30 U.S.C. § 54 — Liability for damages to stock raising and homestead entries by mining activities

This section adds a new kind of liability for people who mine on certain homestead land using strip mining or open pit mining. Before June 21, 1949, if someone prospected, mined, or removed minerals from land that was part of a stock-raising homestead entry or patent (or another kind of homestead entry), they were only responsible for paying the entryman or patentee for damage to crops or improvements, things like buildings or fences. This section changes that. Starting June 21, 1949, anyone who strip-mines or open-pit mines minerals from that kind of land is also liable for any damage their mining causes to the land's value for grazing livestock. This liability comes on top of paying for damaged crops or improvements. The section also protects rights that already existed. Nothing in this section takes away any vested right that was already in place on June 21, 1949.