(a) Section 24 of the Federal Power Act of June 10, 1920, as amended (16 U.S.C. 818), provides that any lands of the United States included in an application for power development under that Act shall, from the date of filing of an application therefor, be reserved from entry, location or other disposal under the laws of the United States until otherwise directed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission or by Congress. This statute also provides that whenever the Commission shall determine that the value of any lands of the United States withdrawn or classified for power purposes shall not be injured or destroyed for such purposes by location, entry or selection under the public land laws, the Secretary of the Interior shall declare such lands open to location, entry or selection for such purposes under such restrictions as the Commission may determine are necessary, and subject to and with a reservation of the right of the United States or its permittees or licensees to enter upon, occupy and use any and all of the lands for power purposes. Before any lands are declared open to location, entry or selection, the Secretary shall give notice of his intention to make this declaration to the Governor of the State within which such lands are located, and the State shall have a preference for a period of 90 days from the date of this notice to file under any applicable law or regulation an application of the State, or any political subdivision thereof, for any lands required as a right-of-way for a public highway or as a source of materials for the construction and maintenance of such highways. The 90-day preference does not apply to lands which remain withdrawn for national forest or other purposes.

(b) The Mining Claims Rights Restoration Act of 1955 (30 U.S.C. 621 et seq.), opened public lands which were then, or thereafter, withdrawn or classified for power purposes, with specified exceptions, to mineral location and development under certain circumstances.