30 U.S.C. § 621 : US Code - Section 621: Entry to lands reserved for power development

Search 30 U.S.C. § 621 : US Code - Section 621: Entry to lands reserved for power development

(a) Conditions of entry
All public lands belonging to the United States heretofore, now
or hereafter withdrawn or reserved for power development or power
sites shall be open to entry for location and patent of mining
claims and for mining, development, beneficiation, removal, and
utilization of the mineral resources of such lands under applicable
Federal statutes: Provided, That all power rights to such lands
shall be retained by the United States: Provided further, That
locations made under this chapter within the revested Oregon and
California Railroad and reconveyed Coos Bay Wagon grant lands shall
also be subject to the provisions of the Act of April 8, 1948,
Public Law 477 (Eightieth Congress, second session): And provided
further, That nothing contained herein shall be construed to open
for the purposes described in this section any lands (1) which are
included in any project operating or being constructed under a
license or permit issued under the Federal Power Act [16 U.S.C.
791a et seq.] or other Act of Congress, or (2) which are under
examination and survey by a prospective licensee of the Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission, if such prospective licensee holds an
uncanceled preliminary permit issued under the Federal Power Act
authorizing him to conduct such examination and survey with respect
to such lands and such permit has not been renewed in the case of
such prospective licensee more than once.
(b) Placer claims; notice; hearing; order; rules and regulations
The locator of a placer claim under this chapter, however, shall
conduct no mining operations for a period of sixty days after the
filing of a notice of location pursuant to section 623 of this
title. If the Secretary of the Interior, within sixty days from the
filing of the notice of location, notifies the locator by
registered mail or certified mail of the Secretary's intention to
hold a public hearing to determine whether placer mining operations
would substantially interfere with other uses of the land included
within the placer claim, mining operations on that claim shall be
further suspended until the Secretary has held the hearing and has
issued an appropriate order. The order issued by the Secretary of
the Interior shall provide for one of the following: (1) a complete
prohibition of placer mining; (2) a permission to engage in placer
mining upon the condition that the locator shall, following placer
operations, restore the surface of the claim to the condition in
which it was immediately prior to those operations; or (3) a
general permission to engage in placer mining. No order by the
Secretary with respect to such operations shall be valid unless a
certified copy is filed in the same State or county office in which
the locator's notice of location has been filed in compliance with
the United States mining laws.
The Secretary shall establish such rules and regulations as he
deems desirable concerning bonds and deposits with respect to the
restoration of lands to their condition prior to placer mining
operations. Moneys received from any bond or deposit shall be used
for the restoration of the surface of the claim involved, and any
money received in excess of the amount needed for the restoration
of the surface of that claim shall be refunded.
(c) Validity of withdrawals unaffected
Nothing in this chapter shall affect the validity of withdrawals
or reservations for purposes other than power development.