---
kind: "section"
citation: "16 U.S.C. § 695a"
title: "16"
title_heading: "Conservation"
number: "695a"
heading: "Title in United States of California refuge areas; existence of easements, reservations, etc.; affecting acquisition"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/16/695a"
units:
  - "Chapter 6 — Game and Bird Preserves; Protection"
---

# §695a. Title in United States of California refuge areas; existence of easements, reservations, etc.; affecting acquisition


The [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1) of the Interior may do all things and make all expenditures necessary to secure the safe title in the United States to the [areas](/usc/16/539m–1.md?p=1-A) which may be acquired under sections [695](/usc/16/695.md) to [695c](/usc/16/695c.md) of this title, including purchase of options when deemed necessary, and expenses incident to the location, examination and survey of such [areas](/usc/16/539m–1.md?p=1-A) and the [acquisition](/usc/16/620e.md?p=1) of title thereto, but no payments shall be made for any such [areas](/usc/16/539m–1.md?p=1-A) until the title thereto shall be satisfactory to the Attorney General. The [acquisition](/usc/16/620e.md?p=1) of such [areas](/usc/16/539m–1.md?p=1-A) by the United States shall in no case be defeated because of rights-of-way, easements, exceptions, and reservations which from their nature will, in the opinion of the [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1) of the Interior, in no manner interfere with the use of the [areas](/usc/16/539m–1.md?p=1-A) so encumbered for the purposes of said sections.


## Source credit

(May 18, 1948, ch. 303, § 2, 62 Stat. 238.)