§20-5-22. Powers and duties of the director relating to oil and gas access roads on state forests.

(a) In addition to the requirements of article six, chapter twenty-two of this code, a party applying for the well work permit within a state forest shall publish a Class I-O legal advertisement in compliance with the provisions of article three, chapter fifty-nine of this code in a qualified newspaper at least sixty days prior to submitting an application with the Department of Environmental Protection. The notice shall state that the Division of Natural Resources will accept public comments prior to the party's application to the Department of Environmental Protection and shall give a postal address and an email address where the public may file comments.

(b) For all new oil and gas road construction proposed in subsection (a) of this section within state forests, written notice shall be provided to the Director, the Division of Forestry and the state Forest Superintendent by the party applying for the well work permit forty-five days before the application of the well work permit is filed with the Department of Environmental Protection.

(c) For routine maintenance of the access roads within the state forest, notice shall be provided to the Director, the Director of the Division of Forestry and the state Forest Superintendent by the well operator for maintenance of the well access road five days before the motorized equipment is to enter the state forest except in the event of an emergency.

(d) The Director of the Division of Natural Resources shall propose emergency and legislative rules in accordance with article three, chapter twenty-nine of this code in consultation with the Department of Environmental Protection and the Division of Forestry that set forth the conditions upon which the permittee may access the land for the purpose of well work in a state forest as permitted by law.