Regional Corporation Lands (NPRA)
The ANCSA did not allow the Arctic Slope Regional Corporation (ASRC) to select the subsurface estates within the NPR-A. However, Section 12(a)(1) did allow the ASRC to select the subsurface estate in equal acreage to their entitlement from lands outside the withdrawal. This was clarified by Public Land Order 5183, dated March 9, 1972, which withdrew NPR-4 lands from selection of the subsurface by the regional corporation. This was reiterated again in the passage of the NPRP-A that recognized the village corporations selections of surface estate under ANCSA but did not recognize any other lands claims.
It would be 5 years before regional selections would be allowed in the NPR-A with the passage of the Appropriations Act of 1981 (P.L. 96-514). This Act authorized the Secretary of the Interior to lease lands within the NPR-A for oil and gas exploration and development. The passage of this act allowed the implementation of Section 1431(o) of ANILCA, which provided specific legislative authority to exchange NPR-A lands contingent upon legislative direction to open the NPR-A to commercial development. This allowed the regional corporation (ASRC) to select the subsurface of village selected lands if lands within 75 miles of the village lands were opened for commercial development. The ASRC selected the lands under the villages of Nuiqsut and Wainwright.
At Nuiqsut, the ASRC will receive the subsurface of all lands conveyed to the village. At Wainwright, the ASRC will receive the subsurface estate to 133,176 acres. They will not gain the subsurface estate under those lands that Wainwright will receive for reconveying the lands occupied by the valid Native Allotments under Section 12 of the Technical Corrections Act (1992). This subsurface estate remains under U.S. ownership.
Northern District Office
Sat Feb 8 09:01:31 AST 1997
This information originally published at http://wwwndo.ak.blm.gov/npra/node20.html