Regulations last checked for updates: Nov 25, 2024

Title 36 - Parks, Forests, and Public Property last revised: Nov 18, 2024
§ 14.20 - Application.
§ 14.21 - Form.

Application. The application shall be prepared and submitted in accordance with the requirements of this section. It should be in typewritten form or legible handwriting. It must specify that it is made pursuant to the regulations in this part and that the applicant agrees that the right-of-way if approved, will be subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable regulations contained in this part. It should also cite the act to be invoked and state the primary purposes for which the right-of-way is to be used. Applications shall be filed with the superintendent. If the right-of-way has been utilized without authority prior to the time the application is made, the application must state the date such utilization commenced and by whom, and the date the applicant alleges he obtained control of the improvements.

§ 14.22 - Reimbursement of costs.

(a)(1) An applicant for a right-of-way or a permit incident to a right-of-way shall reimburse the United States for administrative and other costs incurred by the United States in processing the application, including the preparation of reports and statements pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (42 U.S.C. 4321-4347), before the right-of-way or permit will be issued under the regulations of this part.

(2) The regulations contained in this section do not apply to: (i) State or local governments or agencies or instrumentalities thereof where the lands will be used for governmental purposes and the lands and resources will continue to serve the general public; (ii) road use agreements or reciprocal road agreements; or (iii) Federal government agencies.

(3) An applicant must submit with each application a nonreturnable payment in accordance with the following schedule:

(i) Each right-of-way or permit incident to a right-of-way for crossing National Park System lands (e.g., for powerlines, pipelines, roads, and other linear facilities).

Length Payments
Less than 5 miles$50 per mile or fraction thereof.
5 to 20 miles$500.
20 miles and over$500 for each 20 miles or fraction thereof.

(ii) Each right-of-way or permit incident to a right-of-way, not included in paragraph (a)(3)(i) of this section (e.g., for communication sites, reservoir sites, plant sites, and other non-linear facilities)—$250 for each 40 acres or fraction thereof.

(iii) If a project has the features of paragraphs (a)(3) (i) and (ii) of this section in combination, the payment shall be the total of the amounts required by paragraphs (a)(3) (i) and (ii) of this section.

(4) When an application is received, the authorized officer shall estimate the costs expected to be incurred by the United States in processing the application. If, in the judgment of the authorized officer, such costs will exceed the paragraph (a)(3) of this section, payment by an amount which is greater than the cost of maintaining actual cost records for the application review process, the authorized officer shall require the applicant to make periodic payments of the estimated reimbursable costs prior to the incurrence of such costs by the United States. Such payments may be refunded or adjusted as provided by paragraph (a)(8) of this section.

(5) Prior to the issuance of any authorization for a right-of-way or permit incident to a right-of-way, the applicant will be required to pay additional amounts to the extent the costs of the United States have exceeded the payments required by paragraphs (a) (3) and (4) of this section.

(6) An applicant whose application is denied shall be responsible for administrative and other costs incurred by the United States in processing its application, and such amounts as have not been paid in accordance with paragraphs (a) (3) and (4) of this section shall be due within thirty days of receipt of notice from the authorized officer of the amount due.

(7) An applicant who withdraws its application before a decision is reached on it is responsible for costs incurred by the United States in processing such application up to the date upon which the authorized officer receives written notice of the withdrawal, and for costs subsequently incurred by the United States in terminating the application review process. Reimbursement of such costs shall be due within thirty days of receipt of notice from the authorized officer of the amount due.

(8) If payment, as required by paragraphs (a)(4) and (b)(3) of this section exceeds actual costs to the United States, a refund may be made by the authorized officer from applicable funds, under authority of 43 U.S.C. 1374,or. Neither an applicant nor a holder shall set off or otherwise deduct any debt due to or any sum claimed to be owed them by the United States without the prior written approval of the authorized officer.

(9) The authorized officer shall on request give an applicant or a prospective applicant an estimate, based on the best available cost information, of the costs which would be incurred by the United States in processing an application. However, reimbursement will not be limited to the estimate of the authorized officer if actual costs exceed the projected estimate.

(10) When two or more applications for rights-of-way are filed which the authorized officer determines to be in competition with each other, each shall reimburse the United States according to paragraphs (a) (3) through (7) of this section except that costs which are not readily identifiable with one of the applications, such as costs for an environmental impact statement on all the proposals, shall be paid by each of the applicants in equal shares.

(11) The authorized officer may require an applicant to furnish security, in an amount acceptable to the authorized officer, by bond, guaranty, cash, certificate of deposit, or other means acceptable to the authorized officer, for costs under § 14.22. The authorized officer may at any time, and from time to time, require such additional security or substitution of security as the authorized officer deems appropriate.

