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 person to hunt and take waterfowl on a public hunting area managed and developed for waterfowl.

(3) Except as provided in subsection (4), 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. 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, 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 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. 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.

(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.

(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.

History: 1994, Act 451, Eff. Mar. 30, 1995 ;-- Am. 1995, Act 61, Imd. Eff. May 24, 1995 ;-- Am. 1996, Act 272, Imd. Eff. June 12, 1996 ;-- Am. 1998, Act 114, Imd. Eff. June 9, 1998 ;-- Am. 2002, Act 148, Imd. Eff. Apr. 5, 2002 ;-- Am. 2004, Act 587, Eff. Dec. 23, 2006 Compiler's Notes: Enrolled House Bill No. 5118 was not signed by the Governor, but, having been presented to him at 3:44 p.m. on March 22, 2002, and not having been returned by him to the House of Representatives within the 14 days prescribed by Const 1963, art IV, sec 33, became law (2002 PA 148) on April 5, 2002, the Legislature having continued in session.Enacting section 2 of Act 587 of 2004 provides:"Enacting section 2. This amendatory act does not take effect unless House Joint Resolution Z of the 92nd Legislature becomes a part of the state constitution of 1963 as provided in section 1 of article XII of the state constitution of 1963."Popular Name: Act 451Popular Name: NREPAAdmin Rule: R 323.2101 et seq.; R 324.1501 et seq.; and R 324.14501 et seq. of the Michigan Administrative Code.