On May 10, 2024, the Anchorage chapter of IRWA held a seminar that focused on Section Line Easements. This was an expansion of what was one of several topics typically covered by myself and Dan Beardsley in our "Access Law and Issues Affecting Public and Private Lands in Alaska" seminar. The 2024 seminar included my presentations on Section Line Easement history, determination and applications. John Andrew Lehman with Kemppel, Huffman & Ellis, P.C, presented on Section Line Easement caselaw updates and Jay Rokos with DNR presented the Process for Developing and Utilizing DNR Managed SLE ROW.
My presentation covered a lot of the same ground as prior Access Law seminars, but also looked at some oddities such as Half-Section Line Easements, SLE over Native Allotments and SLEs along section lnes within protracted townships. The included files contain background on a variety of SLE issues. Note that on February 20, 2025, DNR Survey staff made a presentation at the ASPLS Surveying Conference on their new Section Line Easement Determination manual or "SLED". This can be found at their website at "SLED Manual". Additional files related to the SLED can be found by opening the "Survey Section Guidelines" and then "Survey Legal Guidelines" located at "Easement Vacations and Replats".