16 USC § 272 - Establishment of park

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t16/s272"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_prima_facie"
title: "16 USC § 272 - Establishment of park"
title_number: 16
title_name: "CONSERVATION"
section_number: "272"
section_name: "Establishment of park"
chapter_number: 1
chapter_name: "NATIONAL PARKS, MILITARY PARKS, MONUMENTS, AND SEASHORES"
subchapter_number: "XXX"
subchapter_name: "ARCHES NATIONAL PARK"
positive_law: false
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Pub. L. 92–155, § 1, Nov. 12, 1971, 85 Stat. 422; Pub. L. 105–329, § 2(a), Oct. 30, 1998, 112 Stat. 3060.)"
---


# § 272. Establishment of park

**(a)** **In general**

**(1)** **Initial boundaries** Subject to valid existing rights, the lands, waters, and interests therein within the boundary generally depicted on the map entitled “Boundary Map, Proposed Arches National Park, Utah,” numbered RPSSC–138–20, 001E and dated September 1969, are hereby established as the Arches National Park (hereinafter referred to as the “park”).

**(2)** **Expanded boundaries** October 30, 1998

Effective on , the boundary of the park shall include the area consisting of approximately 3,140 acres and known as the “Lost Spring Canyon Addition”, as depicted on the map entitled “Boundary Map, Arches National Park, Lost Spring Canyon Addition”, numbered 138/60,000–B, and dated April 1997.

**(3)** **Maps** The maps described in paragraphs (1) and (2) shall be on file and available for public inspection in the offices of the National Park Service, Department of the Interior.

**(b)** **Abolition of Arches National Monument; funds of monument available for park; administration of lands excluded from monument** The Arches National Monument is hereby abolished, and any funds available for purposes of the monument shall be available for purposes of the park. Federal lands, waters, and interests therein excluded from the monument by this subchapter shall be administered by the Secretary of the Interior (hereinafter referred to as the “Secretary”) in accordance with the laws applicable to the public lands of the United States.

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**Source Credit**: (Pub. L. 92–155, § 1, Nov. 12, 1971, 85 Stat. 422; Pub. L. 105–329, § 2(a), Oct. 30, 1998, 112 Stat. 3060.)

## Editorial Notes

### Amendments

1998— inserted section designation and catchline and in subsec. (a) inserted subsec. heading, inserted par. (1) designation and heading before first sentence, added par. (2), inserted par. (3) designation and heading before second sentence and substituted “The maps described in paragraphs (1) and (2)” for “Such map”.

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Short Title of 1998 Amendment

> “This Act [enacting
> 
> , amending this section and sections 272a, 272b, and 272d of this title, and enacting provisions set out as a note under
> 
> ] may be cited as the ‘Arches National Park Expansion Act of 1998’.”

, , , provided that: