North Dakota Code 38-11.1-01 – Legislative findings
The legislative assembly finds the following:
Terms Used In North Dakota Code 38-11.1-01
- Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
- following: when used by way of reference to a chapter or other part of a statute means the next preceding or next following chapter or other part. See North Dakota Code 1-01-49
- Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). Source: OCC
- Property: includes property, real and personal. See North Dakota Code 1-01-49
- State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories. See North Dakota Code 1-01-49
1. It is incumbent on the state to protect the public welfare of North Dakota which is largely dependent on agriculture and to protect the economic well-being of individuals engaged in agricultural production, while at the same time preserving and facilitating exploration through the utilization of subsurface pore space in accordance with an approved unitization or similar agreement, an oil and gas lease, or as otherwise permitted by law.
2. Exploration for and development of oil and gas reserves in this state interferes with the use, agricultural or otherwise, of the surface of certain land.
3. Owners of the surface estate and other persons should be justly compensated for injury to their persons or property and interference with the use of their property occasioned by oil and gas development.
4. This chapter may not be construed to alter, amend, repeal, or modify the law concerning title to pore space under section 47-31-03.