Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 67.djvu/401

 67 S T A T. ]

PUBLIC LAW 191-AUG. 5, 1963

365

this amendment which is in effect at the time of any such transfer of title to the lands covered by the lease, permit, or contract shall not be terminated or otherwise affected by such transfer of title; but all right, title, and interest of the United States under such lease, permit, or contract, including any authority to modify its terms and conditions that may have been retained by the United States, shall vest in the State to which title to the lands covered by the lease, permit, or contract is transferred. "The Secretary of the Interior is hereby authorized to make all necessary rules and regulations in harmony with the provisions and purposes of this Act for the purpose of carrying the same into effect, including such provisions as he may deem equitable to assure compensation of surface lessees for damages to crops or improvements on, or impairment of the surface utilization of, the reserved lands by the holder of a mineral lease, or contract issued under this Act: Provided, That such damages, if any, may be subject to judicial review." Approved August 5, 1963. Public Law 191

CHAPTER 324

AN ACT Granting the consent of Congress to the negotiation by the States of Nebraska, Wyoming, and South Daljota of certain compacts with respect to the use of waters common to two or more of said States.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled. That the consent of /-^

• i i _ *

Congress is hereby given— (1) to the States of Nebraska, Wyoming, and South Dakota to negotiate a compact providing for an equitable division and apportionment among the said States of the waters of the Niobrara River and its tributaries; (2) to the States of Nebraska and South Dakota to negotiate a compact providing for an equitable division and apportionment between said States of the waters of Ponca Creek and its tributaries; and (3) to the States of Nebraska, Wyoming, and South Dakota or any two of them to negotiate a compact or compacts relating to the extraction and use of ground waters from sources common to the compacting States. No compact, the negotiation of which is authorized by this Act, shall be binding or obligatory upon any of the parties thereto unless the negotiations shall have been participated in by a suitable person or persons who shall be appointed by the President to represent the United States and shall make report to the Congress on the proceedings and on the compact and until that compact shall have been ratified by the legislatures of each of the States concerned and approved by the Congress. Nothing contained in any compact negotiated under this Act shall be construed as affecting the obligations of the United States of America to Indian tribes. The authority given by this Act shall, unless otherwise continued by the Congress, expire five years from the date of its approval. Approved August 8, 1953. 27000 O - 53 - 26

August 5.1953 IS.11973

Nebraska, wyoming, and South Water Dakota. compacts.

E x p i r a t i o n of authority.

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