30 U.S.C. § 271
Section 271 · Prospecting permits; lands included; acreage
Amended 2 times on record
Applied in 3 court decisions — leading case United States v. Ted Q. Wilson and Barbara T. Wilson, Individually and D/B/A Wilson Farms Coal Co. (1985)
Most recently applied in Al Hamilton Contracting Co. v. Kempthorne (March 2009)
The Secretary of the Interior is hereby authorized and directed, under such rules and regulations as he may prescribe, to grant to any qualified applicant a prospecting permit which shall give the exclusive right to prospect for sulphur in lands belonging to the United States located in the States of Louisiana and New Mexico for a period of not exceeding two years: Provided, That the area to be included in such a permit shall be not exceeding six hundred and forty acres of lands in reasonably compact form.
Editorial notes U.S. Code · Office of the Law Revision Counsel
Codification
Section was not enacted as part of act Feb. 25, 1920, ch. 85, 41 Stat. 437, known as the Mineral Leasing Act, which comprises this chapter.
Amendments
1932—Act July 16, 1932, substituted “States of Louisiana and New Mexico” for “State of Louisiana”.