Cal. Pub. Res. Code § 6900
Minerals Other Than Oil and Gas
Redline — January 1, 2011 → current.View current text →
Current — January 1, 2023
As of January 1, 2011
Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 6890, the commission may, when it appears to be in the public interest, grant leases for the extraction of minerals other than oil and gas to the highest responsible bidder by competitive bidding from tide and submerged lands of the State whenever it appears that the execution of such leases and the operations thereunder will not interfere with the trust upon which such lands are held or substantially impair the public rights to navigation and fishing.
(a) Notwithstanding Section 6890, the commission or a local trustee of granted public trust lands shall not grant leases or issue permits for the extraction or removal of hard minerals from state waters subject to tidal influence, except for waters situated east of the Carquinez Bridges on Interstate 80.
(b) (1) For purposes of this section, “hard minerals” means natural deposits of valuable minerals, including, but not limited to, metals and placer deposits of metals, nonmetallic minerals, gemstones, ores, gold, silver, copper, lead, iron, manganese, silica, chrome, platinum, tungsten, zirconium, titanium, garnet, and phosphorus.
(2) “Hard minerals” does not include rock, gravel, sand, silt, coal, oyster shells, or hydrocarbons.
(c) This section does not prohibit scientific research or collections conducted by, or on behalf of, an educational, scientific, or research institution or a governmental agency.
Official source: California Legislative Information. Reproduced from public-domain California statutes; confirm against the official source for the current text. Not legal advice.