---
kind: "section"
citation: "43 U.S.C. § 2303"
title: "43"
title_heading: "Public Lands"
number: "2303"
heading: "Identification of inholdings"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/43/2303"
units:
  - "Chapter 41 — Federal Land Transaction Facilitation"
---

# §2303. Identification of inholdings

- (a) **In general—** The [Secretary](/usc/43/2302.md?p=6) and the [Secretary](/usc/43/2302.md?p=6) of Agriculture shall establish a procedure to—
  - (1) identify, by [State](/usc/43/31b.md?p=8), [inholdings](/usc/43/2302.md?p=4) for which the landowner has indicated a desire to sell the land or interest therein to the United States; and
  - (2) prioritize the acquisition of [inholdings](/usc/43/2302.md?p=4) in accordance with [section 2305(c)(3) of this title](/usc/43/2305.md?p=c-3).
- (b) **Public notice—** As soon as practicable after July 25, 2000, and periodically thereafter, the [Secretary](/usc/43/2302.md?p=6) and the [Secretary](/usc/43/2302.md?p=6) of Agriculture shall provide public notice of the procedures referred to in [subsection (a)](#a), including any information necessary for the consideration of an [inholding](/usc/43/2302.md?p=4) under [section 2305 of this title](/usc/43/2305.md). Such notice shall include publication in the Federal Register and by such other means as the [Secretary](/usc/43/2302.md?p=6) and the [Secretary](/usc/43/2302.md?p=6) of Agriculture determine to be appropriate.
- (c) **Identification—** An [inholding](/usc/43/2302.md?p=4)—
  - (1) shall be considered for identification under this section only if the [Secretary](/usc/43/2302.md?p=6) or the [Secretary](/usc/43/2302.md?p=6) of Agriculture receive notification of a desire to sell from the landowner in response to public notice given under [subsection (b)](#b); and
  - (2) shall be deemed to have been established as of the later of—
    - (A) the earlier of—
      - (i) the date on which the land was withdrawn from the public domain; or
      - (ii) the date on which the land was established or designated for special management; or
    - (B) the date on which the [inholding](/usc/43/2302.md?p=4) was acquired by the current owner.
- (d) **No obligation to convey or acquire—** The identification of an [inholding](/usc/43/2302.md?p=4) under this section creates no obligation on the part of a landowner to convey the [inholding](/usc/43/2302.md?p=4) or any obligation on the part of the United States to acquire the [inholding](/usc/43/2302.md?p=4).

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 106–248, title II, § 204, July 25, 2000, 114 Stat. 615.)