(A) "Territory," as used in this section, means the waters and the lands presently underlying the waters of Lake Erie and the lands formerly underlying the waters of Lake Erie and now artificially filled, between the natural shoreline and the international boundary line with Canada.

(B) Whenever the state, acting through the director of natural resources, upon application of any person who wants to develop or improve part of the territory, and after notice that the director, at the director's discretion, may give as provided in this section, determines that any part of the territory can be developed and improved or the waters thereof used as specified in the application without impairment of the public right of navigation, water commerce, and fishery, a lease of all or any part of the state's interest therein may be entered into with the applicant, or a permit may be issued for that purpose, subject to the powers of the United States government and in accordance with rules adopted by the director in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code, and without prejudice to the littoral rights of any owner of land fronting on Lake Erie, provided that the legislative authority of the municipal corporation within which any such part of the territory is located, if the municipal corporation is not within the jurisdiction of a port authority, or the county commissioners of the county within which such part of the territory is located, excluding any territory within a municipal corporation or under the jurisdiction of a port authority, or the board of directors of a port authority with respect to such part of the territory included in the jurisdiction of the port authority, has enacted an ordinance or resolution finding and determining that such part of the territory, described by metes and bounds or by an alternate description referenced to the applicant's upland property description that is considered adequate by the director, is not necessary or required for the construction, maintenance, or operation by the municipal corporation, county, or port authority of breakwaters, piers, docks, wharves, bulkheads, connecting ways, water terminal facilities, and improvements and marginal highways in aid of navigation and water commerce and that the land uses specified in the application comply with regulation of permissible land use under a waterfront plan of the local authority.

(C) Upon the filing of the application with the director, the director may hold a public hearing thereon and may cause written notice of the filing to be given to any municipal corporation, county, or port authority, as the case may be, in which such part of the territory is located and also shall cause public notice of the filing to be given by advertisement in a newspaper of general circulation within the locality where such part of the territory is located. If a hearing is to be held, public notice of the filing may be combined with public notice of the hearing and shall be given once a week for four consecutive weeks prior to the date of the initial hearing. All hearings shall be before the director and shall be open to the public, and a record shall be made of the proceeding. Parties thereto are entitled to be heard and to be represented by counsel. The findings and order of the director shall be in writing. All costs of the hearings, including publication costs, shall be paid by the applicant. The director also may hold public meetings on the filing of an application.

If the director finds that a lease may properly be entered into with the applicant or a permit may properly be issued to the applicant, the director shall determine the consideration to be paid by the applicant, which consideration shall exclude the value of the littoral rights of the owner of land fronting on Lake Erie and improvements made or paid for by the owner of land fronting on Lake Erie or that owner's predecessors in title. The lease or permit may be for such periods of time as the director determines. The rentals received under the terms of such a lease or permit shall be paid into the state treasury to the credit of the Lake Erie submerged lands fund, which is hereby created, and shall be distributed from that fund as follows:

(1) Fifty per cent of each rental shall be paid to the department of natural resources for the administration of this section and section 1506.10 of the Revised Code and for the coastal management assistance grant program required to be established under division (C) of section 1506.02 of the Revised Code;

(2) Fifty per cent of each rental shall be paid to the municipal corporation, county, or port authority making the finding provided for in this section.

All leases and permits shall be executed in the manner provided by section 5501.01 of the Revised Code and shall contain, in addition to the provisions required in this section, a reservation to the state of all mineral rights and a provision that the removal of any minerals shall be conducted in such manner as not to damage any improvements placed by the littoral owner, lessee, or permit holder on the lands. No lease or permit of the lands defined in this section shall express or imply any control of fisheries or aquatic wildlife now vested in the division of wildlife of the department.

(D) Upland owners who, prior to October 13, 1955, have erected, developed, or maintained structures, facilities, buildings, or improvements or made use of waters in the part of the territory in front of those uplands shall be granted a lease or permit by the state upon the presentation of a certification by the chief executive of a municipal corporation, resolution of the board of county commissioners, or resolution of the board of directors of the port authority establishing that the structures, facilities, buildings, improvements, or uses do not constitute an unlawful encroachment on navigation and water commerce. The lease or permit shall specifically enumerate the structures, facilities, buildings, improvements, or uses so included.

(E) Persons having secured a lease or permit under this section are entitled to just compensation for the taking, whether for navigation, water commerce, or otherwise, by any governmental authority having the power of eminent domain, of structures, facilities, buildings, improvements, or uses erected or placed upon the territory pursuant to the lease or permit or the littoral rights of the person and for the taking of the leasehold and the littoral rights of the person pursuant to the procedure provided in Chapter 163. of the Revised Code. The compensation shall not include any compensation for the site in the territory except to the extent of any interest in the site theretofore acquired by the person under this section or by prior acts of the general assembly or grants from the United States government. The failure of any person to apply for or obtain a lease or permit under this section does not prejudice any right the person may have to compensation for a taking of littoral rights or of improvements made in accordance with a lease, a permit, or littoral rights.

(F) If any taxes or assessments are levied or assessed upon property that is the subject of a lease or permit under this section, the taxes or assessments are the obligation of the lessee or permit holder.

(G) If a lease or permit secured under this section requires the lessee or permit holder to obtain the approval of the department or any of its divisions for any changes in structures, facilities, or buildings, for any improvements, or for any changes or expansion in uses, no lessee or permit holder shall change any structures, facilities, or buildings, make any improvements, or expand or change any uses unless the director first determines that the proposed action will not adversely affect any current or prospective exercise of the public right of recreation in the territory and in the state's reversionary interest in any territory leased or permitted under this section.

Proposed changes or improvements shall be deemed to "adversely affect" the public right of recreation if the changes or improvements cause or will cause any significant demonstrable negative impact upon any present or prospective recreational use of the territory by the public during the term of the lease or permit or any renewals and of any public recreational use of the leased or permitted premises in which the state has a reversionary interest.

Effective Date: 03-18-1999.