82-10-501: Purpose -- legislative findings.

(1) The purpose of this part is to provide for the protection of surface owners of land underlaid with oil and gas reserves while allowing for the necessary development of those reserves.

(2) To carry out the purpose described in subsection (1), the legislature finds that:

(a) it is necessary to protect the economic well-being of individuals engaged in agricultural production;

(b) exploration for and development of oil and gas reserves in this state, while necessary, interferes with the use, agricultural or otherwise, of the surface of certain land; and

(c) owners of the surface estate should be justly compensated for use of their property and interference with the use of their property due to oil and gas development.