O. Submerged lands Act of May 22, 1953 (67 Stat. 29; 43 U.S.C. 1301-1315) SHORT TITLE SECTION 1. This Act should be popularly known as the "Submerged Lands Act". GENERAL PROVISIONS DEFINITIONS SEC. 2. When used in this Act (a) The term "lands beneath navigable waters" means- (1) all lands within the boundaries of each of the respective States which are covered by nontidal waters that were navigable under the laws of the United States at the time such State became a member of the Union, or acquired sovereignty over such lands and waters thereafter, up to the ordinary high water mark as heretofore or hereafter modified by accretion, erosion, and reliction; (2) all lands permanently or periodically covered by tidal waters up to but not above the line of mean high tide and seaward to a line three geographical miles distant from the coast line of each such State and to the boundary line of each such State where in any case such boundary as it existed at the time such State became a member of the Union, or as heretofore approved by Congress, extends seaward (or into the Gulf of Mexico) beyond three geographical miles; and (3) all filled in, made, or reclaimed lands which formerly were lands beneath navigable waters, as hereinabove defined; (b) The term "boundaries" includes the seaward boundaries of a State or its boundaries in the Gulf of Mexico or any of the Great Lakes as they existed at the time such State became a member of the Union, or as heretofore approved by the Congress, or as extended or confirmed pursuant to section 4 of this Act but in no event shall the term "boundaries" or the term "lands beneath navigable waters" be interpreted as extending from the coast line more than three geographical miles into the Atlantic Ocean or the Pacific Ocean, or more than three marine leagues into the Gulf of Mexico; (c) The term "coast line" means the line of ordinary low water along that portion of the coast which is in direct contact with the open sea and the line marking the seaward limit of inland waters; (d) The terms "grantees" and "lessees" include (without limiting the generality thereof) all political subdivisions, municipalities, public and private corporations, and other persons holding grants or leases from a State, or from its predecessor sovereign if legally validated, to lands beneath navigable waters if such grants or leases were issued in accordance with the constitution, statutes, and decisions of the courts of the State in which such lands are situated, or of its predecessor sovereign: Provided, however, That nothing herein shall be construed as conferring upon said grantees or lessees any greater rights or interests other than are described herein and in their respective grants from the State, or its predecessor sovereign; (e) The term "natural resources" includes, without limiting the generality thereof, oil, gas, and all other minerals, and fish, shrimp, oysters, clams, crabs, lobsters, sponges, kelp, and other marine animal and plant life but does not include water power, or the use of water for the production of power; (f) The term "lands beneath navigable waters" does not include the beds of streams in lands now or heretofore constituting a part of the public lands of the United States if such streams were not meandered in connection with the public survey of such lands under the laws of the United States and if the title to the beds of such streams was lawfully patented or conveyed by the United States or any State to any person; (g) The term "State" means any State of the Union; (h) The term "person" includes, in addition to a natural person, an association, a State, a political subdivision of a State, or a private, public, or municipal corporation. (May 22, 1953, ch. 65, title I, § 2, 67 Stat. 29.) SEPARABILITY PROVISION Section 11 of act May 22, 1953, provided that: "If any provision of this Act, or any section, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase or individual word, or the application thereof to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the validity of the remainder of the Act and of the application of any such provision, section, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase or individual word to other persons and circumstances shall not be affected thereby; without limiting the generality of the foregoing, if subsection 3 (a)1, 3(a)2, 3(b)1, 3(b)2, 3(b)3, or 3(c) or any provision of any of those subsections is held invalid, such subsection or provision shall be held separable and the remaining subsections and provisions shall not be affected thereby." NAVAL PETROLEUM RESERVE Section 10 of act May 22, 1953, revoked Ex. Ord. No. 10426, Jan. 16, 1953, 18 F.R. 405, "insofar as it applies to any lands beneath navigable waters as defined in section 2 hereof". Ex Ord. 10426 set aside certain submerged lands as a naval petroleum reserve and transferred functions with respect thereto from the Secretary of the Interior to the Secretary of the Navy. APPLICATION TO STATE OF ALASKA Admission of Alaska into the Union was accomplished Jan. 3, 1959, upon issuance of Proc. No. 3269, Jan. 5, 1959, 24 F.R. 81, 73 Stat. c16, as required by sections 1 and 8(e) of Pub. L. 85-508, July 7, 1958, 72 Stat. 339, set out as notes Applicability of this chapter to the State of Alaska, see APPLICATION TO STATE OF HAWAII Applicability of this chapter to the State of Hawaii, see section 5(i) of Pub. L. 86-3, Mar. 18, 1959, 73 Stat. 6, set out as a note preceding section 491 of Title 48, Territories and Insular Possessions, U.S. Code. RIGHTS OF STATES SEC. 3. (a) CONFIRMATION AND ESTABLISHMENT OF TITLE AND OWNERSHIP OF LANDS AND RESOURCES; MANAGEMENT, ADMINISTRATION, LEASING, DEVELOPMENT, AND USE.