SENATE BILL No. 1521

 

 

September 18, 2008, Introduced by Senators SCHAUER, JACOBS, THOMAS, GLEASON, SWITALSKI and PRUSI and referred to the Committee on Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs.

 

 

 

     A bill to amend 1994 PA 451, entitled

 

"Natural resources and environmental protection act,"

 

by amending section 502 (MCL 324.502), as amended by 2004 PA 587.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 502. (1) The commission may promulgate rules, not

 

inconsistent with law, governing its organization and procedure.

 

     (2) The department may do 1 or more of the following:

 

     (a) Promulgate and enforce reasonable rules concerning the use

 

and occupancy of lands and property under its control in accordance

 

with section 504.

 

     (b) Provide and develop facilities for outdoor recreation.

 

     (c) Conduct investigations it considers necessary for the

 


proper administration of this part.

 

     (d) Remove and dispose of forest products as required for the

 

protection, reforestation, and proper development and conservation

 

of the lands and property under the control of the department.

 

     (e) Require the payment of a fee as provided by law for a

 

daily permit or other authorization that allows the a person to

 

hunt and take waterfowl on a public hunting area managed and

 

developed for waterfowl.

 

     (3) Except as provided in subsection (4) Subject to

 

subsections (4) and (6) and section 502a, the department may enter

 

into contracts for the taking of coal, oil, gas, and other mineral

 

products from state owned lands, upon a royalty basis or upon

 

another basis, and upon the terms the department considers just and

 

equitable. subject to section 502a. This contract power includes

 

authorization to enter into contracts for the storage of gas or

 

other mineral products in or upon state owned lands, if the consent

 

of the state agency having jurisdiction and control of the state

 

owned land is first obtained. A contract permitted under this

 

section for the taking of coal, oil, gas, or metallic mineral

 

products, or for the storage of gas or other mineral products, is

 

not valid unless the contract is approved by the state

 

administrative board.

 

     (4) A contract for the taking of oil or gas from state owned

 

lands shall assign the state at least a 1/6 royalty interest. In

 

addition, such a contract shall assign the state a working interest

 

share under which the state shall actively participate with the

 

lessee in the exploration for and production of oil or gas and

 


retain at least 1/3 of the profits or product produced, free of all

 

costs, including any royalty. The contract shall provide for the

 

indemnification of the state from any liability arising out of the

 

exploration for or production of oil or gas.

 

     (5) Money received from a contract for the storage of gas or

 

other mineral products in or upon state lands shall be transmitted

 

to the state treasurer for deposit in the general fund of the state

 

to be used for the purpose of defraying the expenses incurred in

 

the administration of this act and other purposes provided by law.

 

Other money received from a contract permitted under this

 

subsection, except money received from lands acquired with money

 

from the former game and fish protection fund or the game and fish

 

protection account of the Michigan conservation and recreation

 

legacy fund provided for in section 2010, subsection (3) shall be

 

transmitted to the state treasurer for deposit in the Michigan

 

natural resources trust fund created in section 35 of article IX of

 

the state constitution of 1963 and provided for in part 19 .

 

However, the money except as follows:

 

     (a) Money received from the payment of service charges by a

 

person using areas managed for waterfowl shall be credited to the

 

game and fish protection account of the Michigan conservation and

 

recreation legacy fund provided for in section 2010 and used only

 

for the purposes provided by law.

 

     (b) Money received from bonuses, rentals, delayed rentals,

 

royalties, and the direct sale of resources, including forest

 

resources, from lands acquired with money from the former game and

 

fish protection fund or the game and fish protection account of the

 


Michigan conservation and recreation legacy fund provided for in

 

section 2010 shall be credited to the Michigan game and fish

 

protection trust fund established in section 41 of article IX of

 

the state constitution of 1963 and provided for in part 437, except

 

as otherwise provided by law.

 

     (c) Money received from a working interest in a contract for

 

the taking of oil or gas as described in subsection (4) shall be

 

deposited in the renewable energy fund created in the renewable

 

energy fund act.

 

     (6) (4) The department shall not enter into a contract that

 

allows drilling operations beneath the lake bottomlands of the

 

Great Lakes, the connected bays or harbors of the Great Lakes, or

 

the connecting waterways as defined in section 32301, for the

 

exploration or production of oil or gas.

 

     (7) (5) This section does not permit a contract for the taking

 

of gravel, sand, coal, oil, gas, or other metallic mineral products

 

that does not comply with applicable local ordinances and state

 

law.

 

     Enacting section 1. This amendatory act does not take effect

 

unless Senate Bill No.____ or House Bill No.____ (request no.

 

07849'08) of the 94th Legislature is enacted into law.