Title 37 — Public Lands

A. A person interested in the exchange of any road rights-of-way may appear at any hearing on the exchange and enter a written protest as provided in section 37-604. B. The state land commissioner shall render a decision regarding any such protest and serve notice of the decision…

A. Exchange of road rights-of-way over state lands managed by the state land department may be initiated by application of the owner of the road rights-of-way over other lands proposed to be exchanged upon forms provided by the state land department. B. Upon the filing of an exch…

The provisions of this article are supplemental to and in addition to the authority provided in chapter 3, article 2 of this title.

A. Concurrent criminal jurisdiction over any lands in this state heretofore reserved from public domain or acquired by the United States as identified in subsection D of this section, and any additions made to such lands, is hereby vested in the United States on completion of the…

A. If the administrator of the veterans administration of the United States desires, on behalf of the United States, to relinquish to this state any legislative jurisdiction over lands or interests in lands under the administrator's supervision or control in order to establish co…

Pursuant to article I, section 8, clause 17 of the Constitution of the United States, the consent of this state may be given to the acquisition of any other privately owned real property within this state by the United States only upon the governor's signing a joint resolution ad…

1. A detailed accounting of each individual item to be protected. 2. The precise global positioning system location of each item to be protected. 3. The square footage that each item to be protected occupies. 4. The total square footage of the parcel of land comprising the nation…

The interstate compact for jurisdiction on the Colorado river is enacted into law as follows: Section I. Concurrent Jurisdiction A. If conduct is prohibited by two adjoining party states, courts and law enforcement officers in either state who have jurisdiction over criminal offe…

A. The state land commissioner may coordinate the development of a process of using holistic resource management planning methods to incorporate the critical habitat requirements of plant and animal species with the resource use requirements of this state. If developed, this plan…

The state accepts the conditions of the acts of Congress known as the Carey land acts, and the grants of land upon the conditions imposed by those acts. The selection, management and disposal of lands granted by those acts shall vest in the state land department.

A. Any person desiring to construct irrigation works or to reclaim lands under the provisions of this article shall file with the state land department an application for selection of the lands to be reclaimed. The application shall be accompanied by a proposal for complete recla…

A. The state land department shall determine: 1. Whether the land applied for can be reclaimed by means of the proposed irrigation project. 2. Whether according to records of the department of water resources there are sufficient water rights vested in the applicant, or sufficien…

A. Upon approval of the application and withdrawal of the land by the department of the interior, the state land department shall enter into a contract with the applicant containing complete maps and specifications of the proposed project. The contract shall state: 1. The maximum…

A. The contract with the state shall provide that the work shall begin within six months from the date of the contract, and shall be prosecuted diligently and continuously to completion, and that cessation of work for a period of six months shall be a ground of forfeiture of all …

A. Any citizen of the United States, or any person who has declared his intention to become a citizen, over the age of eighteen years, may make application to enter any of the lands not exceeding one hundred sixty acres, under the regulations of the department of the interior and…

Upon completion of the project or any section thereof, the contractor shall notify the state land department that he is prepared to supply water to the land designated in his application, or any particular tract thereof, whereupon the department shall request the department of th…

A. The water rights shall attach and become appurtenant to the land when the title passes from the United States to the state. Any person furnishing water for any tract of land so acquired shall be entitled to receive directly, when due under the water contracts, all payments upo…

A. The maps of the lands shall show the location of the irrigation project approved in the contract. Certified copies of the maps shall be filed and recorded in the office of the county recorder in each of the counties into which the irrigation project, or the lands to be reclaim…

A. The additional grant of numbered school sections, mineral in character, made to the state by the act of Congress approved January 25, 1927 is accepted. B. All sales, grants, deeds or patents for any lands so granted shall be subject to and contain a reservation to the state of…

A. The state accepts the provisions of the act of Congress of June 28, 1934, as amended, known as the Taylor grazing act, and the provisions of the act of Congress of June 5, 1936 amending section 28 of the enabling act, and all other applicable acts of Congress which are enacted…

The state land department and the selection board may effect exchanges of state owned land for federally owned land, and the department and the selection board may do all things necessary or required to be done by the state in order to comply with the provisions of the Taylor gra…

A. All monies received by the state as its distributive shares of the amounts collected by the United States government under the provisions of the act of Congress of June 28, 1934 known as the Taylor grazing act, and acts amendatory thereof, shall be deposited with the state tre…

All monies received from leases of public lands within any county shall be placed to the credit of the school district within the county in which the land lies. If the lands do not lie within a school district, the monies shall be placed to the credit of the general school fund o…

A. All monies received from grazing fees of a grazing district regularly established and including public lands within the county shall be placed to the credit of a special fund designated the range improvement fund of the grazing district which shall be given a number. B. The co…

The monies from grazing fees of grazing districts shall be expended within the county as the board of district advisors directs for range improvements and maintenance thereof, predatory animal control, rodent control, poisonous or noxious weed extermination, or the purchase or re…

A. There is created a special fund known as the state public roads and public education fund. There shall be deposited in the fund all monies received by the state as its distributive shares of the amounts collected by the United States government under the provisions of the act …

