§1209. Reversion
(a) Reversion or payment to Federal Government for conversion to use preventing State-owned railroad from continuing to operate
If, within ten years after the date of transfer to the State authorized by section 1203 of this title, the Secretary finds that all or part of the real property transferred to the State under this chapter, except that portion of real property which lies within the boundaries of the Denali National Park and Preserve, is converted to a use that would prevent the State-owned railroad from continuing to operate, that real property (including permanent improvements to the property) shall revert to the United States Government, or (at the option of the State) the State shall pay to the United States Government an amount determined to be the fair market value of that property at the time its conversion prevents continued operation of the railroad.
(b) Reversion upon discontinuance by State of use of any land within right-of-way; criteria for discontinuance
If, after the date of transfer pursuant to section 1203 of this title, the State discontinues use of any land within the right-of-way, the State's interest in such land shall revert to the United States. The State shall be considered to have discontinued use within the meaning of this subsection and subsection (d) of this section when:
(1) the Governor of the State of Alaska delivers to the Secretary of the Interior a notice of such discontinuance, including a legal description of the property subject to the notice, and a quitclaim deed thereto; or
(2) the State has made no use of the land for a continuous period of eighteen years for transportation, communication, or transmission purposes. Notice of such discontinuance shall promptly be published in the Federal Register by the Secretary, the Secretary of the Interior, or the Secretary of Agriculture, and reversion shall be effected one year after such notice, unless within such one-year period the State brings an appropriate action in the United States District Court for the District of Alaska to establish that the use has been continuing without an eighteen-year lapse. Any such action shall have the effect of staying reversion until exhaustion of appellate review from the final judgment in that action or termination of the right to seek such review, whichever first occurs.
(c) Conveyances by United States subsequent to reversion
Upon such reversion pursuant to subsection (b) of this section, the Secretary of the Interior shall immediately convey by patent to abutting landowners all right, title and interest of the United States. Where land abutting the reverted right-of-way is owned by different persons or entities, the conveyance made pursuant to this subsection shall extend the property of each abutting owner to the centerline of the right-of-way.
(d) Discontinuance by State of use of national park or forest lands; jurisdiction upon reversion
If use is discontinued (as that term is used in subsection (b) of this section) of all or part of those properties of the Alaska Railroad transferred to the State pursuant to this chapter which lie within the boundaries of the Denali National Park and Preserve or the Chugach National Forest, such properties or part thereof (including permanent improvements to the property) shall revert to the United States and shall not be subject to subsection (c) of this section. Upon such reversion, jurisdiction over that property shall be transferred to the Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary of Agriculture, as appropriate, for administration as part of the Denali National Park and Preserve or the Chugach National Forest.
(e) Payment into Treasury of United States of excess proceeds from sale or transfer of all or substantially all of State-owned railroad; limitations
Except as provided in subsections (a) through (d) of this section, if, within five years after the date of transfer to the State pursuant to section 1203 of this title, the State sells or transfers all or substantially all of the State-owned railroad to an entity other than an instrumentality of the State, the proceeds from the sale or transfer that exceed the cost of any rehabilitation and improvement made by the State for the State-owned railroad and any net liabilities incurred by the State for the State-owned railroad shall be paid into the general fund of the Treasury of the United States.
(f) Enforcement by Attorney General
The Attorney General, upon the request of the Secretary, the Secretary of the Interior, or the Secretary of Agriculture, shall institute appropriate proceedings to enforce this section in the United States District Court for the District of Alaska.
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Section Referred to in Other Sections
This section is referred to in sections 1203, 1208 of this title.