Public Law 87–68

That in order to preserve the scenic and historic integrity of Scotts Bluff and adjacent features, the Secretary of the Interior may revise the boundaries of the Scotts Bluff National Monument so as to exclude from it certain private and Federal lands and substitute other private lands more essential to the purposes of the monument: Provided, That the revised boundaries shall encompass an area which is about three hundred and fifty acres less than the acreage of the monument as of the date of

Publication in F.R.

this Act. Notice of the designation of the revised boundaries pursuant to this section shall be given by publication in the Federal Register.

Sec. 2.

The Secretary, in furtherance of the purposes of this Act, may procure, in such manner as he may deem to be in the public interest, lands and interests in lands within the revised boundaries designated pursuant to section 1 of this Act. To avoid the undesirable severance of parcels in private ownership which extend beyond the revised boundaries, the Secretary may, in his discretion and with the consent of the owners, acquire lands or interests in lands that are in private ownership but which lie outside the revised boundary. Property so acquired outside the revised boundary and federally owned lands excluded from the monument pursuant to section 1 of this Act may be exchanged by the Secretary of the Interior for any land of approximately equal value within the revised boundaries. Nothing in this section shall be construed as repealing or limiting the existing jurisdiction, power, or authority of the Secretary prescribed by the public land laws.

Sec. 3.

There are authorized to be appropriated such sums, but not more than $15,000, as may be necessary for the acquisition of lands newly included within the boundaries of the monument as revised pursuant to this Act.