36-3-102. Duties generally.

(a) The director shall keep the records of the board of land commissioners, and be the secretary thereof. He shall make out and countersign all patents, contracts or other instruments issued by him to purchasers and others, and make out and sign all leases. He shall keep a record of all such leases, patents or other instruments in books or other records. He shall file and preserve in his office all bonds, contracts, leases, and other instruments given by lessees, purchasers and others. He shall have the custody of the seal of the board, and shall keep the minutes of the proceedings thereof, and shall perform such other duties concerning the business transactions of the board as it may direct. He shall receive all applications for purchasing, leasing, entering, locating or in any manner acquiring title to, interest in, or any benefit from or use of any lands belonging to or under the control of the state of Wyoming, and he shall allow or disallow, subject to the approval of the board of land commissioners, such applications to purchase, lease, enter or otherwise acquire title to, interest in, benefit from or use of the lands, or the appurtenances thereof, and in all cases where there have been no conflicting applications, he shall report his decisions to the board for its approval at its next ensuing regular or special meeting, but in all cases where there have been conflicting applications to lease or otherwise acquire interests or benefits in the lands, he shall, before reporting his decisions to the board, give each of the applicants notice of what his decision is with reference to their applications, and if none of the applicants files an appeal in writing from the decisions of the director to the board within a period of thirty (30) days, except in the case of oil and gas leases when the period shall be not less than ten (10) days nor more than thirty (30) days at the discretion of the board, after the date of the notice, the director shall report his decision to the board for approval at its next meeting and in case an appeal in writing is taken from the decision of the director to the board of land commissioners within the time provided, the director shall give each of the applicants at least ten (10) days' notice, except in the case of oil and gas leases when the period shall be five (5) days' notice in writing of the date on which the appeal will be heard by the board. The director shall keep on file in his office the original of all documents filed as required by W.S. 36-1-102. He shall insure that these documents are properly indexed for reasonable public access, and to show ownership by each state commission, institution, department or board.

(b) Upon application and the annual payment of fifteen dollars ($15.00) by any person qualified to lease oil and gas lands of the state of Wyoming, the director shall place the name and address of the person on a mailing list and mail to the person a complete list of lands open for filing prior to the date when the lands become subject to filing. The payments shall be placed in the general fund.

(c) The board shall have authority to override any decision made by the director. Upon such terms and conditions as shall be established by the board, in addition to other powers enumerated in this section, the director shall have authority to:

(i) Issue all standard lease and permit renewals which do not convey any permanent interest in state lands;

(ii) Approve lease assignments, sublease agreements and surface damage payments, and concur in water right petitions involving state lands;

(iii) Approve applications to construct improvements within criteria established by the board pursuant to W.S. 36-5-110(a) and 36-5-111;

(iv) Approve timber sale auctions within criteria established by the board pursuant to W.S. 36-1-112;

(v) Approve acreage adjustments, suspension of operations and unit or communitization agreements under W.S. 36-6-101;

(vi) Determine, subject to approval of the board, the best use for acquired institutional lands managed by the board pursuant to W.S. 9-2-2005, 9-2-2006 and 9-2-2012 consistent with:

(A) Consideration of the needs of the institution;

(B) Consideration of alternative uses of the property which are compatible with the mission of the institution; and

(C) Limitations contained in the constitution of the state of Wyoming, state and federal law and the conveyance instrument.