Section 13.793 Natural Resource Data; Mineral Data

MINNESOTA STATUTES AND CODES

Section 13.793 Natural Resource Data; Mineral Data

13.793 NATURAL RESOURCE DATA; MINERAL DATA.

(a) Nonpublic data. Except as provided in paragraph (b), the following data received and maintained by the commissioner of natural resources are nonpublic data:

(1) a letter or other documentation from a person that is supplied to the commissioner before a public lease sale of metallic or other minerals for the purpose of making suggestions or recommendations about which state lands may be offered for public lease sale;

(2) a written report or other documentation of private analyses of a state-owned or controlled drill core that is public data and is under the custody of the commissioner; or

(3) exploration data received by the commissioner under the terms of a state mineral lease.

(b) Data become public. (1) Data under paragraph (a), clause (1), become public data three years after the date the lease sale was held or, if not held, within three years after the date the lease sale was scheduled to be held. Except as provided in clause (2), data under paragraph (a), clause (2), become public data one year after receipt by the commissioner. Except as provided in clause (3) or as otherwise provided for by law, data under paragraph (a), clause (3), become public data upon termination of the state mineral lease under which the data were gathered.

(2) If data under paragraph (a), clause (2), relate to private land that is under mineral lease to the person submitting the data, and the mineral lease is in force at the time the data are submitted, the data become public data only after the mineral lease is no longer in force. The person submitting the data that relate to private land that is under mineral lease shall provide to the commissioner at the time the data are submitted and annually thereafter, in a format designated by the commissioner, satisfactory evidence that the mineral lease is in effect. If, in a given year, satisfactory evidence that the mineral lease is still in effect is not provided to the commissioner before the anniversary date of receipt of the data by the commissioner, the data immediately become public data.

(3) If data under paragraph (a), clause (3), are nonpublic data under the provisions of section 103I.605, subdivision 4, clause (c), the data become public data pursuant to the provisions of section 103I.605, subdivision 4, clauses (c) and (d).