Section 9-15-38

Sales of timber or minerals from school or swamp and overflowed lands.

The Commissioner of Conservation and Natural Resources is hereby empowered to sell or cause to be sold timber or minerals from school lands or swamp and overflowed lands when in his opinion he deems such timber or minerals to be of merchantable quality and quantity. Notice of the sale of such timber or minerals shall be first advertised once a week for two successive weeks in a newspaper published in the county where such timber or minerals are to be sold, and said notice shall also be posted in a public place in said county. Such notice shall describe the timber or minerals to be sold, the amount and quality of such timber or minerals and shall call for bids for the purchase price thereof. Said notice shall further contain the date upon which said bids shall be received and the date of the sale thereof. If there are no newspapers published in the county where such sale is to be made, then said notice as hereinabove described shall be published in a newspaper of an adjoining county. After the bids are received as provided for under this section, the Commissioner of Conservation and Natural Resources may sell said timber or minerals to the highest bidder; but, if in his opinion the highest bid received is not a fair or reasonable price for such timber or minerals, he may readvertise the sale or he may continue to hold such timber or minerals until a future time when he may again advertise such sale; provided, that the Commissioner of Conservation and Natural Resources shall have the authority to sell on a negotiated basis timber, the value of which does not exceed $500.00, from school or swamp and overflowed lands when said timber has been damaged or is in a diseased condition or when it is necessary to remove same for right-of-way purposes.

(Acts 1939, No. 581, p. 949, § 7; Code 1940, T. 8, §239; Acts 1963, No. 528, p. 1140, § 1.)