This page focuses on land acts affecting Idaho, and land records.

Find additional information using the following web sites:

• Links to Resources on Land Entry Case Files and Related Records from the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)
• Search Library of Congress for congressional documents.
• The Official Federal Land Records Site, Bureau of Land Management
• List of Title Transfer Authorities, Bureau of Land Management, General Land Office Records

Land Acts

Statutes at Large

Acts can be found in the Statutes at Large from the Library of Congress.

• 1st Congress (1789-1791) volume 1 through 43rd Congress (1873-1875) volume 18 – American Memory
• 1st Congress (1789-1791) volume 1 through 81st Congress (1949-1950) volumes 63-64 – Law Library of Congress
• 82nd Congress, 1st Session, 1951 through 112th Congress, 1st Session, 2011 – GovInfo
• Current Legislation: 93rd Congress (1973) through current legislation – www.congress.gov

1841 Preemption Act

• An Act to appropriate the proceeds of the sales of the public lands, and to grant pre-emption rights (PDF) Sep 4, 1841.
• Land Acts (PDF) National Archives.

1850 Donation Land Claim Act

• Oregon Donation Land Act, The Oregon Encyclopedia
• An Act to create the Office of Surveyor-General of the Public Lands in Oregon, and to provide for the Survey, and to make Donations to Settlers of the said Public Lands (PDF) Sep 27, 1850.
• An Act authorizing the Negotiation of Treaties with the Indian Tribes in the Territory of Oregon, for the Extinguishment of their Claims to Lands lying west of the Cascade Mountains, and for other Purposes (PDF) Jun 5, 1850.

1862 Homestead Act

• An Act to secure Homesteads to actual Settlers on the Public Domain (PDF) May 20, 1862.
• Homestead Act (1862). https://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=false&doc=31. Accessed March 1, 2019.

1862 Morrill Act of 1862

• The Morrill Act Web Guide: Primary Documents in American History, Library of Congress
• Robert Lee and Tristan Ahtone. “Land-grab universities.” High Country News. March 30, 2020.
• Robert Lee. “Further reading on HCN’s land-grants university investigation. Dive deep into our bibliography.” High Country News. March 30, 2020.

1863 March 3 – Act to provide a temporary government for the Territory of Idaho

• An Act to provide a temporary Government for the Territory of Idaho (PDF) Mar 3, 1863.

1866 Revised statute 2477

1872 General Mining Act

1873 Timber Culture Act

• Land Acts (PDF) National Archives.

1877 Desert Land Act

• Land Acts (PDF) National Archives.

1878 Timber and Stone Act

• Land Acts (PDF) National Archives.

1887 General Allotment Act, or Dawes Severalty Act

• An Act to Provide for the Allotment of Lands in Severalty to Indians on the Various Reservations (General Allotment Act or Dawes Act), Statutes at Large 24, 388-91, NADP Document A1887. https://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=true&doc=50#. Accessed October 1, 2018.

1890 July 30 Idaho Statehood

• An act to provide for the admission of the State of Idaho into the Union. July 3,1890. 51st Cong. 1st sess. Chap 656. https://www.loc.gov/law/help/statutes-at-large/51st-congress/session-1/c51s1ch656.pdf. Accessed October 1, 2018.

1890 Morrill Act (2nd Morrill Act, Agricultural College Act)

1891 Forest Reserve Act

1891 General Revision Act

1891 Land Revision Act

1891 Midnight Forests

1894 Carey Act, or Federal Desert Land Act

• U.S. Congress. United States Code: Grants of Desert Lands to States for Reclamation The Carey Act, 43 U.S.C. §§ 611-648. 1925. Periodical. https://www.loc.gov/item/uscode1925-001043014/.

1897 Organic Act

1902 Newlands Reclamation Act (Lowlands Reclamation Act or National Reclamation Act)

1905 Transfer Act

1906 Antiquities Act

1906 Burke Act

1909 Enlarged Homestead Act

1911 Weeks Act

1913 Burnt Timber Act

1913 Federal Revenue Sharing Act

1916 National Park Service Organic Act

1916 Stock-Raising Homestead Act

1920 Mineral Leasing Act

1922 General Land Exchange Act

1924 Clarke–McNary Act

1933 Copeland Report

1934 Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act

1934 Taylor Grazing Act

• An Act To stop injury to the public grazing lands by preventing overgrazing and soil deterioration, to provide for their orderly use, improvement, and development, to stabilize the livestock industry dependent upon the public range, and for other purposes (PDF) June 28, 1934.

1935 Bankhead–Jones Act

1935 Historic Sites Act

1937 Flood Control Act

1953 Submerged Lands Act

1964 Wilderness Act

1966 National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966

1968 National Trails System Act

1970 National Park Service General Authorities Act

1974 Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act

1974 Water Resource Development Act

1976 Federal Land Policy and Management Act

1976 National Forest Management Act

1978 Redwood Act

1980 Pacific Northwest Electric Power Planning and Conservation Act

• S.885 – Pacific Northwest Electric Power Planning and Conservation Act https://www.congress.gov/bill/96th-congress/senate-bill/885?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22Pacific+Northwest+Electric+Power+Planning+and+Conservation+Act%22%5D%7D&r=3
• 16 United States Code Chapter 12H (1994 & Supp. I 1995). Act of Dec. 5, 1980, 94 Stat. 2697. Public Law No. 96-501, S. 885. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2017-title16/pdf/USCODE-2017-title16-chap12H.pdf
• Information from the Northwest Power and Conservation Council about the Northwest Power Act – https://www.nwcouncil.org/reports/northwest-power-act

1994 Idaho Regulatory Takings Act

2009 Omnibus Public Land Management Act

• H.R.146 – Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 https://www.congress.gov/bill/111th-congress/house-bill/146/text

Updated by Ronnie Joiner on November 6, 2018.