An Act to amend the Recreation Act of June 14, 1926, to include other public purposes and to permit nonprofit organizations to purchase or lease public lands for certain purposes
PL 83-387 (H.R.1815), enacted 06/04/1954

68 S T A T . ] 
PUBLIC LAW 387-JUNE 4, 1954 
173 
one-hundredths feet to a point, said point being the intersection of the 
center line of Holt Road and Wade Street; thence in a westerly direc-
tion along the center line of Wade Street extended three thousand four 
hundred forty-five and eighty-nine one-hundredths feet to a point; 
thence in a northerly direction nine hundred thirty-two and thirteen 
one-hundredths feet to a point on the north line of Raymond Street 
extended, said point being two hundred nineteen and seventy-eight 
one-hundredths feet east of the east line of Denniston Street; thence 
in a westerly direction along the north line of Raymond Street extended 
two hundred nineteen and seventy-eight one-hundredths feet to a point 
in the east line of Denniston Street; thence north along the east line of 
Denniston Street one thousand one hundred sixty-five and twenty-
one one-hundredths feet to a point; thence in an easterly direction 
along a line parallel to Lagrand Avenue eight hundred fifty-nine and 
thirty-one one-hundredths feet to a point on the east line of Roena 
Avenue; thence north along the east line of Roena Avenue one thousand 
four hundred ninety-three and seventy-nine one-hundredths feet to a 
point on the east-west center line of section 18; thence in an easterly 
direction along the east-west center line of sections 18 and 17, and the 
center of Minnesota Avenue two thousand seven hundred ninety-one 
and eight-tenths feet to a point of beginning; containing two hundred 
fifty-eight and ten one-hundredths acres, more or less; and being the 
same land under lease to the United States from 1942 to December 31, 
1946, covered by lease contract numbered W2215-ENG-69, between the 
State of Indiana and the United States, executed April 7,1942; shown 
as tract 4 on the military real-estate map of Stout Field, numbered 
1627, approved July 6, 1945, on file in the Ojffice, Chief of Engineers. 
(3) In time of war or of national emergency heretofore or here-
after declared by the President or the Congress, and upon the request 
of the Secretary of Defense to the State of Indiana, the United States 
shall have the right to the exclusive or nonexclusive use of all or any 
part of the State land for the full period of such war or national 
emergency without cost to the United States. Upon the expiration 
of such war or national emergency the use of the State land shall 
cease in favor of the State of Indiana. 
(4) In the event that the State of Indiana shall at any time sell, 
convey, or otherwise dispose of, or shall attempt to sell, convey, or 
otherwise dispose of, all or any part of the State or Federal land 
without the consent of the Secretary of Defense, all of the right, title, 
and interest in and to the Federal land, including any improvements 
thereon, shall revert to the United States without cost. 
SEC. 3. Nothing herein contained shall prevent the State of Indiana 
leases, etc. 
from granting leases of said lands and rights and easements therein 
and thereon without the consent of the Secretary of Defense provid-
ing any such leases, rights, and easements are made subject to the 
right of use thereof by ihe United States during war or national 
emergency. 
Approved June 4, 1954. 
Public Law 387 
CHAPTER 263 
AN ACT 
June 4,1954 
To amend the Kecreation Act of June 14, 1926, to include other public purposes 
[H. R. isiS] 
and to permit nonprofit organizations to purchase or lease public lands for 
certain purposes. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and Hou^ne of Representatives 
of the 
United States 
of America 
in Congress assembled^ That the Act 
approved June 14, 1926 (44 Stat. 741; 43 U. S. C , sec. 869), entitled 
Public lands. 
174 
PUBLIC LAW 387~JU^fE 4, 1954 
[68 S T A T . 
D i s p o s a l for 
p ubl ic or recrea-
tional ptirposes. 
Limitationst 
Sale or lease, 
etc. 
States, etc. 
Historic monu-
ments. 
Nonprofit cor-
poration, etc. 
"An Act to authorize acquisition or use of public lands by States, 
counties, or municipalities for recreational purposes", is hereby 
amended to read as follows: 
"SECTION 1. (a) The Secretary of the Interior upon application 
filed by a duly qualified applicant under section 2 of this Act may, in 
the manner prescribed by this Act, dispose of any public lands to a 
State, Territory, county, municipality, or other State, Territorial, or 
Federal instrumentality or political subdivision for any public pur-
poses, or to a nonprofit corporation or nonprofit association for any 
recreational or any public purpose consistent with its articles of incor-
poration or other creating authority. 
Before the land may be disposed 
of under this Act it must be shown to the satisfaction of the Secretary 
that the land is to be used for an established or definitely proposed 
project. 
The Secretary may classify public lands in Alaska for dis-
position under this Act. 
Lands so classified may not be appropriated 
under any other public land law unless the Secretary revises such 
classification or authorizes the disposition of an interest in the lands 
under other applicable law. If, within eighteen months following 
such classification, no application has been filed for the purpose for 
which the lands have been so classified, then the Secretary shall restore 
such lands to appropriation under the applicable public land laws. 
"(b) No more than six hundred and forty acres may be conveyed to 
any one grantee in any one calendar year. 
"(c) Where the lands have been withdrawn in aid of a function of a 
Federal department or agency other than the Department of the 
Interior, or of a State, Territory, county, municipality, water district, 
or other local governmental subdivision or agency, the Secretary of the 
Interior may make disposals under this Act only with the consent of 
such Federal department or agency, or of such State, Territory, or 
local governmental unit. 
