SENATE BILL No. 1126

 

 

October 20, 2016, Introduced by Senator CASPERSON and referred to the Committee on Natural Resources.

 

 

 

     A bill to amend 1994 PA 451, entitled

 

"Natural resources and environmental protection act,"

 

by amending section 32505 (MCL 324.32505), as added by 1995 PA 59.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 32505. (1) If the department determines that it is in the

 

public interest to grant an applicant a deed or lease to such

 

unpatented lands described in section 32502 or enter into an

 

agreement to permit allow use and improvements in the waters or to

 

enter into any other agreement in regard thereto, the department

 

shall determine the amount of consideration to be paid to the this

 

state by the applicant for the conveyance or lease of unpatented

 

lands.

 

     (2) The department may permit, allow, by lease or agreement,

 

the filling in of patented and unpatented submerged lands and

 

permit allow permanent improvements and structures after finding


that the public trust will not be impaired or substantially

 

injured.

 

     (3) The department may issue deeds or may enter into leases of

 

unpatented lands if the unpatented lands applied for lands have

 

been artificially filled in or are proposed to be changed from the

 

condition that exists on October 14, 1955 by filling, sheet piling,

 

shoring, or by any other means, and such the lands are used or to

 

be used or occupied in whole or in part for uses other than

 

existing, lawful riparian or littoral purposes. The consideration

 

to be paid to the this state for the conveyance or lease of

 

unpatented lands by the applicant shall be not less than the fair,

 

cash market value of the lands determined as of the date of the

 

filing of the application, minus any improvements placed on the

 

lands, but the sale price shall not be less than 30% of the value

 

of the land. In determining the fair, cash market value of the

 

lands applied for, the department may give due consideration to

 

consider the fact that the lands are connected with the riparian or

 

littoral property belonging to the applicant, and to the uses,

 

including residential and commercial, being made or which can be

 

made of the lands.

 

     (4) Agreements for the lands or water area described in

 

section 32502 may be granted to or entered into with local units of

 

government for public purposes. and containing those The agreements

 

may contain terms and conditions that may be considered by the

 

department to be just and equitable in view of given the public

 

trust involved and may include the granting of grant permission to

 

make such fills as may be fill those lands as necessary.


     (5) If the unpatented lands applied for have not been filled

 

in or in any way substantially changed from their natural character

 

at the time the application is filed with the department, and the

 

application to acquire or lease those lands is filed for the

 

purpose of flood control, shore erosion control, drainage and

 

sanitation control, or to straighten irregular shore lines, then

 

the consideration to be paid to the this state by the applicant

 

shall be the fair, cash value of such the land, giving due

 

consideration to its the land's being adjacent to and connected

 

with the riparian or littoral property owned by the applicant.

 

     (6) Leases or agreements covering unpatented lands may be

 

granted or entered into with riparian or littoral proprietors for

 

commercial marina purposes or for marinas operated by persons for

 

consideration and containing terms and conditions that are

 

considered by the department to be just and equitable. The leases

 

may include either filled or unfilled lake bottomlands, or both.

 

Rental shall commence as of the date of use of the unpatented lands

 

for the marina operations. Dockage and other uses by marinas in

 

waters over patented lands on October 14, 1955 shall be considered

 

to be lawful riparian or littoral use.

 

     (7) If a private harbor formed by a breakwater erected on

 

unpatented lake bottomlands is not used by the riparian or littoral

 

owner for commercial purposes and if the riparian or littoral

 

owner's land is used only for residential purposes, the

 

consideration for a lease for the breakwater to occupy the lake

 

bottomlands and for exclusive use of the waters of the harbor shall

 

be 1 of the following at the discretion of the riparian or littoral


owner:

 

     (a) A $50.00 annual fee.

 

     (b) A 1-time fee of:

 

     (i) $150.00 to occupy not more than 0.25 acres.

 

     (ii) $200.00 to occupy more than 0.25 acres but not more than

 

0.5 acres.

 

     (iii) $250.00 to occupy more than 0.5 acres but not more than

 

0.75 acres.

 

     (iv) $300.00 to occupy more than 0.75 acres but not more than

 

1 acre.

 

     (8) (7) If the department after investigation determines that

 

an applicant to acquire or lease lands has willfully and knowingly

 

filled in or in any way substantially changed the lands applied for

 

with an intent to defraud, or if the applicant has acquired such

 

the lands with knowledge of such a fraudulent intent and is not an

 

innocent purchaser, the sale price consideration shall be the fair,

 

cash market value of the land or leasehold. An applicant may

 

request a hearing of a determination made under this subsection.

 

The department shall grant a hearing if requested.

 

     Enacting section 1. This amendatory act takes effect 90 days

 

after the date it is enacted into law.