704
Subsurface estate, patent.
Mineral rights.
72 Stat. 340; 77 Stat. 223. 48 USC prec. 2 1 note.
Land conveyance, authoriza"
PUBLIC LAW 92-203-DEC. 18, 1971
[85 STAT.
(d) the Secretary may apply the rule of approximation with respect to the acreage limitations contained in this section. (e) Immediately after selection by a Regional Corporation, the Secretary shall convey to the Regional Corporation title to the surface and/or the subsurface estates, as is appropriate, in the lands selected. (f) When the Secretary issues a patent to a Village Corporation for the surface estate in lands pursuant to subsections (a) and (b), he shall issue to the Regional Corporation for the region in which the lands are located a patent to the subsurface estate in such lands, except lands located in the National Wildlife Refuge System and lands withdrawn or reserved for national defense purposes, including Naval Petroleum Reserve Numbered 4, for which in lieu rights are provided for in subsection 1 2 (a)(1): Provided, That the right to explore, develop, or remove minerals from the subsurface estate in the lands within the boundaries of any Native village shall be subject to the consent of the Village Corporation. (g) All conveyances made pursuant to this Act shall be subject to valid existing rights. Where, prior to patent of any land or minerals under this Act, a lease, contract, permit, right-of-way, or easement (including a lease issued under section 6(g) of the Alaska Statehood Act) has been issued for the surface or minerals covered under such patent, the patent shall contain provisions making it subject to the lease, contract, permit, right-of-way, or easement, and the right of the lessee, contractee, permittee, or grantee to the complete enjoyment of all rights, privileges, and benefits thereby granted to him. Upon issuance of the patent, the patentee shall succeed and become entitled to any and all interests of the State or the United States as lessor, contractor, permitter, or grantor, in any such leases, contracts, permits, rights-of-way, or easements covering the estate patented, and a lease issued under section 6(g) of the Alaska Statehood Act shall be treated for all purposes as though the patent had been issued to the State. The administration of such lease, contract, permit, right-ofway, or easement shall continue to be by the State or the United States, unless the agency responsible for administration waives administration. In the event that the patent does not cover all of the land embraced within any such lease, contract, permit, right-of-way, or easement, the patentee shall only be entitled to the proportionate amount of the revenues reserved under such lease, contract, permit, right-of-way, or easement by the State or the United States which results from multiplying the total of such revenues by a fraction in which the numerator is the acreage of such lease, contract, permit, right-of-way, or easement which is included in the patent and the denominator is the total acreage contained in such lease, contract, permit, right-of-way, or easement. (h) The Secretary is authorized to withdraw and convey 2 million acres of unreserved and unappropriated public lands located outside the areas withdrawn by sections 11 and 16, and follows: (1) The Secretary may withdraw and convey to the appropriate Regional Corporation fee title to existing cemetery sites and historical places; (2) The Secretary may withdraw and convey to a Native group that does not qualify as a Native village, if it incorporates under the laws of Alaska, title to the surface estate in not more than 23,040 acres surrounding the Native group's locality. The subsurface estate in such land shall be conveyed to the appropriate Regional Corporation; (3) The Secretary may withdraw and convey to the Natives residing in Sitka, Kenai, Juneau, and Kodiak, if they incorporate under the laws of Alaska, the surface estate of lands of a similar
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