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National
United States
43 USC CHAPTER 39 - ABANDONED SHIPWRECKS

-CITE-
43 USC CHAPTER 39 - ABANDONED SHIPWRECKS 01/19/04

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TITLE 43 - PUBLIC LANDS
CHAPTER 39 - ABANDONED SHIPWRECKS

-HEAD-
CHAPTER 39 - ABANDONED SHIPWRECKS

-MISC1-
Sec.
2101. Findings.
2102. Definitions.
2103. Rights of access.
(a) Access rights.
(b) Parks and protected areas.
2104. Preparation of guidelines.
(a) Purposes of guidelines; publication in Federal
Register.
(b) Consultation.
(c) Use of guidelines in developing legislation and
regulations.
2105. Rights of ownership.
(a) United States title.
(b) Notice of shipwreck location; eligibility
determination for inclusion in National
Register of Historic Places.
(c) Transfer of title to States.
(d) Exception.
(e) Reservation of rights.
2106. Relationship to other laws.
(a) Law of salvage and law of finds.
(b) Laws of United States.
(c) Effective date.

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43 USC Sec. 2101 01/19/04

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TITLE 43 - PUBLIC LANDS
CHAPTER 39 - ABANDONED SHIPWRECKS

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Sec. 2101. Findings

-STATUTE-
The Congress finds that -
(a) States have the responsibility for management of a broad
range of living and nonliving resources in State waters and
submerged lands; and
(b) included in the range of resources are certain abandoned
shipwrecks, which have been deserted and to which the owner has
relinquished ownership rights with no retention.

-SOURCE-
(Pub. L. 100-298, Sec. 2, Apr. 28, 1988, 102 Stat. 432.)


-MISC1-
SHORT TITLE
Section 1 of Pub. L. 100-298 provided that: "This Act [enacting
this chapter] may be cited as the 'Abandoned Shipwreck Act of
1987'."

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43 USC Sec. 2102 01/19/04

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TITLE 43 - PUBLIC LANDS
CHAPTER 39 - ABANDONED SHIPWRECKS

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Sec. 2102. Definitions

-STATUTE-
For purposes of this chapter -
(a) the term "embedded" means firmly affixed in the submerged
lands or in coralline formations such that the use of tools of
excavation is required in order to move the bottom sediments to
gain access to the shipwreck, its cargo, and any part thereof;
(b) the term "National Register" means the National Register of
Historic Places maintained by the Secretary of the Interior under
section 470a of title 16;
(c) the terms "public lands", "Indian lands", and "Indian
tribe" have the same meaning given the terms in the
Archaeological Resource (!1) Protection Act of 1979 (16 U.S.C.
470aa-470ll);

(d) the term "shipwreck" means a vessel or wreck, its cargo,
and other contents;
(e) the term "State" means a State of the United States, the
District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands,
American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands; and
(f) the term "submerged lands" means the lands -
(1) that are "lands beneath navigable waters," as defined in
section 1301 of this title;
(2) of Puerto Rico, as described in section 749 of title 48;
(3) of Guam, the Virgin Islands and American Samoa, as
described in section 1705 of title 48; and
(4) of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, as
described in section 801 of Public Law 94-241.(!2)


-SOURCE-
(Pub. L. 100-298, Sec. 3, Apr. 28, 1988, 102 Stat. 432.)

-REFTEXT-
REFERENCES IN TEXT
The Archaeological Resource Protection Act of 1979, referred to
in subsec. (c), is Pub. L. 96-95, Oct. 31, 1979, 93 Stat. 721, as
amended, which is classified generally to chapter 1B (Sec. 470aa et
seq.) of Title 16, Conservation. For complete classification of
this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section
470aa of Title 16 and Tables.
Section 801 of Public Law 94-241, referred to in subsec. (f)(4),
probably means section 801 of the Covenant to Establish a
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in Political Union
with the United States of America, as contained in section 1 of
Pub. L. 94-241, Mar. 24, 1976, 90 Stat. 263, which is set out as a
note under section 1801 of Title 48, Territories and Insular
Possessions.

-FOOTNOTE-
(!1) So in original. Probably should be "Resources".



(!2) See References in Text note below.


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43 USC Sec. 2103 01/19/04

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TITLE 43 - PUBLIC LANDS
CHAPTER 39 - ABANDONED SHIPWRECKS

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Sec. 2103. Rights of access

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(a) Access rights
In order to -
(1) clarify that State waters and shipwrecks offer recreational
and educational opportunities to sport divers and other
interested groups, as well as irreplaceable State resources for
tourism, biological sanctuaries, and historical research; and
(2) provide that reasonable access by the public to such
abandoned shipwrecks be permitted by the State holding title to
such shipwrecks pursuant to section 2105 of this title,

it is the declared policy of the Congress that States carry out
their responsibilities under this chapter to develop appropriate
and consistent policies so as to -
(A) protect natural resources and habitat areas;
(B) guarantee recreational exploration of shipwreck sites; and
(C) allow for appropriate public and private sector recovery of
shipwrecks consistent with the protection of historical values
and environmental integrity of the shipwrecks and the sites.
(b) Parks and protected areas
In managing the resources subject to the provisions of this
chapter, States are encouraged to create underwater parks or areas
to provide additional protection for such resources. Funds
available to States from grants from the Historic Preservation Fund
shall be available, in accordance with the provisions of title I of
the National Historic Preservation Act, for the study,
interpretation, protection, and preservation of historic shipwrecks
and properties.

