The land commissioner with the approval of the governor is hereby authorized to sell to any bona fide purchaser any lands which may have been forfeited to the state for the nonpayment of taxes after the time allowed by law for redemption shall have expired, for such price as the land commissioner with the approval of the governor may fix; provided, however, that the minimum price for such forfeited tax land shall be two dollars ($2.00) per acre, except as otherwise provided herein. When the land commissioner has good reason to believe, however, that any of said lands are actually worth more than two dollars ($2.00) per acre, he shall cause a proper investigation to be made for the purpose of ascertaining the actual value of such lands, and such lands shall be sold for such price as the land commissioner with the approval of the governor may fix, provided that such sale price shall not be less than two dollars ($2.00) per acre as aforesaid. The land commissioner may fix different prices for separate tracts of land, but all such prices shall be subject to the approval of the governor.

In cases where it reasonably appears that the actual value of any of said lands is less than two dollars ($2.00) per acre, such lands may be sold by the land commissioner, with the approval of the governor, at a price less than two dollars ($2.00) per acre; provided, however, that in no such case shall such lands be sold for less than the amount of the state, levee board (where the land is situated in a levee district), and county taxes (not including, however, the drainage district tax, if any) for which said lands were sold to the state, plus an amount equal to all penalties, fees, damages, and costs accrued up to and including the date of the sale of such lands to the state.

In selling or contracting for the sale of state forfeited tax lands, it shall not be necessary that the land commissioner include in the sale price of such lands any state, drainage district, county, levee, or municipal taxes, or any special assessment.