-It is determined and declared to be in the public interest that (1) title to and ownership of the lands beneath navigable waters within the boundaries of the respective States, and the natural resources within such lands and waters, and (2) the right and power to manage, administer, lease, develop, and use the said lands and natural resources all in accordance with applicable State law be, and they are, subject to the provisions hereof, recognized, confirmed, established, and vested in and assigned to the respective States or the persons who were on June 5, 1950, entitled thereto under the law of the respective States in which the land is located, and the respective grantees, lessees, or successors in interest thereof; (b) RELEASE AND RELINQUISHMENT OF TITLE AND CLAINS OF UNITED STATES; PAYMENT TO STATES OF MONEYS PAID UNDER LEASES.-(1) The United States releases and relinquishes unto said States and persons aforesaid, except as otherwise reserved herein, all right, title, and interest of the United States, if any it has, in and to all said lands, improvements, and natural resources; (2) the United States releases and relinquishes all claims of the United States, if any it has, for money or damages arising out of any operations of said States or persons pursuant to State authority upon or within said lands and navigable waters; and (3) the Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary of the Navy or the Treasurer of the United States shall pay to the respective States or their grantees issuing leases covering such lands or natural resources all moneys paid thereunder to the Secretary of the Interior or to the Secretary of the Navy or to the Treasurer of the United States and subject to the control of any of them or to the control of the United States on May 22, 1953, except that portion of such moneys which (1) is required to be returned to a lessee; or (2) is deductible as provided by stipulation or agreement between the United States and any of said States; SEAWARD BOUNDARIES OF STATES SEC. 4. The seaward boundary of each original coastal State is approved and confirmed as a line three geographical miles distant from its coast line or, in the case of the Great Lakes, to the international boundary. Any State admitted subsequent to the formation of the Union which has not already done so may extend its seaward boundaries to a line three geographical miles distant from its coast. line, or to the international boundaries of the United States in the Great Lakes or any other body of water traversed by such boundaries. Any claim heretofore or hereafter asserted either by constitutional provision, statute, or otherwise, indicating the intent of a State so to extend its boundaries is approved and confirmed, without prejudice to its claim, if any it has, that its boundaries extend beyond that line. Nothing in this section is to be construed as questioning or in any manner prejudicing the existence of any State's seaward boundary beyond three geographical miles if it was so provided by its constitution or laws prior to or at the time such State became a member of the Union, or if it has been heretofore approved by Congress. (May 22, 1953, ch. 65, title II, § 4, 67 Stat. 31.) EXCEPTIONS FROM CONFIRMATION AND ESTABLISHMENT OF STATES' TITLE, POWER AND RIGHTS SEC. 5. There is excepted from the operation of section 3 of this Act (a) all tracts or parcels of land together with all accretions thereto, resources therein, or improvements thereon, title to which has been lawfully and expressly acquired by the United States from any State or from any person in whom title had vested under the law of the State or of the United States, and all lands which the United States lawfully holds under the law of the State; all lands expressly retained by or ceded to the United States when the State entered the Union (otherwise than by a general retention or cession of lands underlying the marginal sea); all lands acquired by the United States by eminent domain proceedings, purchase, cession, gift, or otherwise in a proprietary capacity; all lands filled in, built up, or otherwise reclaimed by the United States for its own use; and any rights the United States has in lands presently and actually occupied by the United States under claim of right; (b) such lands beneath navigable waters held, or any interest in which is held by the United States for the benefit of any tribe, band, or group of Indians or for individual Indians; and (c) all structures and improvements constructed by the United States in the exercise of its navigational servitude. (May 22, 1953, ch. 65, title II, § 5, 67 Stat. 32.) RIGHTS AND POWERS RETAINED BY UNITED STATES; PURCHASE OF NATURAL RESOURCES SEC. 6. (a) The United States retains all its navigational servitude and rights in and powers of regulation and control of said lands and navigable waters for the constitutional purposes of commerce, navigation, national defense, and international affairs, all of which shall be paramount to, but shall not be deemed to include, proprietary rights of ownership, or the rights of management, administration, leasing, use, and development of the lands and natural resources which are specifically recognized, confirmed, established, and vested in and assigned to the respective States and others by section 3. of this Act. (b) In time of war or when necessary for national defense, and the Congress or the President shall so prescribe, the United States shall have the right of first refusal to purchase at the prevailing market price, all or any portion of the said natural resources, or to acquire and use any portion of said lands by proceeding in accordance with due process of law and paying just compensation therefor. (May 22, 1953, ch. 65, title II, § 6, 67 Stat. 32.) RESOURCES OF THE CONTINENTAL SHELF SEC. 9. Nothing in this Act shall be deemed to affect in any wise the rights of the United States to the natural resources of that portion of the subsoil and seabed of the Continental Shelf lying seaward and outside of the area of lands beneath navigable waters, as defined in section 2 of this Act, all of which natural resources appertain to the United States, and the jurisdiction and control of which by the United States is confirmed. (May 22, 1953, ch. 65, title II, $9, 67 Stat. 32.) |