(2) Before granting an easement or inviting bids on any lands subject to ORS 274.705 to 274.860, the department shall cause written notice describing the area under consideration and other pertinent information to be transmitted to:

(a) State Geologist;

(b) Director of Transportation;

(c) Director of the Department of Environmental Quality;

(d) State Fish and Wildlife Director;

(e) The applicant, if any, requesting the lease;

(f) Prospective applicants or bidders, by publication thereof in two or more publications of general circulation in the oil and gas industry; and

(g) The public, by publication thereof once each week for not less than four weeks in a newspaper of general circulation throughout the State of Oregon, and in addition in a newspaper of general circulation in the county in which the lands lie or the county or counties contiguous to the area under consideration for bidding.

(3) The notice shall set forth the place of hearing and shall set its time at not earlier than the 20th day after date of the last newspaper publication.

(4) Notwithstanding ORS 183.635, hearings under this section may be conducted by an administrative law judge assigned from the Office of Administrative Hearings established under ORS 183.605 or may be conducted by a hearing officer designated by the State Land Board. An officer or employee of each interested state agency, board or commission named in subsection (2) of this section may question any witnesses appearing in the hearing, and any interested person may offer evidence and otherwise be heard. [1961 c.619 §6; 1965 c.375 §3; 1967 c.421 §166; 1969 c.593 §34; 1993 c.741 §25; 1999 c.849 §§57,58; 2001 c.104 §§83,84; 2003 c.75 §31]