An Act to further the policy enunciated in the Act of October 26, 1949 (63 Stat. 927), to facilitate public participation in the preservation of sites, buildings, and objects of national significance or interest by providing for a National Trust for Historic Preservation in the United States
PL 83-160 (H.R.3581), enacted 07/28/1953

228 
PUBUC LAW 160-JULY 28, 1953 
[67 S T A T . 
Public land pat-
ents. 
Mineral reserva* 
tion. 
"That the Secretary of the Interior (a) shall, whenever it shall 
be shown to his satisfaction that a tract of puolic land has been 
held in good faith and in peaceful, adverse, possession by a claim-
ant, his ancestors or grantors, under claim or color of title for 
more than twenty years, and that valuable improvements have 
been placed on such land or some part thereof has been reduced to 
cultivation, or (b) may, in his discretion, whenever it shall be 
shown to his satisfaction that a tract of public land has been held 
in good faith and in peaceful, adverse, possession by a claimant, 
his ancestors or grantors, under claim or color of title for the 
period commencing not later than January 1, 1901, to the date of 
application during which time they have paid taxes levied on the 
land by State and local governmental units, issue a patent for not 
to exceed one hundred and sixty acres of such land upon the pay-
ment of not less than $1.25 per acre:". 
SEC. 2. The following section is added to the Act of December 22, 
1928, supra: 
"SEC. 3. If the claimant requests that the patent to be issued under 
this Act not contain a mineral reservation and if he can establish to 
the satisfaction of the Secretary that the requirements of this Act 
have been complied with by such claimant and his predecessors for 
the period commencing not later than January 1, 1901, to the date of 
application, no mineral reservation shall be made unless the lands 
are, at the time of issuance of the patent, within a mineral withdrawal 
or subject to an outstanding mineral lease." 
Approved July 28, 1953. 
July 28, 1953 
[H. R. 3581] 
Public Law 160 
CHAPTER 255 
AN ACT 
To further the policy enunciated in the Act of October 26, 1949 (63 Stat. 927), 
to facilitate i)ublic participation in the preservation of sites, buildings, and 
objects of national significance or interest by providing for a National Trust 
for Historic Preservation in the United States. 
National T r u s t 
for Historic Pres-
ervation in U. S. 
General trustees. 
16 u s e 468b. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assemMed, Thatji in order to 
further the policy of historic preservation in the United States as 
enunciated in the Act of October 26, 1949 (63 Stat. 927), the third, 
fourth, and fifth sentences of section 3 of that Act are hereby amended 
to read as follows: "The number of general trustees shall be fixed by 
the Board of Trustees of the National Trust and shall be chosen by 
the members of the National Trust from its members at any regular 
meeting of said National Trust. 
The respective terms of office of 
the general trustees shall be as prescribed by said board of trustees 
but in no case shall exceed a period of five years from the date of 
election. A successor to a general trustee shall be chosen in the same 
manner and shall have a term expiring five years from the date of the 
expiration of the term for which his predecessor was chosen, except 
that a successor chosen to fill a vacancy occurring prior to the expira-
tion of such term shall be chosen only for the remainder of that 
term.". 
Approved July 28, 1953.