16 U.S. Code § 111 - Establishment; boundaries

There is reserved from settlement, entry, sale, or other disposal and set apart as a public reservation, all those certain tracts, pieces and parcels of land lying and being situated in the State of Colorado, within the boundaries described as follows:

Beginning at a point on the north boundary of the Southern Ute Indian Reservation in southwestern Colorado where the north quarter corner of unsurveyed fractional section 2, township 34 north, range 15 west, “south of the Ute boundary”, intersects the same; thence south to the south quarter corner of unsurveyed section 26, said township; thence west to the southwest corner of unsurveyed section 25, township 34 north, range 16 west; thence north to the northwest corner of unsurveyed fractional section 1 said township and range; thence west to the southeast corner of fractional section 12, township 34 north, range 16 west, “north of the Ute boundary”; thence north to the northwest corner of section 19, township 35 north, range 15 west; thence east to the southwest corner of the southeast quarter of section 16, said township; thence north to the northwest corner of the southeast quarter of said section; thence east to the southwest corner of the northeast quarter of section 13, said township; thence north to the northwest corner of the northeast quarter of said section; thence east to the southwest corner of section 7, township 35 north, range 14 west; thence north to the northwest corner of said section; thence east to the southwest corner of section 5, said township; thence north to the northwest corner of said section; thence east to the northeast corner of said section; thence south to the southeast corner of the northeast quarter of said section; thence east to the northeast corner of the southwest quarter of section 4, said township; thence south to the northwest corner of the southeast quarter of section 16, said township; thence east to the northeast corner of the southeast quarter of said section; thence south to the northwest corner of section 22, said township; thence east to the northeast corner of said section; thence south to the northwest corner of section 26, said township; thence east along the north section line of section 26 to the east bank of the Rio Mancos: thence in a southeasterly direction along the east bank of the Rio Mancos to its intersection with the northern boundary line of the Southern Ute Indian Reservation, thence west along said Indian reservation boundary to its intersection with the range line between ranges 14 and 15 west, the place of beginning.

Said park shall be known as Mesa Verde National Park.

(June 29, 1906, ch. 3607, §§ 1, 2, 34 Stat. 616, 617; June 30, 1913, ch. 4, § 1, 38 Stat. 83.)

Editorial Notes

Codification

Section is based on sections 1 and 2 of act June 29, 1906, and a portion of section 1 of act June 30, 1913.

The first sentence to the colon is from a part of section 1 of act June 29, 1906.

The second paragraph is from section 1 of act June 30, 1913. It extended the park on the south and described the boundaries as thus changed, thereby superseding the description contained in section 1 of act June 29, 1906. Section 1 of act June 30, 1913, also recited that the lands added to the park by its provisions were lands relinquished by Indians pursuant to an agreement incorporated and ratified therein. The agreement was one dated May 10, 1911, with the Wiminuche Band of Southern Ute Indians.

The last sentence of this section is taken from section 2 of act June 29, 1906, which is also the source of section 112 of this title.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Mesa Verde National Park Boundary Change

Pub. L. 110–161, div. F, title I, § 133, Dec. 26, 2007, 121 Stat. 2123, provided that:

“(a) Acquisition of Land.—

“(1) In general.—

The Secretary may acquire the land or an interest in the land described in subsection (b) for addition to the Mesa Verde National Park.

“(2) Means.—

An acquisition of land under paragraph (1) may be made by donation, purchase from a willing seller with donated or appropriated funds, or exchange.

“(b) Description of Land.—

The land referred to in subsection (a)(1) is the approximately 360 acres of land adjacent to the Park, as generally depicted on the map, entitled ‘Mesa Verde National Park Proposed Boundary Adjustment’, numbered 307/80,180, and dated March 1, 2007.

“(c) Availability of Map.—

The map shall be on file and available for inspection in the appropriate offices of the National Park Service.

“(d) Boundary Modification.—

The boundary of the Park shall be revised to reflect the acquisition of the land under subsection (a).

“(e) Administration.—

The Secretary shall administer any land or interest in land acquired under subsection (a)(1) as part of the Park in accordance with the laws (including regulations) applicable to the Park.”