
From the U.S. Code Online via GPO Access
[wais.access.gpo.gov]
[Laws in effect as of January 2, 2001]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
  January 2, 2001 and January 28, 2002]
[CITE: 16USC55]

 
                         TITLE 16--CONSERVATION
 
   CHAPTER 1--NATIONAL PARKS, MILITARY PARKS, MONUMENTS, AND SEASHORES
 
           SUBCHAPTER VI--SEQUOIA AND YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARKS
 
Sec. 55. Leases of land in park; mortgages by lessees

    The Secretary of the Interior is authorized and empowered to grant 
leases, for periods of not exceeding twenty years, at annual rentals, 
and under terms and conditions to be determined by him, to any person, 
corporation, or company he may authorize to transact business in the 
Yosemite National Park, for separate tracts of land, not exceeding 
twenty acres each, at such places, not to exceed ten in number, to any 
person, corporation, or company in said park, as the comfort and 
convenience of visitors may require, for the construction and 
maintenance of substantial hotel buildings and buildings for the 
protection of motor cars, stages, stock and equipment, and so forth. 
Such leases may, at the option of the Secretary of the Interior, contain 
appropriate provisions for the appraisement, at the expiration of the 
lease, of the value of such hotel and other buildings (or portions 
thereof) as may be constructed by the lessees, respectively, and the 
payment of the same to the lessees in case a new lease be made to 
persons other than said lessees, such payments to be made by such new 
lessees, respectively.
    Any person or corporation or company holding a lease or leases 
within said park for the purposes above described is authorized, with 
the approval of the Secretary of the Interior, to execute mortgages upon 
his or its rights and properties, including his or its contract or 
contracts with the Secretary of the Interior; such mortgages shall be 
executed in duplicate and delivered to the Secretary of the Interior for 
his approval, and upon his approval thereof he shall retain one of said 
duplicates and file the same for record in his office.
    Any mortgage, lien, or encumbrance created under the provisions 
hereof shall be subject to the rights of the Government to compel the 
enforcement of the terms of the lease or contract of the mortgagor, and 
any purchaser under a foreclosure of such encumbrance shall take subject 
to all the conditions assumed by the original lessee or contractor.

(Oct. 1, 1890, ch. 1263, Sec. 2, 26 Stat. 651; July 23, 1914, ch. 206, 
38 Stat. 554; June 12, 1917, ch. 27, Sec. 1, 40 Stat. 153.)

                          Codification

    This section superseded earlier provisions as to leases contained in 
section 2 of act Oct. 1, 1890.
    As enacted by act July 23, 1914, this section contained a provision, 
omitted for purposes of codification, continuing in effect all existing 
laws relating to the park and not in conflict with it.
    Section 1 of the act of June 12, 1917, incorporated in section 452 
of this title, provides for the disposition of all revenue of National 
Parks and did not directly affect this section. It may have been 
considered as superseding similar provisions of the act of Oct. 1, 1890, 
Sec. 2.

                  Section Referred to in Other Sections

    This section is referred to in sections 51, 471c, 471d of this 
title.
