USC Chapter 3

in effect

43 U.S.C. § 52 Surveying duties

The Secretary of the Interior or such officer as he may designate shall engage a sufficient number of skillful surveyors as his deputies, to whom he is authorized to administer the necessary oaths upon their appointments. He shall have authority to frame regulations for their direction, not inconsistent with law or the instructions of the Bureau of Land Management, and to remove them for negligence or misconduct in office. Second. He shall cause to be surveyed, measured, and marked, without delay, all base and meridian lines through such points and perpetuated by such monuments, and such other correction parallels and meridians as may be prescribed by law or by instructions from the Bureau of Land Management, in respect to the public lands to which the Indian title has been or may be extinguished. Third. He shall cause to be surveyed all private land claims after they have been confirmed by authority of Congress, so far as may be necessary to complete the survey of the public lands. Fourth. He shall transmit to the officer, as the Secretary of the Interior may designate, of the respective land offices general and particular plats of all lands surveyed by him for each land district; and he shall forward copies of such plats to such officer as the Secretary may designate. Fifth. He shall, so far as is compatible with the desk duties of his office, occasionally inspect the surveying operations while in progress in the field, sufficiently to satisfy himself of the fidelity of the execution of the work according to contract, and the actual and necessary expenses incurred by him while so engaged shall be allowed; and where it is incompatible with his other duties for the Secretary of the Interior or such officer as he may designate to devote the time necessary to make a personal inspection of the work in progress, then he is authorized to depute a confidential agent to make such examination; and the actual and necessary expenses of such person shall be allowed and paid for that service, and $5 a day during the examination in the field; but such examination shall not be protracted beyond thirty days; and in no case longer than is actually necessary; and when the Secretary or such officer, or any person employed in his office at a regular salary, is engaged in such special service, he shall receive only his necessary expenses in addition to his regular salary.

43 U.S.C. § 53 Powers devolved on Secretary of the Interior on turning over of papers to States

In all cases where, as provided in section 54 of this title, the field notes, maps, records, and other papers appertaining to land titles in any State are turned over to the authorities of such State, the same authority, powers, and duties in relation to the survey, resurvey, or subdivision of the lands therein, and all matters and things connected therewith, as previously exercised by the surveyor general, whose district included such State, shall be vested in, and devolved upon, the Secretary of the Interior or such officer as he may designate.

43 U.S.C. § 54 Completion of surveys; delivery to States

The Secretary of the Interior shall take all the necessary measures for the completion of the surveys in the several surveying districts, at the earliest periods compatible with the purposes contemplated by law; and whenever the surveys and records of any such district are completed, the Secretary of the Interior or such officer as he may designate shall deliver over to the secretary of state of the respective States, including such surveys, or to such other officer as may be authorized to receive them, all the field notes, maps, records, and other papers appertaining to land titles within the same.

43 U.S.C. § 55 Field notes delivered to States; access to

Under the authority and direction of the Secretary of the Interior or such officer as he may designate, any deputy surveyor or other agent of the United States shall have free access to any field notes, maps, records, and other papers, mentioned in section 53 of this title, for the purpose of taking extracts therefrom, or making copies thereof, without charge of any kind.

43 U.S.C. § 56 Conditions of delivery to States

The field notes, maps, records, and other papers mentioned in section 53 of this title, shall in no case be turned over to the authorities of any State, until such State has provided by law for the reception and safe-keeping of the same as public records, and for the allowance of free access to the same by the authorities of the United States.

43 U.S.C. § 57 Authenticated copies or extracts from records as evidence

Any copy of or extract from the plats, field notes, records, or other papers of the offices of the former surveyors general for the districts of Oregon and California, when authenticated by the seal and signature of the Secretary of the Interior or such officer as he may designate, shall be evidence in all cases in which the original would be evidence.

43 U.S.C. § 58 Transcripts from records of Louisiana

Any copy of a plat of survey, or transcript from the records of the office of the former surveyor general of Louisiana, duly certified, shall be admitted as evidence in all the courts of the United States and the Territories thereof.

43 U.S.C. § 59 Official papers in office of surveyor general in California; copies

All official books, papers, instruments of writing, documents, archives, official seals, stamps, or dies, which have been authorized by law to be collected and deposited in the surveyor general’s office in California, shall be safely and securely kept by the Secretary of the Interior, or such officer as he may designate, in the archives of his office until disposed of as provided by law; and copies thereof, authenticated by the Secretary or such officer under his seal of office, shall be evidence in all cases where the originals would be evidence.

43 U.S.C. § 60 Stationery for mineral surveys

The stationery and drafting instruments purchased on and after March 3, 1901, for exclusive use of the Secretary of the Interior or such officers as he may designate in the preparation of plats and field notes of mineral surveys, as also the rent of additional quarters that may be necessary for the execution of such work, shall be paid for out of the fund created by deposits made by individuals to the credit of the United States to cover the cost of office work on such mineral surveys.