---
kind: "section"
citation: "16 U.S.C. § 444"
title: "16"
title_heading: "Conservation"
number: "444"
heading: "Petrified Forest National Monument; elimination of private holdings of land within boundaries; exchange of lands"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/16/444"
units:
  - "Chapter 1 — National Parks, Military Parks, Monuments, and Seashores"
  - "Subchapter LXI — National and International Monuments and Memorials"
---

# §444. Petrified Forest National Monument; elimination of private holdings of land within boundaries; exchange of lands


The [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1) of the Interior, for the purpose of eliminating private holdings of land within the Petrified Forest National Monument, Arizona, is empowered, in his discretion, to obtain for the United States the complete title to any or all of the lands held in private ownership within the boundaries of the Petrified Forest National Monument, Arizona, as now or as may be hereafter defined, by accepting from the [owners](/usc/16/429b–3.md?p=4) of such privately owned lands complete relinquishment thereof and by granting and patenting to such [owners](/usc/16/429b–3.md?p=4) in exchange therefor, in each instance, like [public lands](/usc/16/620e.md?p=7) of equal value situated in Navajo and/or Apache [Counties](/usc/16/544.md?p=d), in the [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a) of Arizona, after due notice of the proposed exchange has been given by publication for not less than thirty days in the [counties](/usc/16/544.md?p=d) where the lands proposed to be exchanged or taken in exchange are located: Provided, That the [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1) of the Interior shall, on application or otherwise, designate [public lands](/usc/16/620e.md?p=7) located outside the extreme boundaries of the said monument subject to exchange under this section which are, in his opinion, chiefly valuable for grazing and raising forage crops, do not contain merchantable timber, are not susceptible of irrigation from any known source of water supply, and are of character similar to the privately owned lands offered in exchange.


## Source credit

(May 14, 1930, ch. 271, § 1, 46 Stat. 278.)

## Notes

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Disestablishment of Petrified Forest National Monument

Disestablishment of Petrified Forest National Monument upon establishment of Petrified Forest National Park, see section 119 of this title.