Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 96 Part 1.djvu/1315

 PUBLIC LAW 97-293—OCT. 12, 1982

96 STAT. 1273

devise, may be sold at its fair market value without regard to any other provision of this title or to section 46 of the Act entitled "An Act to adjust water rights charges, to grant certain relief on the Federal irrigation projects, and for other purposes", approved May 25, 1926 (43 U.S.C. 423e): Provided, That if the status of mortgaged land changes from nonexcess into excess after the mortgage is recorded and is subsequently acquired by the lender by involuntary foreclosure or similar involuntary process of law, by bona fide conveyance in satisfaction of the mortgage, such land may be sold at its fair market value. (f) The first proviso in the third paragraph of section 1 of the Act of April 4, 1910 (36 Stat. 269, 270), as amended by the Act of August 7, 1946 (60 Stat. 866, 867), is hereby repealed.

25 USC 383.

VALIDATION

SEC. 225. The provisions of any contract entered into prior to October 1, 1981, by the Secretary with a district, which define project or nonproject water, or describe the delivery of project water through nonproject facilities or nonproject water through project facilities to lands within the district, are hereby authorized and validated on the part of the United States.

43 USC 390xx.

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

SEC. 226. Section 9 of the Reclamation Project Act of 1939 (43 U.S.C. 485h) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection: "(f) No less than sixty days before entering into or amending any repayment contract or any contract for the delivery of irrigation water (except any contract for the delivery of surplus or interim irrigation water whose duration is for one year or less) the Secretary shall"(1) publish notice of the proposed contract or amendment in newspapers of general circulation in the affected area and shall make reasonable efforts to otherwise notify interested parties which may be affected by such contract or amendment, together with information indicating to whom comments or inquiries concerning the proposed actions can be addressed; and "(2) provide an opportunity for submission of written data, views and arguments, and shall consider all substantive comments so received.".

Notice.

LEASING REQUIREMENTS

SEC. 227. Notwithstanding any other provision of Federal reclamation law, including this title, lands which receive irrigation water may be leased only if the lease instrument is— (1) written; and (2) for a term not to exceed ten years, including any exercisable options: Provided, however. That leases of lands for the production of perennial crops having an average life of more than ten years may be for periods of time equal to the average life of the perennial crop but in any event not to exceed twentyfive years.

43 USC 390yy.

