An Act to establish the Fossil Butte National Monument in the State of Wyoming, and for other purposes
PL 92-537 (S.141), enacted 10/23/1972

86 STAT. ] 
PUBLIC LAW 92-537--OCT. 23, 1972 
1069 
Public Law 92-537 
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A N A C T 
October 23, 1972 
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To establish the Fossil Butte National Monument in the State of Wyoming, 
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and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, That, in order to 
fossii Butte 
preserve for the benefit and enjoyment of present and future genera- ment!"wyo.°"" 
tions outstanding paleontological sites and related geological phenom- 
Establishment. 
ena, and to provide for the display and interpretation of scientific 
specimens, the Fossil Butte National Monument (hereinafter referred 
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to as the "monument") is hereby established, to consist of lands, waters, 
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and interests therein within the boundaries as generally depicted on 
the drawing entitled "A Proposed Fossil Butte National Monument, 
Wyoming," Numbered FBNM-7200, dated April 1963, revised July 
1964, and totaling approximately eight thousand one hundred and 
eighty acres. The Secretary of the Interior (hereinafter referred to as boundar^ °1-
the "Secretary") may revise the boundaries of the monument from visions, pubUca-
time to time by publication of a notice to that effect in the Federal ^°".^" Federal 
Register, except that at no time shall the boundaries encompass more 
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than eight thousand two hundred acres. 
SEC. 2. The Secretary shall administer the monument pursuant to Administration. 
the Act approved August 25, 1916 (39 Stat. 535; 16 U.S.C. 1, 2-4), as 
amended and supplemented. 
SEC. 3. Within the boundaries of the monument the Secretary may . ^^"'^ acquisi-
acquire lands and interests in lands by donation, purchase, or 
exchange, except that lands or interests therein owned by the State 
of Wyoming or a political subdivision thereof may be acquired only 
by donation or exchange. 
SEC. 4. (a) For a period of ten years, and for not more than ten and°^^tf^n^^^ 
years thereafter if extended by the Secretary, the continuation of 
existing uses of Federal lands and waters within the monument for 
grazing and stock watering may be permitted if the Secretary finds 
that such uses will not conflict with public use, interpretation, or 
administration of the monument: Provided, That the use of lands 
within the monument for stock driveways shall continue in perpetuity 
at such places where this use will not conflict with administration of 
the monument. 
(b) Upon termination of the uses set forth in subsection (a) of this dir^ositfo"^^"^' 
section, the Secretary of the Interior is authorized to provide for the ^^°^^ 
disposition and use of water surplus to the needs of the monument, 
to a point or points outside the boundaries of the monument. 
SEC. 5. There are hereby authorized to be appropriated $378,000 
Appropriation. 
for land acquisition and not to exceed $4,469,000 (June 1971 prices) 
for development, plus or minus such amounts, if any, as may be 
Justified by reason of ordinary fluctuations in construction costs as 
indicated by engineering cost indices applicable to the type of con-
struction involved herein. 
Approved October 23, 1972. 
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