77-77. Regulatory authority.

(a) Except as limited in subsection (b) of this section, by restrictions in any joint resolution, and by other supervening provisions of law, the Commission may make regulations applicable to Mountain Island Lake and its shoreline area concerning all matters relating to or affecting the use of Mountain Island Lake. These regulations may not conflict with or supersede provisions of general or special acts or of regulations of State agencies promulgated under the authority of general law. No regulations adopted under this section may be adopted by the Commission except after public hearing, with publication of notice of the hearing being given in a newspaper of general circulation in the three counties at least 10 days before the hearing. In lieu of or in addition to passing regulations supplementary to State law and regulations concerning the operation of vessels on Mountain Island Lake, the Commission may, after public notice, request that the Wildlife Commission pass local regulations on this subject in accordance with the procedure established by appropriate State law.

(b) Violation of any regulation of the Commission commanding or prohibiting an act shall be a Class 3 misdemeanor.

(c) The regulations promulgated under this section take effect upon passage or upon dates as stipulated in the regulations, except that no regulation may be enforced unless adequate notice of the regulation has been posted in or on Mountain Island Lake or its shoreline area. Adequate notice as to a regulation affecting only a particular location may be by a sign, uniform waterway marker, posted notice, or other effective method of communicating the essential provisions of the regulation in the immediate vicinity of the location in question. Where a regulation applies generally as to Mountain Island Lake or its shoreline area, or both, there must be a posting of notices, signs, or markers communicating the essential provisions in at least three different places throughout the area, and it must be printed in a newspaper of general circulation in the three counties.

(d) A copy of each regulation promulgated under this section must be filed by the Commission with the following persons:

(1) The Secretary of State;

(2) The clerks of Superior Court of Gaston, Lincoln, and Mecklenburg Counties; and

(3) The Executive Director of the Wildlife Commission.

(e) Any official designated in subsection (d) above may issue certified copies of regulations filed with him under the seal of his office. Those certified copies may be received in evidence in any proceeding.

(f) Publication and filing of regulations promulgated under this section as required above is for informational purposes and shall not be a prerequisite to their validity if they in fact have been duly promulgated, the public has been notified as to the substance of regulations, a copy of the text of all regulations is in fact available to any person who may be affected, and no party to any proceeding has been prejudiced by any defect that may exist with respect to publication and filing. Rules and regulations promulgated by the Commission under the provisions of other sections of this Article relating to internal governance of the Commission need not be filed or published. Where posting of any sign, notice, or marker or the making of other communication is essential to the validity of a regulation duly promulgated, it shall be presumed in any proceeding that prior notice was given and maintained and the burden lies upon the party asserting to the contrary to prove lack of adequate notice of any regulation.