The Chamberlain–Ferris Act (39 Stat. 218) of June 9, 1916 was an

Act of the United States Congress An Act of Congress is a statute enacted by the United States Congress. Acts may apply only to individual entities (called private laws), or to the general public ( public laws). For a bill to become an act, the text must pass through both house ...

that ruled that of the original granted to the Southern Pacific Company (successor to the Oregon and California Railroad) in California and Oregon were revested to the United States, and put under the control of the United States General Land Office, which was to dispose of the lands and timber through auction sales. The lands were named the

Oregon and California Railroad Revested Lands The Oregon and California Railroad Revested Lands (commonly known as O&C Lands), are approximately of land located in eighteen counties of western Oregon. Originally granted to the Oregon & California Railroad to build a railroad between Portl ...

(better known as the ''O&C Lands''). The bill was sponsored by Senator

George E. Chamberlain George Earle Chamberlain Sr. (January 1, 1854 – July 9, 1928) was an American attorney, politician, and public official in Oregon. A native of Mississippi and member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Chamberlain's poli ...

of Oregon and Representative

Scott Ferris Scott Ferris (November 3, 1877 – June 8, 1945) was a U.S. Representative from Oklahoma. Early life Ferris was born in Neosho, Missouri to Scott and Annie M. Ferris.

of Oklahoma, both Democrats. The results proved disappointing, and the act was repealed by the subsequent Oregon and California Revested Lands Sustained Yield Management Act of 1937 () of August 28, 1937, which authorized the

Secretary of the Interior Secretary of the Interior may refer to: * Secretary of the Interior (Mexico) * Interior Secretary of Pakistan * Secretary of the Interior and Local Government (Philippines) * United States Secretary of the Interior See also

*Interior ministry ...

to establish sustained yield units on the land, of which was still unsold. This act established the O&C administration to manage the lands. As of 2006, of the revested lands are managed by the

Bureau of Land Management The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior responsible for administering federal lands. Headquartered in Washington DC, and with oversight over , it governs one eighth of the country's la ...

and are managed by the United States Forest Service.

References

External links

Legislative history of O&C lands
*
Text of the statute
1916 in American law United States federal public land legislation Land use in Oregon History of California {{US-fed-statute-stub