§992 Sale of erroneously designated water-covered areas in Arkansas

Summary

The Secretary of the Interior can sell certain public lands in Arkansas that were wrongly shown on official maps as covered by water and that no one has legally claimed under the public land laws. A U.S. citizen who, before September 21, 1922, in good faith under a claim of ownership or as a riparian (riverbank) owner, made valuable improvements or put the land into cultivation has a first right to apply to buy those lands. That person must file an application at the U.S. land office the Secretary names within 90 days from September 21, 1922 if the land was already surveyed and plotted, or within 90 days after the plats are filed. The application must prove the right to purchase and show no one else legally possesses the land. The Secretary will have the land appraised at current value, excluding any added value from the applicant’s own improvements or farming but including value of timber cut or removed. The applicant must pay the appraised price to the designated land office within 30 days after receiving the appraisal notice. After payment, the government will issue a land patent (official deed) for the acreage the Secretary allows. Money from the sale goes into the U.S. Treasury under existing rules. The Secretary may make rules and resolve competing claims.