§ 19-1-2 — Duties of land commissioner

The commissioner shall have a seal with an appropriate device thereon; and such seal affixed to any contract, deed, lease or other instrument executed by the commissioner shall be prima facie evidence of the due execution thereof. Said commissioner shall receive and pass upon all applications for leasing or purchasing state lands and timber; and shall execute and authenticate for the state all deeds, leases, contracts or other instruments affecting such lands. All such leases, deeds, contracts and grants heretofore or hereafter executed shall be entitled to record without acknowledgment, and record thereof in the county in which the land described therein is situated shall be constructive notice to all persons of the contents thereof. Said commissioner shall have power to provide all necessary books, blanks, records, property, equipment and appurtenances of every kind whatsoever for the proper management of said state land office and the lands under his control; to deed by quitclaim or otherwise to the United States any or all claims that the state may have in and to lands within any private land grant or reservation made or confirmed in pursuance of authority of congress, or to such of its lands as may be needed by the United States or for reclamation of water power sites for the purpose of selecting indemnity lands therefor; also to such of its lands as may be desired by the United States for agricultural experiment purposes; to collect all moneys due to the state for the lease, purchase or use of state lands; to receive all moneys due to the state derived from any state lands and credit said moneys so received to the separate funds created for the respective purposes named in grants by congress, or otherwise, and he shall pay over to the state treasurer, on or before the tenth day of the next succeeding month, all such moneys received during each month to be credited to the several funds respectively entitled thereto. He shall keep a full and complete record of all his official acts and shall submit to the governor each year a report bearing date the first day of December, and at any other time on request, which shall contain a statement of the business and expenses of said state land office and the amount of moneys received and turned over by him to the state treasurer for each fund, together with such recommendations as he may deem proper for the better management and control of state lands. He shall cause to be printed biennially, for the use and information of the legislature, the annual reports thus made to the governor for the two (2) years preceding each regular session thereof, and he shall charge the cost of such printing to the state lands maintenance fund hereinafter in this chapter created. He shall employ a person qualified and experienced as a geologist or petroleum engineer who in turn is hereby authorized to appoint, with the approval of the commissioner, such inspectors, clerks and additional assistants as he may deem necessary to collect and compile information, under the direction and supervision of the commissioner, relative to oil and gas leasing development and production within the state which may affect state lands and prepare maps and reports necessary and expedient for the proper supervision and leasing of lands belonging to the state for oil and gas purposes. The salary of said geologist or petroleum engineer and inspectors, clerks and additional assistants as provided shall be fixed by the commissioner and said salaries and expenses to be paid out of the state land office maintenance fund. He shall make rules and regulations for the control, management, disposition, lease and sale of state lands and perform such other duties as may be prescribed by law.

Legislative History

Laws 1912, ch. 82, § 2; Code 1915, § 5179; C.S. 1929, § 132-102; 1941