(12) When an applicant for a right-of-way is a partnership, corporation, association, or other entity, and is owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by one or more other entities, one or more of the owning or controlling entity or entities shall furnish security in an amount acceptable to the authorized officer, by bond, guaranty, cash, certificate of deposit or other means acceptable to the authorized officer, for costs under § 14.22. The authorized officer may at any time, and from time to time, require such additional security or substitution of security as the authorized officer deems appropriate.

(13) When through partnership, joint venture or other business arrangement, more than one person, partnership, corporation, association or other entity apply together for a right-of-way, each such applicant shall be jointly and severally liable for costs under § 14.22.

(14) When two or more noncompeting applications for rights-of-way are received for what, in the judgment of the authorized officer, is one right-of-way system, all the applicants shall be jointly and severally liable for costs under § 14.22 for the entire system; subject, however, to the provisions of paragraphs (a) (11) through (13) of this section.

(15) The regulations contained in § 14.22 are applicable to all applications for rights-of-way or permits incident for rights-of-way over the public lands pending on June 1, 1975.

(b)(1) After issuance of a right-of-way or permit incident to a right-of-way, the holder thereof shall reimburse the United States for costs incurred by the United States in monitoring the construction, operation, maintenance, and termination of authorized facilities on the right-of-way or permit area, and for protection and rehabilitation of the lands involved.

(2) Each holder of a right-of-way or permit incident to a right-of-way must submit within 60 days of the issuance thereof a nonreturnable payment in accordance with the following schedule:

(i) Each right-of-way or permit incident to a right-of-way, for crossing National Park System lands (e.g., for powerlines, pipelines, roads, and other linear facilities).

Length Payment
Less than 5 miles$20 per mile or fraction thereof.
5 to 20 miles$200.
20 miles and over$200 for each 20 miles or fraction thereof.

(ii) Each right-of-way or permit incident to a right-of-way, not included in paragraph (b)(2)(i) of this section (e.g., for communication sites, reservoir sites, plant sites, and other nonlinear facilities)—$100 for each 40 acres or fraction thereof.

(iii) If a project has the feature of paragraphs (b)(2) (i) and (ii) of this section in combination, the payment shall be the total of the amounts required by paragraphs (b)(2) (i) and (ii) of this section.

(3) When a right-of-way or permit incident to a right-of-way is issued, the authorized officer shall estimate the costs, based on the best available cost information, expected to be incurred by the United States in monitoring holder activity. If such costs exceed the paragraph (b)(2) payment by an amount which is greater than the cost of maintaining actual cost records for the monitoring process, the authorized officer shall require the holder to make periodic payments of the estimated reimbursable costs prior to the incurrence of such costs by the United States. Such payments may be refunded or adjusted as provided by paragraph (a)(8) of this section.

(4) Following termination of a right-of-way or permit incident to a right-of-way, the former holder will be required to pay additional amounts to the extent the actual costs incurred by the United States have exceeded the payments required by paragraphs (b) (2) and (3) of this section.

§ 14.23 - Showing as to organizations required of corporations.

(a) An application by a private corporation must be accompanied by a copy of its charter or articles of incorporation, duly certified by the proper State official of the State where the corporation was organized.

(b) A corporation, other than a private corporation, should file a copy of the law under which it was formed and due proof of organization under the same.

(c) When a corporation is operating in a State other than that in which it was incorporated, it must submit a certificate of the Secretary of State or other proper official of the State that it has complied with the laws of that State governing foreign corporations to the extent required to entitle the company to operate in such State.

(d) A copy of the resolution or bylaws of the corporation authorizing the filing of the application must also be filed.

(e) If the corporation shall have previously filed with the National Park Service the papers required by this section, the requirements shall be held to be met if, in making subsequent applications, specific reference is made to such previous filing by date, place, and case number.

§ 14.24 - Showing as to citizenship required.

(a) Individuals. An individual applicant applying for a right-of-way under any right-of-way act, except the Act of March 3, 1891 (26 Stat. 1101; 43 U.S.C. 946 et seq.), and the Act of January 13, 1897 (29 Stat. 484; 43 U.S.C. 952-955), as amended, must state whether he is native born or naturalized, and, if naturalized, the date of naturalization, the court in which naturalized, and the number of the certificate, if known. If citizenship is claimed by virtue of naturalization of the father, evidence of his naturalization, and that the applicant resided in the United States thereafter while a minor, should be furnished. Where the husband and the wife are native born and a statement to that effect is made, additional information as to the marital status is not required. In other cases, a married woman or widow must show the date of her marriage; a widow must show, in addition, the date of the death of her husband.

