These regulations provide guidelines and procedures for transfer of certain public lands under the Recreation and Public Purposes Act as amended (43 U.S.C. 869 et seq.), to States or their political subdivisions, and to nonprofit corporations and associations, for recreational and public purposes.

The objective is to meet the needs of certain State and local governmental agencies and other qualified organizations for public lands required for recreational and public purposes.

(a) The Act of June 14, 1926, as amended (43 U.S.C. 869 et seq.), commonly known as the Recreation and Public Purposes Act, authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to lease or convey public lands for recreational and public purposes under specified conditions.

(b) Section 211 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1721), authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to convey to States or their political subdivisions unsurveyed islands determined by the Secretary to be public lands of the United States and omitted lands under the Recreation and Public Purposes Act without regard to acreage limitations contained in the Act.

(c) Section 3 of the Act of June 14, 1926, as amended by the Recreation and Public Purposes Amendment Act of 1988, authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to convey public lands for the purpose of solid waste disposal or for any other purpose which may result in or include the disposal, placement, or release of any hazardous substance, with special provisions relating to reversion of such lands to the United States.

As used in this part, the term:

(a) Act means the Recreation and Public Purposes Act as amended by section 212 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976.

(b) Authorized officer means any employee of the Bureau of Land Management who has been delegated the authority to perform the duties described in this part.

(c) Public lands means any lands and interest in lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management, except lands located on the Outer Continental Shelf and lands held for the benefit of Indians, Aleuts and Eskimos.

(d) Public purpose means for the purpose of providing facilities or services for the benefit of the public in connection with, but not limited to, public health, safety or welfare. Use of lands or facilities for habitation, cultivation, trade or manufacturing is permissible only when necessary for and integral to, i.e., and essential part of, the public purpose.

(e) Conveyance means a transfer of legal title. Leases issued pursuant to subpart 2912 of this title are not conveyances.

(f) Hazardous substance means any substance designated pursuant to Environmental Protection Agency regulations at 40 CFR part 302.

(g) Solid waste means any material as defined under Environmental Protection Agency regulations at 40 CFR part 261.

(a) To assure development of public lands in accordance with a development plan and compliance with an approved management plan, the authorized officer may require that public lands first be leased under the provisions of subpart 2912 of this title for a period of time prior to issuance of a patent, except for conveyances under subpart 2743 of this title.

(b) Municipal corporations may not secure public lands under this act which are not within convenient access to the municipality and within the same State as the municipality. Other qualified governmental applicants may not secure public lands outside their political boundaries or other area of jurisdiction.

(c) Where lands are conveyed under the act with a reservation of the mineral estate to the United States, the Bureau of Land Management shall not thereafter convey that mineral estate to the surface owner under the provisions of section 209 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1719).

(d) Lease or conveyance of lands for purposes other than recreational or public purposes is not authorized by the act. Uses which can be more appropriately authorized under other existing authorities shall not be authorized under the act. Approval of leases or conveyances under the act shall not be made unless the public lands shall be used for an established or definitely proposed project. A commitment by lessee(s) or conveyee(s) to a plan of physical development, management and use of the lands shall be required before a lease or conveyance is approved. Use of public lands for nonrecreational or nonpublic purposes, whether by lease or conveyance, may be applied for under sections 203 and 302 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1713,1732.

(e) The Bureau of Land Management shall not exercise the exchange authority of section 206 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1716) for the purpose of acquiring lands for later conveyance under the act.

(f) The Bureau of Land Management shall not use Federal funds to undertake determinations of the validity of mining claims on public lands for the sole purpose of clearing title so that the lands may be leased or conveyed under the act.

(a) Requirements and procedures for conveyance of land under the Recreation and Public Purposes Act are contained in subpart 2741 of this chapter.

(b) Requirements and procedures for leasing of land under the Recreation and Public Purposes Act are contained in subpart 2912 of this title.

(c) Requirements and procedures for conveyance of unsurveyed islands and omitted lands under section 211 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act are contained in subpart 2742 of this chapter.

(d) Requirements and procedures for conveyance of land under the Recreation and Public Purposes Act for the purpose of solid waste disposal or for any other purpose that the authorized officer determines may result in or include the disposal, placement, or release of any hazardous substance are contained in subpart 2743 of this chapter.

The collection of information contained in part 2740 of Group 2700 has been approved by the Office of Management and Budget under 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq. and assigned clearance number 1004-0012. This information will be used to determine the suitability of public lands for lease and/or disposal to States or their political subdivisions, and to nonprofit corporations and associations, for recreational and public purposes. Responses are required to obtain benefits in accordance with the Recreation and Public Purposes Act.

Public reporting burden for this information is estimated to average 47 hours per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing the burden, should be sent to the Division of Information Resources Management (770), Bureau of Land Management, 1849 C Street NW., Washington, DC 20240; and the Paperwork Reduction Project (1004-0012), Office of Management and Budget, Washington, DC 20503.