An Act to authorize the sale of certain public lands
PL 90-516 (S.220), enacted 09/26/1968

870 
PUBLIC LAW 90-516-SEPT. 26, 1968 
[82 STAT. 
80 Stat. 477-
reimbursement from funds of the Commission in such amounts as 
may be agreed upon by the Chairman of the Commission and the 
Administrator of General Services: Provided^ That the regulations of 
the General Services Administration for the collection of indebtedness 
of personnel resulting from erroneous payments (5 U.S.C, sec. 5514) 
shall apply to the collection of erroneous payments made to or on be-
half of a Commission employee, and regulations of said Administrator 
for the administrative control of funds (31 U.S.C. 665 (g)) shall apply 
to appropriations of the Commission: And provided further^ That the 
Commission shall not be required to prescribe such regulations. 
APPROPRIATIONS 
SEC. 7. There are hereby authorized to be appropriated not to exceed 
$5,000,000 to carry out the purposes of this Act. 
Approved September 26, 1968. 
September 26, 1968 
[S. 220] 
Public Law 90-516 
AN ACT 
To authorize the sale of certain public lands. 
Public lands. 
Sale. 
Contiguous 
landowners, 
preference right. 
Acreage limi-
tation. 
Expiration 
date. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Reprei^'entatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Secretary 
of the Interior is authorized, on his own motion or on application 
of an owner of contiguous lands, and upon a finding that it is not 
needed for public purposes, to sell at public auction any tract of public 
domain not exceeding one hundred and twenty acres that has been 
or is now subject to unintentional trespass, as determined by the 
Secretary, and that contains some land which has been or can be 
put to cultivation but which is insufficient because of climatic, topo-
graphic, ecologic, soil, or other factors to justify a classification 
as proper for disposal under the homestead or desert land laws. 
Except as provided in section 2 hereof, the tract shall be sold to the 
highest bidder. Except as provided in section 3 hereof, no tract shall 
be sold for less than its appraised fair market value. 
SEC. 2. For a period of thirty days from the day the high bid 
is received, any owner of contiguous lands shall have a preference right 
to buy the tract at such highest bid price. If two or more contiguous 
owners assert the preference right, the Secretary is authorized to 
make such division of the land among the applicants as he deems 
equitable. 
SEC. 3. If a person who has a preference right under section 2 of 
this Act is the purchaser of land sold pursuant to this Act, he shall 
not be required to pay for any values he or his predecessors in interest 
have added to the land. However, nothing in this Act shall relieve 
any person from liability to the United States for unauthorized 
use of the land prior to conveyance of title by the United States. 
SEC. 4. No person may acquire from the Secretary more than 
one hundred and twenty acres of land under the provisions of this 
Act. 
SEC. 5. The authority granted by this Act shall expire three years 
from the date of the passage of th* Act, but sales for which applica-
tion has been made in accordance with this Act prior to the ex-
piration of the three years may be consummated and patents may 
be issued in connection therewith after the three-year period. 
Approved September 26, 1968.