Great Basin National Park Act of 1986
PL 99-565 (S.2506), enacted 10/27/1986

PUBLIC LAW 99-565—OCT. 27, 1986 
100 STAT. 3181 
Public Law 99-565 
99th Congress 
An Act 
To establish a Great Basin National Park in the State of Nevada, and for other 
purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SHORT TITLE 
SECTION 1. This Act may be known as the "Great Beisin National 
Park Act of 1986". 
ESTABUSHMENT 
SEC. 2. (a) In order to preserve for the benefit and inspiration of 
the people a representative segment of the Great Basin of the 
Western United States possessing outstanding resources and signifi-
cant geological and scenic values, there is hereby established the 
Great Basin National Park (hereinafter in this Act referred to as the 
"park"). 
(b) The park shall consist of approximately seventy-six thousand 
acres, as depicted on the map entitled "Boundary Map, Great Basin 
National Park, Nevada," numbered NA-GB 20,017, and dated Octo-
ber 1986. The map shall be on file and available for public inspection 
in the offices of the National Park Service, Department of the 
Interior, and the Office of the Superintendent, Great Basin National 
Park, Nevada. 
(c) Within 6 months after the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
of the Interior (hereinafter in this Act referred to as the "Sec-
retary") shall file a legal description of the park designated under 
this section with the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs of 
the United States House of Representatives and with the Committee 
on Energy and Natural Resources of the United States Senate. Such 
legal description shall have the same force and effect as if included 
in this Act, except that the Secretary may correct clerical and 
typographical errors in such legal description and in the map 
referred to in subsection (a). The legal description shall be on file 
and available for public inspection in the offices of the National 
Park Service, Department of the Interior. 
(dXD The Lehman Caves National Monument, designated on 
January 24, 1922, by Presidential proclamation under the authority 
contained in the Act of June 8, 1906 (34 Stat. 225) is hereby 
abolished and the lands incorporated within the Great Basin Na-
tional Park. Any reference in any law, map, regulation, document, 
record, or other paper of the United States to such national monu-
ment shall be deemed to be a reference to Great Basin National 
Park. 
(2) Any funds available for purposes of the national monument 
shall be available for purposes of the park. 
Oct. 27, 1986 
[S. 2506] 
Great Basin 
National Park 
Act of 1986. 
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note. 
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Public 
information. 
Public 
information. 
100 STAT. 3182 
PUBLIC LAW 99-565—OCT. 27, 1986 
Conservation. 
Fish and fishing. 
Wildlife. 
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ADMINISTRATION 
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SEC. 3. (a) The Secretary shall administer the park in accordance 
with this Act and with the provisions of law generally applicable to 
units of the national park system, including the Act entitled "An 
Act to establish a National Park Service, and for other purposes," 
approved August 26,1916 (39 Stat. 535; 16 U.S.C. 1-4). The Secretary 
shall protect, manage, and administer the park in such manner as to 
conserve and protect the scenery, the natural, geologic, historic, and 
archaeological resources of the park, including fish and wildlife and 
to provide for the public use and enjoyment of the same in such a 
manner as to perpetuate these qualities for future generations. 
(b) The Secretary shall permit fishing on lands and waters under 
his jurisdiction within the park in accordance with the applicable 
laws of the United States and the State of Nevada, except that he 
may designate zones where, and periods when, no fishing may be 
permitted for reasons of public safety. Except in emergencies, any 
regulations prescribing such restrictions relating to fishing, shall be 
put into effect only after consultation with the appropriate State 
agency having jurisdiction over fishing activities. 
(c) After notice and opportunity for public hearing, the Secretary 
shall prepare a management plan for the park. The Secretary shall 
submit such plan to the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs 
of the United States House of Representatives and with the Commit-
tee on Energy and Natural Resources of the United States Senate 
within three years after the enactment of this Act. Such plan may 
be amended from time to time. The plan shall include, but not be 
limited to, provisions related to grazing within the park to the 
extent permitted under subsection (e) and provisions providing for 
the appropriate management of fish and wildlife and fishing within 
the park in accordance with subsection Qy). Such provisions shall be 
adopted only after consultation with the appropriate State agency 
having jurisdiction over fish and wildlife. 
(d) Subject to valid existing rights, Federal lands and interests 
therein, within the park, are withdrawn from disposition under the 
public lands laws and from entry or appropriation under the mining 
laws of the United States, from the operation of the mineral leasing 
laws of the United States, and from operation of the Geothermal 
Steam Act of 1970, as amended. 
(e) Subject to such limitations, conditions, or regulations as he 
may prescribe, the Secretary shall permit grazing on lands within 
the park to the same extent as was permitted on such lands as of 
July 1, 1985. Grazing within the park shall be administered by the 
National Park Service. 
(f) At the request of the permittee, or at the initiative of the 
Secretary, negotiations may take place at any time with holders of 
valid existing grazing permits on land within the park, for an 
exchange of all or part of their grazing allotments for allotments 
outside the park. No such exchange shall take place if, in the 
opinion of the affected Federal land management agency, the 
exchange would result in overgrazing of Federal lands. 
(g) Existing water-related range improvements inside the park 
may be maintained by the Secretary or the persons benefitting from 
them, subject to reasonable regulation by the Secretary. 
(h) Nothing in this Act shall be construed to establish a new 
express or implied reservation to the United States of any water or 
water-related right with respect to the land described in section 2 of 
PUBLIC LAW 99-565—OCT. 27, 1986 
100 STAT. 3183 
this Act: Provided, That the United States shall be entitled to only 
that express or implied reserved water right which may have been 
associated with the initial establishment and withdrawal of Hum-
boldt National Forest and the Lehman Caves National Monument 
from the public domain with respect to the land described in section 
2 of this Act. No provision of this Act shall be construed as authoriz-
ing the appropriation of water, except in accordance with the sub-
stantive and procedural law of the State of Nevada. 
(i) In order to encourage unified and cost-effective interpretation 
of the Great Basin physiographic region, the Secretary is authorized 
and encouraged to enter into cooperative agreements with other 
Federal, State, and local public departments and agencies providing 
for the interpretation of the Great Basin physiographic region. Such 
agreements shall include, but not be limited to, authority for the 
Secretary to develop and operate interpretive facilities and pro-
grams on lands and waters outside of the boundaries of such park, 
with the concurrence of the owner or administrator thereof. 
State and local 
governments. 
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ACQUISITION OF LAND 
SEC. 4. (a) The Secretary may acquire land or interests in land 
within the boundaries of the park by donation, purchase with 
donated or appropriated funds, or exchsmge, but no such lands or 
interests therein may be acquired without the consent of the owner 
thereof. Lands owned by the State of Nevada or any political 
subdivision thereof may be acquired only by donation or exchange. 
(b) Lands and waters, and interests therein, within the boundaries 
of the park which were administered by the Forest Service, United 
States Department of Agriculture prior to the date of enactment of 
this Act are hereby transferred to the administrative jurisdiction of 
the Secretary to be administered in accordance with this Act. The 
boundaries of the Humboldt National Forest shall be adjusted 
accordingly. 
. . . . . . 
AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS 
SEC. 5. (a) Not more than $800,000 are authorized to be appro-
priated for development of the park. 
(b) Not more than $200,000 are authorized to be appropriated for 
acquisition of lands and interests in land within the park. 
Approved October 27, 1986. 
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LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—S. 2506: 
SENATE REPORTS: No. 99-458 (eomm. on Energy and Natural Resources). 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 132 (1986): 
Sept. 30, considered and passed Senate. 
Oct. 6, considered and passed House, amended. 
Oct. 9, Senate concurred in House amendments.