Section 11.82.645. Conforming protracted description to official surveys.

	(a)  If a lease is issued describing land according to a protracted survey and if thereafter the leased land is surveyed under the public land rectangular system, the boundaries of the lease land are those established by the latter survey when it is approved by the commissioner. Before conforming the lease boundaries, the department will notify each lessee of land affected by the survey and permit those lessees to examine the plat of survey and the field notes. If such a lessee believes that the survey is erroneous and would because of an error move any boundary of a lease held by him more than 10 feet, or in the case of an oil and gas lease on which there is no well capable of producing in paying quantities, one-quarter of a mile, then he may, within 30 days after that notice, file with the department written objections to the survey specifying in detail the error alleged, the boundary affected and the effect on it, and stating whether a hearing is demanded.  
	(b)  If a hearing is demanded under (a) of this section, the commissioner will establish a time and place for the hearing and mail reasonable notice of it to all lessees of record affected by the survey.  
	(c)  The commissioner will consider all written objections and all evidence presented at the hearing, and if he finds that any lease boundary, as established by the lessee, would be affected in excess of the limits specified in (a) of this section, and he finds reasonable cause to believe that the effect may be the result of an error in the survey, whether or not within the allowable limits of error according to the generally accepted standards of surveying, and any lessee or lessees agree to bear the cost of a resurvey as provided for in (d) of this section, the survey is not approved and the commissioner will order a resurvey.  
	(d)  A resurvey ordered under (c) of this section must be made by an independent professional land surveyor licensed in Alaska and appointed by the commissioner, who will consult with any interested lessees before making the appointment. The commissioner will fully apprise the surveyor of any alleged errors and furnish him copies of all written objections and other evidence submitted concerning the original survey.  
	(e)  Upon receipt of the resurvey, the commissioner will notify all affected lessees of it and permit the lessees to examine the plat of resurvey and the field notes. A lessee may within 30 days after receipt of the notice file written objections in the manner provided in (a) of this section. If objections are received, the commissioner may, at his discretion, order a further hearing or a further resurvey in the manner provided in (d) of this section.  

Authorities

38.05.020;38.05.035;38.05.145

Notes

Authority

AS 38.05.020 AS 38.05.035 AS 38.05.145(a)

History

Eff. 9/5/74, Register 51; am 7/22/79, Register 71