Opinion ID: 791655
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: San Juan's quiet title action.

Text: 3 San Juan claims its right-of-way under Section 8 of the Mining Act of 1866, . . . later codified as Revised Statute 2477. Revised Statute 2477, later codified at 43 U.S.C. § 932, was enacted by Congress in 1866 to assist in the development of the West by granting rights of way for construction of highways over public lands to miners, farmers, ranchers, and homesteaders. Southwest Four Wheel Drive Ass'n v. Bur. of Land Mgmt., 271 F.Supp.2d 1308, 1313 n. 8 (D.N.M.2003) (quotation omitted), aff'd, 363 F.3d 1069 (10th Cir.2004). This statute granted a right of way for the construction of highways over public lands . . . not reserved for public uses. Sierra Club v. Hodel, 848 F.2d 1068, 1078 (10th Cir.1988) (quotation omitted), overruled in part on other grounds by Village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque v. Marsh, 956 F.2d 970, 973 (10th Cir.1992) (en banc). [A] right-of-way could be obtained without application to, or approval by, the federal government. Rather, the grant referred to in R.S. 2477 became effective upon the construction or establishing of highways, in accordance with the State laws. Id. (citations, quotations and alterations omitted). Although Congress repealed R.S. 2477 in 1976, it explicitly protect[ed] R.S. 2477 rights-of-way in existence at that time. Id. In this quiet title action, San Juan asserts that [t]he Salt Creek road running along Salt Creek was used and constructed as a public thoroughfare for decades prior to the [federal government's] reserv [ing] the underlying lands for Canyonlands National Park in 1962. 4