The rights of a servicemember to lands owned or controlled by the United States, and initiated or acquired by the servicemember under the laws of the United States (including the mining and mineral leasing laws) before military service, shall not be forfeited or prejudiced as a result of being absent from the land, or by failing to begin or complete any work or improvements to the land, during the period of military service.
If a permittee or licensee under the Act of June 28, 1934 (43 U.S.C. 315 et seq.), enters military service, the permittee or licensee may suspend the permit or license for the period of military service and for 180 days after termination of or release from military service.
Regulations prescribed by the Secretary of the Interior shall provide for such suspension of permits and licenses and for the remission, reduction, or refund of grazing fees during the period of such suspension.
(Oct. 17, 1940, ch. 888, title V, §502, as added
Act of June 28, 1934, referred to in subsec. (b), is act June 28, 1934, ch. 865,
Section was formerly classified to section 562 of the former Appendix to this title prior to editorial reclassification and renumbering as this section.
A prior section 502 of act Oct. 17, 1940, ch. 888, art. V,
Section applicable to any case not final before Dec. 19, 2003, see section 3 of