposes of this subchapter, the Secretary of the Interior may utilize such statutory authorities relating to areas of the national park system and such statutory authorities otherwise available to him for the conservation, management, or disposal of vegetative, mineral, or fish or wildlife resources as he deems appropriate to carry out the purposes of this subchapter. To assure consistent and effective planning, development, and operation for all purposes of the project, the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of the Army shall coordinate the administration of their respective responsibilities in the project; and such administration shall be consistent with the joint resolution approved September 27, 1961 (re Delaware River Basin compact; 75 Stat. 688).

16 U.S.C. § 460o–4 Land and water use management plan; adoption, implementation, and revision; provisions

In the administration of the area for the purposes of this subchapter, the Secretary of the Interior, subject to provisions of section 460o–3 of this title, shall adopt and implement, and may from time to time revise, a land and water use management plan, which shall include specific provision for, in order of priority— (1) public outdoor recreation benefits; (2) preservation of scenic, scientific, and historic features contributing to public enjoyment; (3) such utilization of natural resources as in the judgment of the Secretary of the Interior is consistent with, and does not significantly impair, public recreation and protection of scenic, scientific, and historic features contributing to public enjoyment.

16 U.S.C. § 460o–5 Hunting and fishing

The Secretary of the Interior shall permit hunting and fishing on lands and waters under his jurisdiction within the area in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations of the States concerned and of the United States. The Secretary of the Interior may designate zones where, and establish periods when, no hunting shall be permitted for reasons of public safety, wildlife management, administration, or public use and enjoyment not compatible with hunting, and may, in his plan for the area, provide areas for intensive fish and wildlife management, including public hunting and fishing, and shall issue appropriate regulations after consultation with appropriate officials of the States concerned. The Secretary of the Interior shall encourage such officials to adopt uniform regulations applicable to the whole of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.

16 U.S.C. § 460o–6 Civil and criminal jurisdiction and taxing power of State

Nothing in this subchapter shall be construed to deprive any State or political subdivision thereof, of its right to exercise civil and criminal jurisdiction over the lands and waters within the area or of its right to tax persons, corporations, franchises, or property on the lands and waters included in the area.

16 U.S.C. § 460o–7 Authorization of appropriations

There are hereby authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of the Interior for the acquisition of lands and interests in land pursuant to the provisions of section 460o–1 of this title and for expenses incident thereto not more than $65,000,000 which moneys shall be transferred to the Secretary of the Army. There are also authorized to be appropriated not more than $18,200,000 for the cost of installing and constructing recreation facilities on the lands and interests in lands so acquired. The amounts herein authorized to be appropriated are supplemental to those authorized to be appropriated for the Tocks Island project and related facilities by the Flood Control Act of 1962 (76 Stat. 1182).