(1) (a) Any person desiring to conduct mining operations on less than ten acres, prior to commencement of mining, shall file with the office, on a form approved bythe board, an application for a permit to conduct mining operations. This application shall contain the following:

(I) The address and telephone number of the general office and the local address or addresses and telephone number of the operator;

(II) The name, address, and telephone number of the owner of the surface of the affected land;

(III) The name of the owner of the subsurface rights of the affected land;

(IV) A statement that the operations will be conducted pursuant to the terms and conditions listed on the application and in accordance with the provisions of this article and the rules and regulations promulgated pursuant to this article at the time the permit was approved or amended;

(V) A map showing information sufficient to determine the location of the affected land and existing and proposed roads or access routes to be used in connection with the mining operation;

(VI) The approximate size of the affected land;

(VII) Information sufficient to describe or identify the type of mining operation proposed and how the operator intends to conduct it;

(VIII) A statement that the operator has applied for necessary local government approval;

(IX) Measures to be taken to reclaim any affected land consistent with the requirements of section 34-32.5-116.

(b) The application required by this subsection (1) shall be sent to the office. If the office denies the application, the applicant may appeal to the board for final determination.

(2) A fee as specified in section 34-32.5-125, and a financial warranty in an amount the board shall determine pursuant to section 34-32.5-117 (4), shall accompany the application and shall be paid by the applicant.

(3) The operator, at any time after the completion of reclamation, may notify the board that the land has been reclaimed. Upon receipt of the notice that the affected land or a portion of it has been reclaimed, the board shall cause the land to be inspected and shall release the performance and financial warranties or appropriate portions thereof within thirty days after the board finds the reclamation to be satisfactory and in accordance with a plan agreed upon by the board and the operator.

(4) Applications for permits made pursuant to subsection (1) of this section shall be processed and final action taken thereon within thirty days of the filing of such application. If action upon the application is not completed within thirty days, the permit shall be deemed approved and shall be promptly issued upon presentation by the applicant of a financial warranty in the amount provided in subsection (2) of this section. The provisions of sections 34-32.5-112, 34-32.5-114, and 34-32.5-115 concerning publication, notice, written objections, petitions, and supporting documents shall, so far as practicable, apply to this section, but the board shall, by regulation, provide simplified and reduced procedures and requirements that are applicable to the thirty-day period. Within the thirty-day period, the board may make a determination on an application as provided in sections 34-32.5-114 and 34-32.5-115.

(5) (a) Any operator conducting an operation under a permit issued under this section who has held the permit for two consecutive years or more and who subsequently desires to expand it to a size in excess of the limitation set forth in subsection (1) of this section may request the conversion of the permit by filing an application for a permit pursuant to subsection (1) of this section or section 34-32.5-112; except that the applicant need not supply information, materials, and other data and undertakings previously supplied, including any additional materials provided to the board during the course of his current operation or resulting from the board's inspections thereof.

(b) Applications for conversion of a permit under this subsection (5) shall be processed and final action taken thereon in accordance with subsection (1) of this section or section 34-32.5-115, as appropriate. If action upon the conversion of the permit is taken in accordance with the time limits of this subsection (5) or section 34-32.5-115, the conversion shall be deemed approved, and a permit for the life of the mine shall be promptly issued upon presentation by the applicant of a financial warranty subject to the limitations provided in subsection (2) of this section or in section 34-32.5-115 (3) or 34-32.5-117 (4).

(c) The provisions of sections 34-32.5-112, 34-32.5-114, and 34-32.5-115 concerning publication, notice, written objections, petitions, and supporting documents shall so far as practicable apply to this section.

(d) The board or office shall not deny the conversion of a permit for any reason other than those set forth in section 34-32.5-115 (4).

(6) If the operator is a department, division, or agency of federal, state, county, or municipal government, the operator may, at its discretion, submit one composite application and annual report for all similarly situated sand, gravel, or quarry operations. Such composite application and annual report shall comply with subsections (1) to (5) of this section. Financial warranty under subsection (2) of this section shall not be required of the operator if it is a unit of county or municipal government or the department of transportation and the operator submits a written guarantee, in lieu of financial warranty, stating that the affected lands will be reclaimed in accordance with the terms of the permit and section 34-32.5-116.

(7) An operator may, within the term of a reclamation permit, apply to the board or to the office for a reclamation permit amendment increasing the acreage to be affected or otherwise revising the reclamation plan. Where applicable, there shall be filed with any application for amendment a map and an application with the same content as required for an original application. The amended application shall be accompanied by a fee as specified in section 34-32.5-125.