§ 211. — Phosphate deposits.
[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 30USC211]
TITLE 30--MINERAL LANDS AND MINING
CHAPTER 3A--LEASES AND PROSPECTING PERMITS
SUBCHAPTER III--PHOSPHATES
Sec. 211. Phosphate deposits
(a) Authorization to lease land; terms and conditions; acreage
The Secretary of the Interior is authorized to lease to any
applicant qualified under this chapter, through advertisement,
competitive bidding, or such other methods as he may by general
regulations adopt, any phosphate deposits of the United States, and
lands containing such deposits, including associated and related
minerals, when in his judgment the public interest will be best served
thereby. The lands shall be leased under such terms and conditions as
are herein specified, in units reasonably compact in form of not to
exceed two thousand five hundred and sixty acres.
(b) Prospecting permits; issuance; term; acreage; entitlement to lease
Where prospecting or exploratory work is necessary to determine the
existence or workability of phosphate deposits in any unclaimed,
undeveloped area, the Secretary of the Interior is authorized to issue,
to any applicant qualified under this chapter, a prospecting permit
which shall give the exclusive right to prospect for phosphate deposits,
including associated minerals, for a period of two years, for not more
than two thousand five hundred and sixty acres; and if prior to the
expiration of the permit the permittee shows to the Secretary that
valuable deposits of phosphate have been discovered within the area
covered by his permit, the permittee shall be entitled to a lease for
any or all of the land embraced in the prospecting permit.
(c) Extension of term of permit
Any phosphate permit issued under this section may be extended by
the Secretary for such an additional period, not in excess of four
years, as he deems advisable, if he finds that the permittee has been
unable, with reasonable diligence, to determine the existence or
workability of phosphate deposits in the area covered by the permit and
desires to prosecute further prospecting or exploration, or for other
reasons warranting such an extension in the opinion of the Secretary.
(Feb. 25, 1920, ch. 85, Sec. 9, 41 Stat. 440; June 3, 1948, ch. 379,
Sec. 2, 62 Stat. 290; Pub. L. 86-391, Sec. 1(a), Mar. 18, 1960, 74 Stat.
7.)
Amendments
1960--Pub. L. 86-391 designated existing provisions as subsec. (a)
and added subsecs. (b) and (c).
1948--Act June 3, 1948, included provision limiting amount of land
in lease.
Section Referred to in Other Sections
This section is referred to in sections 213, 214 of this title;
title 10 sections 7421, 7435.
