---
kind: "section"
citation: "16 U.S.C. § 160b"
title: "16"
title_heading: "Conservation"
number: "160b"
heading: "Land acquisitions"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/16/160b"
units:
  - "Chapter 1 — National Parks, Military Parks, Monuments, and Seashores"
  - "Subchapter XIX — Voyageurs National Park"
---

# §160b. Land acquisitions

- (a) **Authorization—**
  - (1) **In general—** The [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1) may [acquire](/usc/16/620e.md?p=1) lands or interests therein within the boundaries of the [park](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-3) by donation, purchase with donated or appropriated funds, or exchange.
  - (2) **Certain portions of tracts—**
    - (A) **In general—** In any case in which only a portion of a tract of land is within the boundaries of the [park](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-3), the [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1) may [acquire](/usc/16/620e.md?p=1) all or any portion of the land outside of such boundaries in order to minimize the payment of severance costs.
    - (B) **Exchange—**
      - (i) **In general—** Any land acquired pursuant to [subparagraph (A)](#a-2-A) outside of the [park](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-3) boundaries may be exchanged by the [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1) for non-[Federal lands](/usc/16/620e.md?p=2) within the [park](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-3) boundaries.
      - (ii) **Portions not exchanged—** Any portion of land acquired outside the [park](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-3) boundaries and not utilized for exchange shall be reported to the General Services Administration for disposal under chapters [1](/usc/40/chstI/ch1.md) to [11](/usc/40/chstI/ch11.md) of title 40 and division C (except sections [3302](/usc/16/3302.md), 3307(e), [3501(b)](/usc/16/3501.md?p=b), [3509](/usc/16/3509.md), 3906, 4710, and [4711](/usc/16/4711.md)) of subtitle I of title 41.
    - (C) **Transfers of Federal property—** Any Federal property located within the boundaries of the [park](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-3) may be transferred without consideration to the administrative jurisdiction of the [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1) for the purposes of the [park](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-3).
    - (D) **Administrative jurisdiction—** Effective beginning on March 12, 2019, there is transferred to the National [Park](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-3) Service administrative jurisdiction over—
      - (i) any land managed by the Bureau of Land Management within the boundaries of the [park](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-3), as depicted on the [map](/usc/16/430f–7.md?p=1) described in [section 160a–1(a) of this title](/usc/16/160a–1.md?p=a); and
      - (ii) any additional public land identified by the Bureau of Land Management as appropriate for transfer within the boundaries of the [park](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-3).
    - (E) **Land owned by State—**
      - (i) **Donations and exchanges—** Any land located within or adjacent to the boundaries of the [park](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-3) that is owned by the [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a) of Minnesota (or a political [subdivision](/usc/16/539m–1.md?p=15) of the [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a)) may be acquired by the [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1) only through donation or exchange.
      - (ii) **Revision—** On completion of an [acquisition](/usc/16/620e.md?p=1) from the [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a) under [clause (i)](#a-2-E-i), the [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1) shall revise the boundaries of the [park](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-3) to reflect the [acquisition](/usc/16/620e.md?p=1).
- (b) **Offers by individuals—** In exercising the authority to [acquire](/usc/16/620e.md?p=1) property under this section, the [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1) shall give immediate and careful consideration to any offer made by any individual owning property within the [park](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-3) [area](/usc/16/539m–1.md?p=1-A) to sell such property to the [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1). In considering such offer, the [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1) shall [take](/usc/16/3102.md?p=18) into consideration any hardship to the [owner](/usc/16/429b–3.md?p=4) which might result from any undue delay in acquiring his property.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 91–661, § 201, Jan. 8, 1971, 84 Stat. 1970; Pub. L. 116–9, title II, § 2107(b), Mar. 12, 2019, 133 Stat. 727.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Codification

In subsec. (a), “chapters 1 to 11 of title 40 and division C (except sections 3302, 3307(e), 3501(b), 3509, 3906, 4710, and 4711) of subtitle I of title 41” substituted for “the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 (63 Stat. 377), as amended” on authority of Pub. L. 107–217, § 5(c), Aug. 21, 2002, 116 Stat. 1303, which Act enacted Title 40, Public Buildings, Property, and Works, and Pub. L. 111–350, § 6(c), Jan. 4, 2011, 124 Stat. 3854, which Act enacted Title 41, Public Contracts.

### Amendments

2019—Pub. L. 116–9, § 2107(b)(1), inserted section catchline.

Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 116–9, § 2107(b)(1), (2), inserted subsec. heading and in six sentences of existing provisions: designated first sentence as par. (1) and inserted heading; designated second to fifth sentences collectively as par. (2) and individually as subpars. (A), (B)(i), (B)(ii), and (C) of par. (2), respectively, and inserted par., subpar., and cl. headings; and struck out sixth sentence which read as follows: “Lands within the boundaries of the park owned by the State of Minnesota, or any political subdivision thereof, may be acquired only by donation.”

Subsec. (a)(2)(A). Pub. L. 116–9, § 2107(b)(2)(A), substituted “In any case in which only a portion of a tract of land is within the boundaries of the park” for “When any tract of land is only partly within such boundaries”.

Subsec. (a)(2)(B)(i). Pub. L. 116–9, § 2107(b)(2)(B), substituted “Any land acquired pursuant to subparagraph (A)” for “Land so acquired”.

Subsec. (a)(2)(D), (E). Pub. L. 116–9, § 2107(b)(2)(E), added subpars. (D) and (E).

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 116–9, § 2107(b)(3), inserted heading and substituted “the authority” for “his authority”.