16 U.S.C. § 198 — Exclusive jurisdiction; assumption by United States; saving provisions

submitted 97 years ago by ch. 583 to r/title-16-CONSERVATION · 262 words · no verdicts yet

in plain englishAI-generated · not legal advice

The United States takes full legal control over the land in Rocky Mountain National Park, as Colorado agreed to in 1929. Colorado keeps the right to serve legal papers there and to tax people and property inside the park. Park residents keep the right to vote, access their land, and use existing water rights. All federal laws for exclusively federal land apply inside the park.

This section accepts a Colorado law, approved February 19, 1929, that ceded to the United States exclusive jurisdiction over the land within Rocky Mountain National Park, and the United States assumes sole and exclusive jurisdiction over that territory. Several rights are saved, however. Colorado keeps the right to serve civil or criminal legal process inside the park, for suits or prosecutions over rights acquired, obligations incurred, or crimes committed outside the park. Colorado also keeps the right to tax people and corporations, and their franchises and property, on the land included in the park. People living in the park, now or later, keep the right to vote in elections held in the county or counties where their land sits. People who privately own land inside the park keep the right to access that land, and keep all the rights and privileges of Colorado citizens. The people of Colorado also keep all their existing, vested, and appropriated water rights and related rights-of-way, including existing irrigation conduits and ditches. All laws that apply to places under the sole and exclusive jurisdiction of the United States take effect inside the park. Anyone fleeing justice who takes refuge in the park is subject to the same laws as someone who flees to another part of Colorado.

the actual law source: uscode.house.gov ↗public domain

The provisions of the act of the Legislature of the State of Colorado, approved February 19, 1929, ceding to the United States exclusive jurisdiction over the territory embraced and included within the Rocky Mountain National Park, are accepted, and sole and exclusive jurisdiction is assumed by the United States over such territory, saving, however, to the State of Colorado the right to serve civil or criminal process within the limits of the aforesaid park in suits or prosecutions for or on account of rights acquired, obligations incurred, or crimes committed outside of said park; and saving further to the said State the right to tax persons and corporations, their franchises and property on the lands included in said tract; and saving also to the persons residing in said park now or hereafter the right to vote at all elections held within the county or counties in which said tracts are situated; and saving to all persons residing within said park upon lands now privately owned within said park access to and from such lands, and all rights and privileges as citizens of the State of Colorado; and saving to the people of Colorado all vested, appropriated, and existing water rights and rights-of-way connected therewith, including all existing irrigation conduits and ditches. All the laws applicable to places under the sole and exclusive jurisdiction of the United States shall have force and effect in said park. All fugitives from justice taking refuge in said park shall be subject to the same laws as refugees from justice found in the State of Colorado.

Source credit: (Mar. 2, 1929, ch. 583, § 1, 45 Stat. 1536.)

history & why it existsrecord from the source credit

1929Enacted · Act of Mar. 2, 1929, ch. 583 · 45 Stat. 1536

A history note hasn’t been published yet. The record shows enactment by ch. 583 on 1929-03-02.

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