OCR Text |
Show 629 for the purposes of private development.733 Later, the "head of the department having jurisdiction" over public lands, national forests, and other reservations of the United States was authorized in 1911 to grant easements for rights-of-way, for a period not exceeding 50 years, for electric poles, and lines for the transmission and distribution of electric power; and the extent of the easement permissible is 20 feet on each side of the center line of the right-of-way rather than 50, and it is limited to poles and lines, not including works for electric power production.734 As to national forests, this authority was vested in the Secretary of Agriculture as "head of the depart- ment having jurisdiction."735 In 1920, Congress authorized the Federal Power Commis- sion to issue 50-year licenses for dams, water conduits, reser- voirs, power houses, transmission lines, or other project works necessary or convenient for the development and improvement of navigation and for the development, transmission, and utilization of power across, along, from, or in any stream or other body of water subject to the jurisdiction of Congress under the Commerce Clause, or upon any part of the public lands and reservations, except national monuments and na- tional parks, of the United States; and to issue licenses for the development of power at federal dams.738 Any lands of the United States included in any proposed project or for which a license is sought from the Commission are, by the terms of the Act, reserved from disposal until other- wise directed by the Commission or by Congress.787 733 It has been observed elsewhere, in connection with revocable permits for dam sites, that revocable permits proved to be inadequate for the purpose of private development. See supra, pp. 273, 265-267. 744 Act of March 4, 1911, 36 Stat. 1253, 16 U. S. G. 5 (National Parks) ; see also the same Act codified in 43 U. S. C. 961 (Public Lands), 16 U. S. C. 420 (National Military Parks), and 16 U. S. C. 523 (National Forests). 7SB29 Ops. Att'y Gen. 303 (1912). m Act of June 10, 1920, § 4, 41 Stat. 1063, 1065, as amended, 16 U. S. C. 797(e). "Reservations" are defined to exclude national parks and monu- ments. § 3, 41 Stat. 1063, as amended, 16 U. S. O. 796(2). 787 Act of June 10,1920, § 24, 41 Stat. 1063,1075, as amended, 16 U. S. C. 818 (Supp. III). |