(b) Association of Individuals. An application by an association, including a partnership, must be accompanied by a certified copy of the articles of association, if any; if there be none, the application must be made over the signature of each member of the association. Each member must furnish evidence of citizenship where it would be required if he were applying individually.

§ 14.25 - Documents which must accompany application.

(a) Maps. Each application, other than an appropriation for Federal-aid highway purposes under Title 23, United States Code, section 317, must be accompanied by a map prepared on tracing linen, or on tracing paper having a 100 percent rag content, and three or, in the case of electric transmission lines, five print copies thereof, showing the survey of the right-of-way, properly located with respect to the public land surveys so that said right-of-way may be accurately located on the ground by any competent engineer or land surveyor. The map should comply with the following requirements:

(1) The scale should be 2,000 feet to the inch for rights-of-way for such structures as canals, ditches, pipelines and transmission lines and 1,000 feet to the inch for rights-of-way for reservoirs, except where a larger scale is required to represent properly the details of the proposed developments, in which case the scales should be 1,000 feet to the inch and 500 feet to the inch, respectively. For electric transmission lines having a nominal voltage of less than 33 kV. map scales may at option of the applicant be 5,280 feet to the inch.

(2) Courses and distances of the center line of the right-of-way or traverse line of the reservoir should be given; the courses referred to the true meridian either by deflection from a line of known bearing or by independent observation, and the distances in feet and decimals thereof. Station numbers with plus distances at deflection points on the traverse line should be shown.

(3) The initial and terminal points of the survey should be accurately connected by course and distance to the nearest corner of the public-land surveys, unless that corner is more than 6 miles distant, in which case the connection will be made to some prominent natural object or permanent monument, which can be readily recognized and recovered. The station number and plus distance to the point of intersection with a line of the public-land surveys should be ascertained and noted, together with the course and distance along the section line to the nearest existing corner, at a sufficient number of points throughout the township to permit accurate platting of the relative position of the right-of-way to the public-land survey.

(4) If the right-of-way is across or within lands which are not covered by the public-land surveys, the map shall be made in terms of the boundary survey of the land to the extent it would be required above to be made in terms of the public-land surveys.

(5) All subdivisions of the public-land surveys within the limits of the survey should be shown in their entirety, based upon the official subsisting plats, with the subdivisions, section, township, and range clearly marked.

(6) The width of the canal, ditch, or lateral at high-water line should be given and the width of all other rights-of-way shall be given. If the width is not uniform, the location and amount of the change in width must be definitely shown. In the case of a pipeline, the diameter of the line should be given. The total distance of the right-of-way on the Federal lands shall be stated.

(7) Each copy of the map should bear upon its face a statement of the engineer who made the survey and the certificate of the applicant. The statement and certificate referred to are embodied in Forms 1 and 2 (Appendix A) which are made a part hereof and which should be modified so as to be appropriate to the act invoked and the nature of the project.

(8) Whenever it is found that a public land survey monument or reservation boundary monument will be destroyed or rendered inaccessible by reason of the proposed development, at least two permanent marked witness monuments should be established at suitable points, preferably on the surveyed lines. A brief description of the witness monuments and the connecting courses and distances to the original corners should be shown.

(b) Evidence of water right. If the project involves the storage, diversion, or conveyance of water, the applicant must file a statement of the proper State official, or other evidence, showing that he has a right to the use of the water. Where the State official requires an applicant to obtain a right-of-way as a prerequisite to the issuance of evidence of a water right, if all else be regular, a right-of-way may be granted conditioned only upon the applicant's filing the required evidence of water right from the State official within specified reasonable time. The conditional right-of-way will terminate at the expiration of the time allowed.

§ 14.26 - Payment required; exceptions; default; revision of charges.

(a) Except as provided in paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section, the charge for use and occupancy of lands under the regulations of this part will be the fair market value of the permit, right-of-way, or easement, as determined by appraisal by the authorized officer. Periodic payments or a lump-sum payment, both payable in advance, will be required at the discretion of such officer: (1) When periodic payments are required, the applicant will be required to make the first payment before the permit, right-of-way, or easement will be issued; (2) upon the voluntary relinquishment of such an instrument before the expiration of its term, any payment made for any unexpired portion of the term will be returned to the payer upon a proper application for repayment to the extent that the amount paid covers a full permit, right-of-way, or easement year or years after the formal relinquishment: Provided, That the total rental received and retained by the Government for that permit, right-of-way, or easement, shall not be less than $25. The amount to be so returned will be the difference between the total payments made and the value of the expired portion of the term calculated on the same basis as the original payments.

