The Chamberlain–Ferris Act (39 Stat. 218) of June 9, 1916 was an Act of the United States Congress that ruled that 2,800,000 acres (11,000 km2) of the original 4 million 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 General Land Office, which was to dispose of the lands and timber through auction sales.[1]
It was sponsored by Sen. George E. Chamberlain (D) of Oregon and Rep. Scott Ferris (D) of Oklahoma.
The results proved disappointing, and the act was repealed by the subsequent O&C Act of 1937 (50 Stat. 874) of August 28, 1937, which authorized the Secretary of the Interior to establish sustained yield units on the land, 2,700,000 acres (11,000 km2) of which was still unsold. This Act established the O&C Administration to manage the lands.[1]
As of 2006, 2 million acres (8,100 km2) of the revested lands are managed by the Bureau of Land Management and 500,000 acres (2,000 km2) are managed by the United States Forest Service.[1]