Nothing in this Act shall be construed to 
apply to lands in any national forest, national park, or national monu-
ment, or national wildlife refuge, or the revested Oregon and Cali-
fornia Railroad grant lands in the State of Oregon, or the reconveyed 
Coos Bay Wagon Road grant lands in the State of Oregon, or to any 
Indian lands, or lands set aside or held for the use or benefit of Indians, 
including lands over which jurisdiction has been transferred to the 
Department of the Interior by Executive order for the use of Indians. 
Nor shall any disposition be made under this Act for any use author-
ized under any other law, except for a use authorized under the Act of 
June 1,1938 (52 Stat. 609; 43 U. S. C , sec. 682a), as amended. 
"SEC. 2. The Secretary of the Interior may after due consideration 
as to the power value of the land, whether or not withdrawn therefor, 
(a) sell such land to the State, Territory, county, or other State, Terri-
torial, or Federal instrumentality or political subdivision in which the 
lands are situated, or to a nearby municipal corporation in the same 
State or Territory, for the purpose for which the land has been classi-
fied, and conveyances of such land for historic-monument purposes 
under this subsection shall be made without monetary consideration, 
while conveyances for any other purpose under this subsection shall 
be made at a price to be fixed by the Secretary of the Interior through 
appraisal or otherwise, after taking into consideration the purpose 
for which the lands are to be used; (b) lease such land to the State, 
Territory, county, or other State, Territorial, or Federal instrumen-
tality or political subdivision in which the lands are situated, or to a 
nearDy municipal corporation in the same State or Territory, for the 
purpose for which the land has been classified, at a reasonable annual 
rental, for a period up to twenty years, and, at the discretion of the 
Secretary, with a privilege of renewal for a like period, (c) sell such 
land to a nonprofit corporation or nonprofit association, for the purpose 
for which the land has been classified, at a price to be fixed by the 
68 S T A T . ] 
PUBLIC LAW 38a-JUNE 4, 1954 
175 
Secretary of the Interior through appraisal, after taking into consider-
ation the purpose for which the lands are to be used, or (d) lease such 
land to a nonprofit corporation or nonprofit association at a reasonable 
annual rental, for a period up to twenty years, and, at the discretion 
of the Secretary, with a privilege of renewal for a like period. 
Each 
patent or lease so issued shall contain a reservation to the United States 
of all mineral deposits in the lands conveyed or leased and of the right 
to mine and remove the same, under applicable laws and regulations 
to be established by the Secretary. 
Each lease shall contain a pro-
vision for its termination upon a finding by the Secretary that the land 
has not been used by the lessee for the purpose specified in the lease 
for such period, not over five years, as may be specified in the lease, 
or that such land or any part thereof is beiiig devoted to another use. 
"SEC. 3. Title to lands conveyed by the Government under this Act 
may not be transferred by the grantee or its successor except, with the 
consent of the Secretary of the Interior, to a transferee w-hich would 
be a qualified grantee under section 2 (a) or (c) and subject to the 
acreage limitation contained in section 1 (b) of this Act. A grantee 
or its successor may not change the use specified in the conveyance to 
another or additional use except, with the consent of the Secretary, 
to a use for which such grantee or its successor could obtain a con-
veyance under this Act. 
If at any time after the lands are conveyed 
by the Government, the grantee or its successor attempts to transfer 
title to or control over these lands to another or the lands are devoted 
to a use other than that for which the lands were conveyed, without 
the consent of the Secretary, title to the lands shall revert to the United 
States. The provisions of this section, however, shall cease to be in 
eifect as to any lands patented under this Act twenty-five years after 
the issuance of patent for such lands. 
"SEC. 4. The Secretary may authorize transfei*s of title or changes 
in use in accordance with the provisions of section 3 of this Act with 
respect to any patent heretofore issued under any Act upon application 
by a patentee qualified to obtain a conveyance under section 2 (a) or 
(c) of this Act. 
If the Secretary, pursuant to such an application, 
authorizes such transfer or use, all reverter provisions and other 
limitations on transfer or use, under this or any other Act affecting 
the lands involved, shall cease to be in effect twenty-five years after 
the Secretary authorizes the transfer or use for a changed or additional 
purpose under the provisions of this section. 
"SEC. 5. The Act of September 30, 1890, entitled 'An Act to 
authorize entry of the public lands by incorporated cities and towns 
for cemetery and park purposes', and the Act of October 17, 1940, 
entitled 'An Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to sell or 
lease for park or recreational purposes, and to sell for cemetery 
purposes, certain public lands in Alaska', are hereby repealed." 
Approved June 4, 1954. 
R e s e r v a t i o n t
o
< 
U.S. 
Title transfer. 
Authorization. 
Repeals. 
26 Stat. 502; 
Stat. 1192. 
43 u s e 729 and 
note. 
54 
Public Law 388 
CHAPTER 264 
AN ACT 
To provide for sundry administrative matters affecting the Federal Government, 
particularly the Army, Navy, Air Force, and State Department, and for other 
purposes. 
June 4,1954 
[H. R. 2225] 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled^ That in all cases 
where relief has been granted or may hereafter be granted to disburs-
ing officers or agents of the Army, Navy, Air Force, and State Depart-
ment operating under accounts of advances, under the authority of 
D i s b u r s i n g of-
ficers. 
Accounts of ad> 
vances.