(a) Except as otherwise expressly provided by law, leases for iron ore or other minerals belonging to the state shall be issued only upon public sale as provided under this section.

(b) The sale of leases shall be held at such times and places as designated by the commissioner.

(c) The commissioner shall give public notice of intent to hold a public sale by publication in the State Register, the EQB Monitor, and such other publications as the commissioner may direct at least 90 days prior to the proposed date of sale.

(d) The commissioner shall give public notice of each sale by publication for three successive weeks in a newspaper that has its known office of issue in the county seat of the county in which the mining units to be leased are located and in a daily newspaper printed and published in Hibbing and Virginia. If no newspaper has its known office of issue in the county seat of a particular county, the commissioner shall publish notice in the newspaper designated as the publisher of the official proceedings of the county board of that county. The first publication shall be at least 30 days before the date of sale. The public notice of sale shall also be published in the State Register and the EQB Monitor at least 30 days before the date of sale and may be published in additional newspapers and trade magazines, as the commissioner may direct.

(e) Each notice shall contain the following information:

(1) time and place of holding the sale;

(2) the place or places where the list of mining units to be offered for sale will be available for inspection and where forms for bids and applications for leases may be obtained; and

(3) such other information as the commissioner may direct.

History: (6405) 1921 c 412 s 3; 1925 c 395 s 1; 1927 c 389 s 1; Ex1933 c 14 s 1; 1941 c 546 s 2; 1951 c 547 s 2; 1991 c 194 s 1; 2000 c 495 s 13