Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 94 Part 2.djvu/1162

 94 STAT. 2440

PUBLIC LAW 96-487—DEC. 2, 1980

under a particular grant exceed such remaining entitlement, the State shall thereupon list all selections for that grant which have not been tentatively approved in desired priority order of conveyance, in blocks no larger than one township in size; except that the State may alter such priorities prior to receipt of tentative approval. Upon receipt by the State of subsequent tentative approvals, such excess selections shall be reduced by the Secretary pro rata by rejecting the lowest prioritized selection blocks necessary to maintain a maximum excess selection of 25 per centum of the entitlement which has not yet been tentatively approved or patented to the State under each grant. Relinquishments. (2) The State of Alaska may, by written notification to the Secretary, relinquish any selections of land filed under the Alaska State48 USC note hood Act or subsection (b) of this section prior to receipt by the State prec. 21. Qf tentative approval, except that lands conveyed pursuant to subsection (g) of this section may not be relinquished pursuant to this paragraph. 48 USC note (3) Section 6(g) of the Alaska Statehood Act is amended by adding at prec. 21. Yie end thereof the following new sentence: "As to all selections made by the State after January 1, 1979, pursuant to section 6(b) of this Act, the Secretary of the Interior, in his discretion, may waive the minimum tract selection size where he determines that such a reduced selection size would be in the national interest and would result in a better land ownership pattern.". (g) CONVEYANCE OF SPECIFIED LANDS.—In furtherance of the State's entitlement to lands under section 6(b) of the Alaska Statehood Act, the United States hereby conveys to the State of Alaska all right, title, and interest of the United States in and to all vacant, unappropriated, and unreserved lands, including lands subject to subsection (e) of this section but which lie within those townships outside the boundaries of conservation system units, National Conservation Areas, National Recreation Areas, new national forests and forest additions, established, designated, or expanded by this Act, which are specified in the list entitled "State Selection Lands May 15, 1978", dated July 24, 1978, submitted by the State of Alaska and on file in the office of the Secretary of the Interior. The denomination of lands in such list which are not, on the date of enactment of this Act, available lands within the meaning of section 6(b) of the Alaska Statehood Act and this Act shall be treated as a future selection application pursuant to subsection (e) of this section, to the extent such an application could have been filed under such subsection (e). (h) LIMITATION OF CONVEYANCES OF SPECIFIED LANDS TENTATIVE APPROVALS; SURVEYS.—(1) Lands identified in subsection (g) are

43 USC 1601 ^°^-

conveyed to the State subject to valid existing rights and Native selection rights under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. All right, title, and interest of the United States in and to such lands shall vest in the State of Alaska as of the date of enactment of this Act, subject to those reservations specified in subsection (1) of this section. (2) As soon as practicable after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall issue to the State tentative approvals to such lands as required by the Alaska Statehood Act and pursuant to subsection (i) of this section. The sequence of issuance of such tentative approvals shall be on the basis of priorities determined by the State. (3) Upon approval of a land survey by the Secretary, those lands identified in subsection (g) shall be patented to the State of Alaska. (4) If the State elects to receive patent to any of the lands which are identified in subsection (g) on the basis of protraction surveys in lieu

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