The Secretary shall not issue any lease under this chapter or under the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 [30 U.S.C. 1001 et seq.] on any of the following Federal lands:
In the case of any area of National Forest or public lands subject to this section, nothing in this section shall affect any authority of the Secretary of the Interior (or for National Forest Lands reserved from the public domain, the Secretary of Agriculture) to issue permits for exploration for oil and gas, coal, oil shale, phosphate, potassium, sulphur, gilsonite or geothermal resources by means not requiring construction of roads or improvement of existing roads if such activity is conducted in a manner compatible with the preservation of the wilderness environment.
30 U.S.C. §§ 226-3
EDITORIAL NOTES
REFERENCES IN TEXTThe Geothermal Steam Act of 1970, referred to in subsec. (a), is Pub. L. 91-581, Dec. 24, 1970, 84 Stat. 1566, which is classified principally to chapter 23 (§1001 et seq.) of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 1001 of this title and Tables.
AMENDMENTS1988-Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 100-443, §5(c)(1), inserted "or under the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970" after "under this chapter" and directed that "oil and gas" be stricken which was executed by striking those words where they appeared after "not issue any" in introductory provisions, but not where they appeared in par. (3) as the probable intent of Congress.Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 100-443, §5(c)(2), inserted ", coal, oil shale, phosphate, potassium, sulphur, gilsonite or geothermal resources" after "oil and gas".