---
kind: "section"
citation: "16 U.S.C. § 460uu–42"
title: "16"
title_heading: "Conservation"
number: "460uu–42"
heading: "Acquisition of lands and interests"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/16/460uu-42"
units:
  - "Chapter 1 — National Parks, Military Parks, Monuments, and Seashores"
  - "Subchapter CVI — El Malpais National Monument and Conservation Area"
  - "Part E — General Provisions"
---

# §460uu–42. Acquisition of lands and interests


Within the monument and the conservation [area](/usc/16/539m–1.md?p=1-A), the [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1) is authorized to [acquire](/usc/16/620e.md?p=1) lands and interests in lands by donation, purchase with donated or appropriated funds, exchange, or transfer from any other Federal agency, except that such lands or interests therein owned by the [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a) of New Mexico or a political [subdivision](/usc/16/539m–1.md?p=15) thereof may be acquired only by exchange. It is the sense of Congress that the [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1) is to complete the [acquisition](/usc/16/620e.md?p=1) of non-Federal subsurface interests underlying the monument and the conservation [area](/usc/16/539m–1.md?p=1-A) no later than three full fiscal years after the fiscal year of enactment of this subchapter.


## Source credit

(Pub. L. 100–225, title V, § 502, Dec. 31, 1987, 101 Stat. 1544.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

The fiscal year of enactment of this subchapter, referred to in text, is the fiscal year of the enactment of Pub. L. 100–225, which enacted this subchapter, and was approved Dec. 31, 1987.