---
kind: "section"
citation: "54 U.S.C. § 100731"
title: "54"
title_heading: "National Park Service and Related Programs"
number: "100731"
heading: "Findings and declaration"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/54/100731"
units:
  - "Subtitle I — National Park System"
  - "Division A — Establishment and General Administration"
  - "Chapter 1007 — Resource Management"
  - "Subchapter III — Mining Activity Within System Units"
---

# §100731. Findings and declaration


Congress finds and declares that—

- (1) the level of technology of mineral exploration and development has changed radically, and continued application of the mining laws of the United States to [System units](/usc/54/100102.md?p=6) to which the mining laws apply conflicts with the purposes for which the [System units](/usc/54/100102.md?p=6) were established; and
- (2) all mining operations in [System units](/usc/54/100102.md?p=6) should be conducted so as to prevent or minimize damage to the environment and other resource values.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 113–287, § 3, Dec. 19, 2014, 128 Stat. 3109.)

## Notes

| Historical and Revision Notes |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Revised<br>Section | Source (U.S. Code) | Source (Statutes at Large) |
| 100731 | 16 U.S.C. 1901. | Pub. L. 94–429, § 1, Sept. 28, 1976, 90 Stat. 1342. |

In paragraph (1), the words “in recent years” are omitted as obsolete.

In paragraph (2), the words “in certain areas of the National Park System, surface disturbances from mineral development should be temporarily halted while Congress determines whether or not to acquire any valid mineral rights which may exist in such areas” are omitted as obsolete.