PRIA Logo™
Title 43, Public LandsRelease 119-102

§773 Resurveys or Retracements of Township Lines, Etc.

Title 43 › CHAPTER 18 — SURVEY OF PUBLIC LANDS › § 773

Last updated Aug 21, 2026|Official source

Summary

If owners of three-fourths of the privately owned land in a surveyed township (and the township is more than 50 percent privately owned) ask for it and put up their share of the estimated cost, the Secretary of the Interior or an officer he names may order a resurvey or retracement of the township lines and place permanent corners and markers under the usual survey rules. The money deposited is held and used to pay survey costs, including field and office work, and any extra is returned to payers in proportion to what they paid. The government pays its share for public land work from current survey funds. A court with authority can also request a resurvey if it provides the required deposit. The Secretary may make rules to carry this out.

Full Legal Text

Title 43, §773

Public Lands, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

Upon the application of the owners of three-fourths of the privately owned lands in any township covered by public-land surveys, more than 50 per centum of the area of which townships is privately owned, accompanied by a deposit with the Secretary of the Interior, or such officer as he may designate, of the proportionate estimated cost, inclusive of the necessary work, of the resurvey or retracement of all the privately owned lands in said township, the Secretary, or such officer as he may designate, shall be authorized in his discretion to cause to be made a resurvey or retracement of the lines of said township and to set permanent corners and monuments in accordance with the laws and regulations governing surveys and resurveys of public lands. The sum so deposited shall be held by the Secretary of the Interior or such officer as he may designate, and may be expended in payment of the cost of such survey, including field and office work, and any excess over the cost of such survey and the expenses incident thereto shall be repaid pro rata to the persons making said deposits or their legal representatives. The proportionate cost of the field and office work for the resurvey or retracement of any public lands in such township shall be paid from the current appropriation for the survey and resurvey of public lands, in addition to the portion of such appropriation otherwise allowed by law for resurveys and retracements. Similar resurveys and retracements may be made on the application, accompanied by the requisite deposit, of any court of competent jurisdiction, the returns of such resurvey or retracement to be submitted to the court. The Secretary of the Interior is authorized to make all necessary rules and regulations to carry this section into full force and effect.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Abolition of Office of Surveyor General and

Transfer of Functions

Act Mar. 3, 1925, abolished office of surveyor general and transferred administration of all activities in charge of surveyors general to Field Surveying Service under jurisdiction of United States Supervisor of Surveys.

Executive Documents

Transfer of Functions

For

Transfer of Functions

of other officers, employees, and agencies of Department of the Interior, with certain exceptions, to Secretary of the Interior, with power to delegate, see Reorg. Plan No. 3 of 1950, §§ 1, 2, eff. May 24, 1950, 15 F.R. 3174, 64 Stat. 1262, set out under section 1451 of this title. “Supervisor of Surveys” changed to the “Secretary of the Interior, or such officer as he may designate,”; “Commissioner of the General Land Office subject to the supervisory authority of the Secretary of the Interior,” changed to “Secretary, or such officer as he may designate,”; and reference to “Supervisor of Surveys or commissioner” changed to “Secretary of the Interior or such officer as he may designate,”, all on authority of section 403 of Reorg. Plan No. 3 of 1946. See note set out under section 1 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

43 U.S.C. § 773

Title 43, Public Lands

Last Updated

Aug 21, 2026

Release point: 119-102