When the state or any political subdivision thereof purchases or acquires an option to purchase real property, or takes official preliminary steps by resolution of an executive commission resolving to purchase or acquire an option to purchase real property or an easement thereon,…

A. Unless another procedure is prescribed by law, the director or other chief administrative officer of a state agency may lease or convey real property or any right, title or interest in real property as prescribed by this section if the director or officer determines that it is…

A. Unless another procedure is prescribed by law, the director or other chief administrative officer of a state agency may dispose of real property or any right, title or interest in real property as prescribed by this section if the director or officer determines that the real p…

A. If this state or any agency or instrumentality of this state acquires real or personal property, whether by purchase, exchange, condemnation, gift or otherwise, the entity acquiring the title to the property may require the owner of subject property to provide sufficient funds…

In this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires: 1. "Board" means the public lands board of review. 2. "Public lands" means all lands within the exterior boundaries of this state except lands: (a) To which title is held by any natural person, corporation, company, partners…

A. The department shall hold the public lands of this state in trust for the benefit of the people of this state and shall manage them in an orderly and beneficial manner consistent with the public policy declared in subsection B. B. The department shall administer the public lan…

A. The commissioner may: 1. With the approval of the board, promulgate rules and regulations deemed necessary to manage the public lands in an orderly and beneficial manner according to this chapter. 2. Contract for or employ professional and clerical personnel deemed necessary t…

A. There is established a public lands board of review consisting of the following members: 1. State land commissioner. 2. Director of environmental quality. 3. State geologist. 4. Director of the Arizona state parks board. 5. Director of the department of transportation. 6. Depu…

A. Any person who is aggrieved by a decision of the commissioner made pursuant to this chapter may appeal to the board by letter within thirty days after the date of the decision from which the appeal is taken. B. To have the effect of commencing an appeal as provided for in subs…

A. After January 1, 1980 no sale, conveyance or other disposal of public lands may be authorized by the commissioner unless specifically authorized by law by the legislature. B. Except as authorized by this chapter or by the commissioner pursuant to law, any sale, lease, exchange…

All federal lands acquired before the effective date of this section without consent of the legislature through gift, purchase, exchange or eminent domain shall be placed on the general tax rolls of the counties of this state in the name of the grantor of the respective transacti…

The attorney general may initiate or defend an action commenced in any court to carry out or enforce this chapter or seek any appropriate judicial relief to protect the interests of this state. Enforcement of this chapter rests exclusively with the attorney general.

A. A county receiving payments from the federal government or any federal agency under 31 United States code section 1601 et seq., whose payments are reduced due to action taken by this state under this article shall be reimbursed by the state treasurer from the state general fun…

A. This state, on behalf of itself and its political subdivisions, asserts and claims rights-of-way across public lands under section 8 of the mining act of 1866, reenacted and recodified as Revised Statute 2477; 43 United States Code section 932, acquired from and after its effe…

In this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires: 1. "Arizona navigable stream adjudication commission" or "commission" means the Arizona navigable stream adjudication commission established by section 37-1121. 2. "Bed" means the land lying between the ordinary high waterma…

In all activities and proceedings under this chapter, the commissioner shall: 1. Act as an advocate for the public trust. 2. Act diligently to promote trust interests. 3. Challenge or defend commission decisions as the commissioner considers necessary to protect trust interests.…

A. The Arizona navigable stream adjudication commission is established through June 30, 2028 as a separate agency and independent of the state land department. The commission consists of five persons, not more than three of whom are from the same political party, who are appointe…

A. The commission shall: 1. Adopt administrative rules that in its discretion it considers to be necessary and proper to carry out the provisions and purposes of this chapter. 2. Assemble and distribute information to the public relating to the commission's determination of navig…

A. The commission shall receive, review and consider all relevant historical and other evidence presented to the commission by the state land department and by other persons regarding the navigability or nonnavigability of watercourses in this state as of February 14, 1912, toget…

A. Beginning on or about the date that the commission establishes priorities pursuant to section 37-1123, subsection E, but in no event later than January 2, 1993, the department shall begin the necessary investigation and inquiries to assemble the evidence relevant to finding na…

A. The commission shall schedule public hearings to receive additional evidence and testimony relating to navigability or nonnavigability of each watercourse, and, if the commission finds a watercourse is navigable, the commission shall schedule public hearings to identify and ma…

A. After the commission completes the public hearing with respect to a watercourse, the commission shall again review all available evidence and render its determination as to whether the particular watercourse was navigable as of February 14, 1912. If the preponderance of the ev…

A. Beginning on the date the commission issues a determination under section 37-1128, subsection A and continuing through ninety days after the department issues a notice under either section 37-1128, subsection D, paragraph 1 or 2, the state land commissioner or any person who i…

A. Subject to judicial review under section 37-1129, the commission’s determination that a watercourse is nonnavigable constitutes a waiver, relinquishment and disclaimer of this state's right, title or interest in the bed of the watercourse based on its navigability. B. This sta…