74 



legislation. 



In addition, Aerojet proposes to negotiate an agreement with the 

 Water District giving it an option to purchase an additional 1600 

 acres of land at the exchange location if Aerojet determines it does 

 not need the property for business purposes within the next few 

 years. Facilitating SFWMD's water programs is of vital importance to 

 the National Park Service since these programs are the centerpiece 

 of efforts to restore natural sheet flows to the Everglades. 



As previously noted, the lands have been appraised, and are of 

 approximately equal value. The Nevada lands and mineral rights are 

 valued at approximately $2,429,000, and the Florida lands at 

 approximately $2,441,000. The United States will benefit by the 

 approximately $12,000 difference. Not all of the Nevada lands have 

 been surveyed, and the legislation therefore provides for an interim 

 conveyance of unsurveyed lands pending completion of a survey, to be 

 conducted at Aerojet's expense. 



In this connection, we suggest that the last sentence of section 

 2(b)(2) of S. 845 be amended to provide that the lands shall, after 

 the filing of an officially approved survey, be described in the 

 patent by reference to the plat of survey. The use of an official 

 survey will not only satisfy the statutory requirements for a 

 "survey before patent", but will make it easier to protect any 

 third-party rights that may have accrued on the lands involved in 

 the exchange. 



