Any lands belonging to the state, or lands known as school lands and public institution lands, in which is discovered any valuable deposit of coal or minerals of any kind, clay, gravel, or stone, are and remain the property of the state until provision for the sale or leasing thereof is especially provided for by law.
N.D. Cent. Code § 15-05-06
Valuable deposits found on school and public institution lands - Disposal
Official source: North Dakota Legislative Branch. Reproduced from public-domain North Dakota statutes; confirm against the official source for the current text. Not legal advice.