Regulations Are Issued for Leasing Lands
In Alaska to Raise Fur-Bearing Animals
Requirements Include Annual Rent
al and Royalty on Sale of Live
Animals and Pelts.
Regulations governing the Ras
ing of public lands in the Terri
tory of Alaska for the establishment
of farms for furbearing animals,
under a recent act of Congress,
were issued at the Department of
the Interior on January 24.
Under the terms of the regula
tion every person making a lease
is required to pay the Federal Gov
ernment a mimum rental of $25
per year on tracts of public land
up to and including 640 acres. For
tracts ui iu.ua exceeding osu acres
a mimum annual rental of $50 is
stipulated. In addition to this fix
ed rental a royalty of 1 per cent
on the gross returns derived from
the sale of live animals and pelts
raised on the leased public land
snail be paid the Government in
case the amount exceeds the mini
rental. Each yearly rental paid to
be credited against the royalties as
they accrue for the year.
Requirements Outlined
The regulations also require that
on an area of leased land under 60
acres not less than two pairs of fur
bearing animals, two male and two
females, shall be placed on the
tract within a year. On leased
areas exceeding 640 acres it is re
Quired that four pairs be placed on
them, and six pairs on areas ex
ceeding 3,000 acres. The leases
will be made through the local land
offices in the territory located at
Anchorage, Fairbanks and Nome.
The regulations, in full text, fol
low:
Tho act of July 3, 1926 (44
Stat. 821), entitled: "An Act to
provide for the leasing of public
lands in Alaska for fur farming,
and for other purposes,” provides:
Provisions of Law
"That the Secretary of the In
terior, in order to encourage and
promote development of production
of furs in the Territory of Alaska,
is hereby authorized to lease to cor
i orations organized under the laws
of the United States, or of any
S'ate or Territory thereof, citizens
of the United States, or associations
of such citizens, public ‘ana of the
United States in the Te.’nt-. ry of
Alaska suitable for fur farming, in
iireas not exceeding six hundred
and forty acres, and for po.iods n t
exceeding ten years, upi i such
terms and conditions as he may
Ly general regula ions prescribe:
1'rovided, That where leases are
given hereunder for islands and
lands within the same such lease
may, in the discretion of the Secre
tary or tne interior, be tor an area
not to exceed thirty square miles:
1 rovided further, That nothing
herein contained shall prevent the
prospecting locating, development,
entering, leasing, or patenting of
ihe mineral resources of any lands
so leased under laws applicable
thereto; And provided further,
That this Act shall not be held
nor construed to apply to the Pri
bilof Island, declared a special
reservation by the Act of Congress
approved April 21, 1910; And pro
vided further, That any permit or
lease issued under this Act shall
reserve to the Secretary of the In
terior the right to permit the use
and occupation of parts of said
leased areas for the taking, pre
paring, manufacturing, or storing
of fish or fish products, of the utili
zation of the lands for purposes of
trade or business, to the extent
and in the manner provided by ex
isting laws or laws which may be
hereafter enacted.
Regulations Are Cited
“Sec. 2. That the Secretary of
the Interior i« hereby authorized to
perform any and all acts, and to
make such rules and regulations as
may be necessary and proper for
the purpose of carrying the pro
visions of this act into effect in
cluding provisions for the forfeiture
of any lease for failure to stock the
same with fur-bearing animal3
within a period of one year from
the date of the lease, or in the
event of the devotion of the lease
area primarily to any purpose
other than the rearing of such fur
bearing animals.”
The following rules and regular
tions will govern the issuance of
leases under said act:
Duplicate Applications
Applications for leases, addressed
to the Commissioner of the General
Land Office, should be filed in dupli
cate in the proper district land of
fice. After assignment of a serial
number and due notation thereof
one copy should be forwarded to
the General Land Office and other
to the Division Inspector at Anchor
age, Alaska. A status report should
be furnished with each. No specific
form of application is required, and
no blanks will be furnished there
for. Applications should cover, in
substance, the following points, and
be under oath:
(a) Applicant’s name and post
office address.
(b) Proof of citizenship of ap
plicant; if an association of in
dividuals proof of citizenship of
each member thereof, and if a cor
poration, a certified copy of the
articles of incorporation must be
furnished.
Description Necessary
(c) Description of the land for
which the lease is desired, by legal
subdivision if surveyed, and by
notes and bonds if surveyed, and
by metes and bounds if unsurveyed.
In order to properly indentify un
surveyed lands, if practicable the
metes and bounds description
should be connected by course and
distance with some corner of the
public land surveys, and their posi
tion with reference to rivers, creeks,
mountains or mountain peaks,
towns, islands, or other prominent
topographical points or natural ob