ALASKA LAND LEASING BILL PRESEN*
TED CONGRESS BY SECRETARY ICKES
Entitled, MA bill to promote the devel
opment of the Territory of Alaska and to
authorize the Secretary of the Interior to
lease public lands in Alaska," H. R. 8732
was introduced in the House on March first
by Hon. Rene L. DeRouen, Chairman of the
House Committee on the Public Lands, by
request of the Secretary ef the Interior.
The text of the bill is as follows*
"Be it enacted by the Senate and House
of Representatives of the United States of
America in Congress assembled, That for
the purpose of promoting the development
of the Territory of Alaska, the Secretary
of the Interior may lease or grant revok
able permits to use, for agricultural, in
dustrial, commercial, or any other lawful
purpose, any of the public lands of the
United States in the Territory of Alaska
which lie within 80 rods of any navigable
or other waters. Such lands shall not be
subject to settlement, location, sale, en
try, lease, or other form of appropriation
or use, except as provided in section 4
hereof, until the lands have been classi
fied by the Secretary of the Interior for
such appropriation or use.
"Sec. 2. The Secretary of the Inter
ior may prescribe the terms and conditions
upon which permits, leases, or renewals
shall be made and may determine reasonable
charges to be made in connection therewith.
No lease made under this Act shall run for
more than 20 years. The Secretary may
renew a lease for successive periods of
not more than 20 years each.
"Sec. 3. The Secretary oi the Inter
ior nay perform all acts and promulgate
such regulations as are necessary and
proper to effectuate this Act. The reg
ulations may provide for the forfeiture of
any lease for failure to comply with this
Act, the regulations issued under the Act,
or the terms and conditions of the lease.
"Sec. 4. Nothing contained in this
Act shall restrict prospecting, locating,
developing, mining, entering, leasing, or
patenting the mineral resources of any of
the public lands in Alaska under the ap
plicable laws. This Act shall not affect
any valid existing right. This Act shall
hot be deemed to modify or waive any re
requirements, conditions, or restrictions
contained in statutes providing for the
appropriation, leasing, or other disposi
tion of the public lands in Alaska for
specific purposes enumerated in such stat
utes.
"Sec. 5. As used in this Act, the
terra "public lands" shall mean any lands
(next column).
MINING SCHOOL OPENS APRIL 8.
John Dorsh, representative of the ex
tension work of the school of mines of the
University of Alaska, will conduct class
es in mining, give lectures and demonstrate
laboratory work in connection with fining,
at the Moose Pass schoolhouse, beginning
Monday, April 8.
owned or controlled by the United States,
except lands embraced within national for
ests, national parks or monuments, Indian
reservations, or other Federal reserva
tions.”
[
Secretary Ickes transmitted the draft
of the bill to Congress with the follow
ing letter:
"The Speaker
of the House of Representatives.
Sir:
"There is enclosed herewith a draft
of a bill which, if enacted, would auth
orize the Secretary of the Interior to
lease, or grant revokable permits for any
public lands in the Territory of Alaska,
lying within 80 rods of any navigable or
other waters. This would be in addition
to the right to issue permits and leases
under existing laws.
"The bill further provides that there
shall be no alienation or leasing, other
than under the mining laws or mineral
| leasing acts, of the public lands lying
within 80 rods of any navigable or other
waters, until after such lands have been
classified by the Secretary of the Inter
ior for such appropriation or disposition*
"The mam objective oi the proposed
bill is to institute, with respect to the
shore lands in Alaska, a desirable land-use
policy,based upon the present as well as
the future needs of the Territory. Under
i this method, none of such shore lands, ex
cept as noted above, may be appropriated
or used until a determination has been
made that such appropriation or use there
of will not be prejudicial to the present
or prospective needs of the Territory,of
the public, or of the Government with res
pect to such shore lands. In this manner,
recognized conservation policies will be
protected and the needed space for busi
ness, commercial or other enterprises ad
equately provided for.
"It is requested that the proposed bill
be submitted to the House of Representa
; tivee for appropriate action.
"The Director of the Bureau of the
| Budget has advised me that there is no
objection to the presentation of the
(Continued on back page)