(a) Any person desiring to lease any state shellfish beds for the exclusive rights to harvest those shellfish pursuant to this Code section shall make an application in writing to the department. The application shall include the name and legal residence of the applicant, a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) chart indicating the area desired to be leased, the names and addresses of adjacent landowners as recorded on county tax maps and verification of such information in such form as the department may prescribe, the proposed plans for managing the resources, and such other information as the department may prescribe.

(b) Upon receipt of the application for the lease of shellfish beds, the department shall ascertain the general nature, character, surroundings, and resource value of the area sought to be leased. In the event the department determines that the area or a portion thereof is suitable for leasing and such a lease would be in the best interests of the state, the department may then offer the lease, through public competitive bidding, all or any portion thereof as described in the application. The department shall cause to be published once per week for two consecutive weeks in the legal organ of the county or counties in which the area to be bid upon is located an advertisement of an invitation for bid, setting forth a description of the area proposed to be leased; the date, time, and place when and where bids will be received; the minimum acceptable bid as determined by the department; and such other information as the department may deem necessary. Prior to such advertisement, the department shall prepare a proposed form of lease and appropriate instructions which shall be available to prospective bidders under such conditions as the department may prescribe. Sealed bids shall be submitted to the department, and each bid shall be accompanied by a refundable certified check, cashier's check, or money order for the total annual amount of the submitted bid. The funds submitted by the successful bidder will be applied towards the lease. In addition, each sealed bid must be accompanied by a detailed management plan for working the shellfish beds. The lease form shall contain provisions regarding the term of the lease, the method of taking shellfish, the time and place for payment for the lease, the minimum replanting or management requirements of shellfish to be harvested, the placement and type of signs to mark the site as a leased area, and such other terms as the department deems necessary.

(c) All bids shall be opened in public on the date and at the time and place specified in the advertisement of the invitation to bid. The department shall announce which bid and bidder it considers most advantageous to the state. In so considering, the department shall give preference to residents over nonresidents who have submitted equal bids. The department shall have the right to reject any or all bids and bidders and the right to waive formalities in bidding.

(d) Shellfish beds leased pursuant to this Code section shall be posted at the site by the lessee so as to identify clearly the areas so leased. The lessee shall also have a copy of the lease recorded within 30 days of the execution of the lease by the clerk of the superior court of the county or counties in which the leased area is located.

(e) The department is authorized to issue permission to remove shellfish from areas where those shellfish may be destroyed by dredging, development, or other destructive activities without entering into a lease as described in this Code section. Such authorization shall include terms and conditions as the department may prescribe and shall be issued only to master collecting permittees. The department shall notify permittees of its intentions to issue such authorization and set forth details on the proposed activity along with directions on how permittees may participate in the activity. When such authorization is issued, participants shall pay directly to the department a one-time fee not to exceed $500.00 as set by the department.

(f) The department is authorized to issue permission to remove shellfish from unapproved growing areas without entering into a lease as described in this Code section. Such authorization shall be issued only to master collecting permittees and under guidelines as set forth in subsection (e) of this Code section.