---
kind: "section"
citation: "16 U.S.C. § 262"
title: "16"
title_heading: "Conservation"
number: "262"
heading: "Total area; consent of Congress to acquisition of lands and property and transfer thereof to United States"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/16/262"
units:
  - "Chapter 1 — National Parks, Military Parks, Monuments, and Seashores"
  - "Subchapter XXVIII — Cumberland Gap National Historical Park"
---

# §262. Total area; consent of Congress to acquisition of lands and property and transfer thereof to United States


The total [area](/usc/16/539m–1.md?p=1-A) of the Cumberland Gap National Historical [Park](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-3), as determined pursuant to this subchapter, shall comprise not less than six thousand acres and shall not exceed fifty thousand acres, and lands may be added to the [park](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-3) following its establishment within the aforesaid limitations. The [park](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-3) shall not include any land within the city limits of Middlesboro and Pineville, Kentucky; Cumberland Gap, Tennessee; which the proper officials thereof shall indicate to the [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1) of the Interior prior to the establishment of said [park](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-3) are required for expansion of said cities.

- (a) The consent of Congress is given to the [States](/usc/16/544.md?p=r) of Tennessee, Kentucky, and Virginia to enter into a compact providing for (1) the [acquisition](/usc/16/620e.md?p=1) of the lands, structures, and other property in the Cumberland Gap-Cumberland Ford [areas](/usc/16/539m–1.md?p=1-A) referred to in [section 261 of this title](/usc/16/261.md), and (2) the transfer of title to such lands, structures, and other property to the United States.
- (b) The right to alter, amend, or repeal this section is expressly reserved.

## Source credit

(June 11, 1940, ch. 304, § 2, 54 Stat. 263; May 26, 1943, ch. 103, § 2, 57 Stat. 85.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

1943—Act May 26, 1943, among other changes, inserted minimum acreage limitation in first par. and added pars. (a) and (b).