95 



situated, or of its predecessor sovereign : Provided, however, That 

 nothing herein shall be construed as conferring upon said grantees 

 or lessees any greater rights or interests other than are described 

 herein and in their respective grants from the State, or its prede- 

 cessor sovereign ; 



(e) The term "natural resources" includes, without limiting the 

 generality thereof, oil, gas, and all other minerals, and fish, 

 shrimp, oysters, clams, crabs, lobsters, sponges, kelp, and other 

 marine animal and plant life but does not include water power, 

 or the use of water for the production of power ; 



(f ) The term "lands beneath navigable waters" does not include 

 the beds of streams in lands now or heretofore constituting a part 

 of the public lands of the United States if such streams were not 

 meandered in connection with the public survey of such lands 

 under the laws of the United States and if the title to the beds 

 of such streams was lawfully patented or conveyed by the United 

 States or any State to any person ; 



(g) The term "State" means any State of the Union ; 



(h) The term "person" includes, in addition to a natural person, 

 an association, a State, a political subdivision of a State, or a 

 private, public, or municipal corporation. 



"Natural 

 resources. 



"Person. 



TITLE II 



lands beneath navigable waters within state bottndakies 



Sec. 3. Rights of the States. — 



(a) It is hereby determined and declared to be in the public 

 interest that (1) title to and ownership of the lands beneath 

 navigable waters within the boundaries of the respective States, 

 and the natural resources within such lands and waters, and (2) 

 the right and power to manage, administer, lease, develop, and 

 use the said lands and natural resources all in accordance with 

 applicable State law be, and they are hereby, subject to the 

 provisions hereof, recognized, confirmed, established, and vested 

 in and assigned to the respective States or the persons who were 

 on June 5, 1950, entitled thereto under the law of the respective 

 States in which the land is located, and the respective grantees, 

 lessees, or successors in interest thereof ; 



(b) (1) The United States hereby releases and relinquishes unto 

 said States and persons aforesaid, except as otherwise reserved 

 herein, all right, title, and interest of the United States, if any 

 it has, in and to all said lands, improvements, and natural re- 

 sources; (2) the United States hereby releases and relinquishes 

 all claims of the United States, if any it has, for money or 

 damages arising out of any operations of said States or persons 

 pursuant to State authority upon or within said lands and naviga- 

 ble waters; and (3) the Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary 

 of the Navy or the Treasurer of the United States shall pay to 

 the respective States or their grantees issuing leases covering such 

 lands or natural resources all moneys paid thereunder to the 

 Secretary of the Interior or to the Secretary of the Navy or to 

 the Treasurer of the United States and subject to the control of 

 any of them or to the control of the United States on the 

 effective date of this Act, except that portion of such moneys 

 which (1) is required to be returned to a lessee; or (2) is 

 deductible as provided by stipulation or agreement between the 

 United States and any of said States ; 



(c) The rights, powers, and titles hereby recognized, confirmed, 

 established, and vested in and assigned to the respective States 

 and their grantees are subject to each lease executed by a State, 

 or it grantee, which was in force and effect on June 5, 1950, in 

 accordance with its terms and provisions and the laws of the 

 State issuing, or whoise grantee issued, such lease, and such rights, 

 powers, and titles are further subject to the rights herein now 

 granted to any person holding any such lease to continue to main- 



Title and 

 powers. 



Claims of U.S. 



Leases in effect 

 on June 5, 1950 



