Whenever it shall become necessary for the district or the Department of Transportation and Development to acquire full ownership of any land for the purpose of constructing any work or facility within the district, the owner thereof on his own behalf or on behalf of his assigns in the event of a prior assignment may retain the mineral rights to such property together with the right to grant mineral leases and servitudes thereon.  No form of prescription shall divest such owner or his assigns of these rights so long as the district or a department or agency of the state retains the ownership of the property, but should ownership pass into private hands, the prescription of nonuse provided by La. Rev. Stat. 31:27 shall apply as in the usual case.

Acts 2005, No. 214, §1, eff. June 29, 2005.