agreement. During the year ended December 31, 2023, the remaining mitigation credit rights were released and transferred to mitigation credits as they became available for sale.
Revenues and the cost of sales of mitigation credit sales are reported as revenues from, and direct costs of, real estate operations, respectively, in the consolidated statements of operations. During the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company sold 20 mitigation credits for proceeds of $2.3 million with a cost basis of $1.5 million. During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company sold 34 mitigation credits for proceeds of $3.5 million with a cost basis of $2.3 million. During the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company sold six mitigation credits for proceeds of $0.7 million with a cost basis of $0.5 million. Additionally, two mitigation credits with a cost basis of $0.1 million were accrued for as an expense during the year ended December 31, 2021, as such credits are to be provided to buyers of land at no cost.
Subsurface Interests. As of December 31, 2023, the Company owns 352,000 acres of Subsurface Interests. The Company leases certain of the Subsurface Interests to mineral exploration firms for exploration. The Company’s subsurface operations consist of revenue from the leasing of exploration rights and in some instances, additional revenues from royalties applicable to production from the leased acreage, which revenues are included within real estate operations in the consolidated statements of operations. During the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company sold 3,481 acres of Subsurface Interests for an aggregate sales price of $1.0 million. During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company sold approximately 14,600 acres of subsurface oil, gas, and mineral rights for a sales price of $1.7 million. During the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company sold approximately 84,900 acres of subsurface oil, gas, and mineral rights for a sales price of $4.6 million.
The Company is not prohibited from selling any or all of its Subsurface Interests. The Company may release surface entry rights or other rights upon request of a surface owner for a negotiated release fee typically based on a percentage of the surface value. Should the Company complete a transaction to sell all or a portion of its Subsurface Interests or complete a release transaction, the Company may utilize the Section 1031 like-kind exchange structure in acquiring one or more replacement investments including income-producing properties. Cash payments for the release of surface entry rights totaled $0.7 million, $0.2 million, and $0.1 million during the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
Provision for Impairment – Investments in Joint Ventures. The $17.6 million impairment charge recognized during the year ended December 31, 2021, is related to the Company’s previously held retained interest in the Land JV as a result of the estimated proceeds received in connection with the contract entered into with Timberline Acquisition Partners, an affiliate of Timberline Real Estate Partners (“Timberline”), which closed on December 10, 2021.
REIT CONVERSION AND MERGER
On September 3, 2020, the Board unanimously approved a plan for the Company to elect to be subject to tax as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes commencing with its taxable year ended December 31, 2020. Subsequently, during a special meeting of stockholders held on November 9, 2020, the Company’s stockholders approved the merger of CTO Realty Growth, Inc., a Florida corporation (“CTO FL”), with and into CTO NEWCO REIT, Inc. (“CTO MD”), a wholly owned Maryland subsidiary of CTO FL (the “Merger”) in order to reincorporate in Maryland and facilitate its ongoing compliance with the REIT requirements by ensuring that certain standard REIT ownership limitations and transfer restrictions apply to CTO’s capital stock.
As of December 31, 2020, the Company had completed certain internal reorganization transactions necessary to begin operating in compliance with the requirements for qualification and taxation as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes for the taxable year ended December 31, 2020.
On January 29, 2021, in connection with the REIT conversion, the Company completed the Merger. As a result of the Merger, existing shares of CTO FL common stock were automatically converted, on a one-for-one basis, into shares of common stock of CTO MD. CTO MD is a corporation organized in the state of Maryland and has been renamed “CTO Realty Growth, Inc.” CTO MD’s charter includes certain standard REIT provisions, including ownership limitations and transfer restrictions applicable to the Company’s capital stock. See Note 13, “Equity” for the Company’s disclosure related to the equity adjustments recorded during the year ended December 31, 2021 in connection with the Merger.
In connection with the REIT conversion and the Merger, CTO FL applied to list CTO MD’s common stock on the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”) under CTO FL’s ticker symbol, “CTO.” This application was approved, and CTO MD’s common stock began trading on the NYSE on February 1, 2021 under the ticker symbol “CTO.”