(b) Except as provided in paragraph (c) of this section, the charge for use and occupancy of lands under the regulations of this part shall not be less than $25 per five-year period for any permit, right-of-way, or easement issued.

(c) No charge will be made for the use and occupancy of lands under the regulations of this part:

(1) Where the use and occupancy are exclusively for irrigation projects, municipally operated projects, or nonprofit or Rural Electrification Administration projects, or where the use is by a Federal governmental agency.

(2) Where the permit, right-of-way, or easement is granted under the regulations in Subpart D.

(d) If a charge required by this section is not paid when due, and such default shall continue for 30 days after notice, action may be taken to cancel the permit, right-of-way, or easement. After default has occurred, structures, buildings, or other equipment may be removed from the servient lands except upon written permission first obtained from the authorized officer.

(e) At any time not less than five years after either the grant of the permit, right-of-way, or easement or the last revision of charges thereunder, the authorized officer, after reasonable notice and opportunity for hearing, may review such charges and impose such new charges as may be reasonable and proper commencing with the ensuing charge year.

(f) The provisions of this section shall not have the effect of changing, modifying, or amending the rental rates or charges imposed for existing water power projects under rights-of-way previously approved by this Department.

§ 14.27 - Application and use procedure.
§ 14.28 - Incomplete application and reports.

Where an application is incomplete or not in conformity with the law or regulations the authorized officer may, in his discretion, (1) notify the applicant of the deficiencies and provide the applicant with an opportunity to correct the deficiencies; or (2) the authorized officer may reject the application.

§ 14.29 - Timely construction.

(a) Unless otherwise provided by law, a period of up to five years from the date a right-of-way is granted is allowed for completion of construction. Within 90 days after completion of construction or after all restoration stipulations have been complied with, whichever is later, proof of construction, on forms approved by the Director, shall be submitted to the authorized officer.

(b) The time for filing proof of construction may be extended by the authorized officer, unless prohibited by law, upon a satisfactory showing of the need therefor and the filing of a progress report, demonstrating that due diligence toward completion of the project is being exercised, for reasonable lengths of time not to exceed a total of ten years from the date of issuance of the right-of-way.

§ 14.30 - Nonconstruction, abandonment or nonuse.

Unless otherwise provided by law, rights-of-way are subject to cancellation by the authorized officer for failure to construct within the period allowed and for abandonment or nonuse.

§ 14.31 - Deviation from approved right-of-way.

No deviation from the location of an approved right-of-way shall be undertaken without the prior written approval of the authorized officer. The authorized officer may require the filing of an amended application in accordance with § 14.20 wherein the authorized officer's judgment the deviation is substantial.

§ 14.32 - Revocation or cancellation.
§ 14.33 - Order of cancellation.

All rights-of-way approved pursuant to this part, shall be subject to cancellation for the violation of any of the provisions of this part applicable thereto or for the violation of the terms or conditions of the right-of-way. No right-of-way shall be deemed to be cancelled except on the issuance of a specific order of cancellation.

§ 14.34 - Change in jurisdiction over lands.

A change in jurisdiction over the lands from one Federal agency to another will not cancel a right-of-way involving such lands. It will however, change the administrative jurisdiction over the right-of-way.

§ 14.35 - Transfer of right-of-way.
§ 14.36 - Method of filing.

Any proposed transfer in whole or in part of any right, title or interest in a right-of-way, or permit incident to a right-of-way acquired under any law, except the Act of March 3, 1891 (26 Stat. 1101; 43 U.S.C. 946-949), must be filed in accordance with § 14.20 for approval, must be accompanied by the same showing of qualifications of the transferee as is required of the applicant, and must be supported by a stipulation that the assignee agrees to comply with and to be bound by the terms and conditions of the right-of-way. No transfer will be recognized unless and until it is first approved in writing by the authorized officer.

§ 14.37 - Reimbursement of costs.

All filings for transfer approval made pursuant to this section, except as to rights-of-way or permits incident to rights-of-way excepted by § 14.22(a)(4), must be accompanied by a nonrefundable payment of $25.

§ 14.38 - Disposal of property on termination of right-of-way.

Upon the termination of a right-of-way by expiration or by prior cancellation, in the absence of any agreement to the contrary, if all monies due the Government thereunder have been paid, the holder of the right-of-way will be allowed six months or such additional time as may be granted in which to remove from the right-of-way all property or improvements of any kind, other than a road and usable improvements to a road, placed thereon by him; but if not removed within the time allowed, all such property and improvements shall become the property of the United States.

source: 45 FR 47092, July 11, 1980, unless otherwise noted.
cite as: 36 CFR 14.37