-SOURCE-
(Pub. L. 100-298, Sec. 4, Apr. 28, 1988, 102 Stat. 433.)

-REFTEXT-
REFERENCES IN TEXT
The National Historic Preservation Act, referred to in subsec.
(b), is Pub. L. 89-665, Oct. 15, 1966, 80 Stat. 915, as amended.
Title I of the Act is classified generally to sections 470a, 470b,
and 470c to 470h-3 of Title 16, Conservation. For complete
classification of this Act to the Code, see section 470(a) of Title
16 and Tables.

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43 USC Sec. 2104 01/19/04

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TITLE 43 - PUBLIC LANDS
CHAPTER 39 - ABANDONED SHIPWRECKS

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Sec. 2104. Preparation of guidelines

-STATUTE-
(a) Purposes of guidelines; publication in Federal Register
In order to encourage the development of underwater parks and the
administrative cooperation necessary for the comprehensive
management of underwater resources related to historic shipwrecks,
the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the
National Park Service, shall within nine months after April 28,
1988, prepare and publish guidelines in the Federal Register which
shall seek to:
(1) maximize the enhancement of cultural resources;
(2) foster a partnership among sport divers, fishermen,
archeologists, salvors, and other interests to manage shipwreck
resources of the States and the United States;
(3) facilitate access and utilization by recreational
interests;
(4) recognize the interests of individuals and groups engaged
in shipwreck discovery and salvage.
(b) Consultation
Such guidelines shall be developed after consultation with
appropriate public and private sector interests (including the
Secretary of Commerce, the Advisory Council on Historic
Preservation, sport divers, State Historic Preservation Officers,
professional dive operators, salvors, archeologists, historic
preservationists, and fishermen).
(c) Use of guidelines in developing legislation and regulations
Such guidelines shall be available to assist States and the
appropriate Federal agencies in developing legislation and
regulations to carry out their responsibilities under this chapter.

-SOURCE-
(Pub. L. 100-298, Sec. 5, Apr. 28, 1988, 102 Stat. 433.)

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43 USC Sec. 2105 01/19/04

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TITLE 43 - PUBLIC LANDS
CHAPTER 39 - ABANDONED SHIPWRECKS

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Sec. 2105. Rights of ownership

-STATUTE-
(a) United States title
The United States asserts title to any abandoned shipwreck that
is -
(1) embedded in submerged lands of a State;
(2) embedded in coralline formations protected by a State on
submerged lands of a State; or
(3) on submerged lands of a State and is included in or
determined eligible for inclusion in the National Register.
(b) Notice of shipwreck location; eligibility determination for
inclusion in National Register of Historic Places
The public shall be given adequate notice of the location of any
shipwreck to which title is asserted under this section. The
Secretary of the Interior, after consultation with the appropriate
State Historic Preservation Officer, shall make a written
determination that an abandoned shipwreck meets the criteria for
eligibility for inclusion in the National Register of Historic
Places under clause (a)(3) of this section.
(c) Transfer of title to States
The title of the United States to any abandoned shipwreck
asserted under subsection (a) of this section is transferred to the
State in or on whose submerged lands the shipwreck is located.
(d) Exception
Any abandoned shipwreck in or on the public lands of the United
States is the property of the United States Government. Any
abandoned shipwreck in or on any Indian lands is the property of
the Indian tribe owning such lands.
(e) Reservation of rights
This section does not affect any right reserved by the United
States or by any State (including any right reserved with respect
to Indian lands) under -
(1) section 1311, 1313, or 1314 of this title; or
(2) section 414 or 415 of title 33.

-SOURCE-
(Pub. L. 100-298, Sec. 6, Apr. 28, 1988, 102 Stat. 433.)

-SECREF-
SECTION REFERRED TO IN OTHER SECTIONS
This section is referred to in sections 2103, 2106 of this title.

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43 USC Sec. 2106 01/19/04

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TITLE 43 - PUBLIC LANDS
CHAPTER 39 - ABANDONED SHIPWRECKS

-HEAD-
Sec. 2106. Relationship to other laws

-STATUTE-
(a) Law of salvage and law of finds
The law of salvage and the law of finds shall not apply to
abandoned shipwrecks to which section 2105 of this title applies.
(b) Laws of United States
This chapter shall not change the laws of the United States
relating to shipwrecks, other than those to which this chapter
applies.
(c) Effective date
This chapter shall not affect any legal proceeding brought prior
to April 28, 1988.

-SOURCE-
(Pub. L. 100-298, Sec. 7, Apr. 28, 1988, 102 Stat. 434.)

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