With respect to lands conveyed to Native Corporations or Native Groups the Secretary shall reserve only those easements which are described in section 17(b)(1) of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act [43 U.S.C. 1616(b)(1)] and shall be guided by the following principles:

(1) all easements should be designed so as to minimize their impact on Native life styles, and on subsistence uses; and

(2) each easement should be specifically located and described and should include only such areas as are necessary for the purpose or purposes for which the easement is reserved.

Whenever, after a conveyance has been made by this Act or under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act [43 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.], the Secretary determines that an easement not reserved at the time of conveyance or by operation of subsection (a) of this section is required for any purpose specified in section 17(b)(1) of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, he is authorized to acquire such easement by purchase or otherwise. The acquisition of such an easement shall be deemed a public purpose for which the Secretary may exercise his exchange authority pursuant to section 22(f) of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act [43 U.S.C. 1621(f)].

Offers for noncompetitive oil and gas leases under the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920 [30 U.S.C. 181 et seq.] which were filed but which did not result in the issuance of a lease on or before December 18, 1971, on lands selected by, and conveyed before, on, or after December 2, 1980, to, Native Corporations or to individual Natives under paragraph (5) or (6) of section 14(h) [43 U.S.C. 1613(h)(5) or (6)] as part of the entitlement to receive land under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act [43 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.] shall not constitute valid existing rights under section 14(g) of such Act [43 U.S.C. 1613(g)] or under this Act.

This Act is not intended to modify, repeal, or otherwise affect any provision of the Act of January 2, 1976 (89 Stat. 1145), as amended or supplemented by Public Laws 94–456 and 95–178, and shall not be construed as imposing any additional restriction on the use or management of those lands described in section 22(k) of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act [43 U.S.C. 1621(k)].

(Pub. L. 96–487, title IX, § 903, Dec. 2, 1980, 94 Stat. 2433.)