Washington § 79.14.300 Prospecting and mining contracts—Authority—Exceptions.

Washington Statutes

§ 79.14.300 — Prospecting and mining contracts—Authority—Exceptions.

Washington § 79.14.300

Title 79PUBLIC LANDS

Ch. 79.14MINERAL, COAL, OIL, AND GAS LEASES

This text of Washington § 79.14.300 (Prospecting and mining contracts—Authority—Exceptions.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Washington primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

Wash. Rev. Code § 79.14.300 (2026).

Text

(1)Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, the department may issue permits and leases for prospecting, and contracts for the mining of valuable minerals and specified materials, except rock, gravel, sand, silt, coal, or hydrocarbons, upon and from any public lands belonging to or held in trust by the state, or which have been sold and the minerals thereon reserved by the state in tracts not to exceed six hundred forty acres or an entire government-surveyed section.

(2)The department may not issue permits and leases on aquatic lands along the Washington coast from Cape Flattery south to Washington's southern boundary, nor in Grays Harbor, Willapa Bay, and the Columbia river downstream from the Longview bridge, for purposes of exploration, development, or seabed mining of h

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(1) Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, the department may issue permits and leases for prospecting, and contracts for the mining of valuable minerals and specified materials, except rock, gravel, sand, silt, coal, or hydrocarbons, upon and from any public lands belonging to or held in trust by the state, or which have been sold and the minerals thereon reserved by the state in tracts not to exceed six hundred forty acres or an entire government-surveyed section.

(2) The department may not issue permits and leases on aquatic lands along the Washington coast from Cape Flattery south to Washington's southern boundary, nor in Grays Harbor, Willapa Bay, and the Columbia river downstream from the Longview bridge, for purposes of exploration, development, or seabed mining of hard minerals. For the purposes of this section, "hard minerals" means natural deposits of valuable minerals other than rock, gravel, sand, silt, coal, or hydrocarbons. Hard minerals include, but are 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.

Intent — 2003 c 334: See note following RCW 79.02.010 .

Legislative History

[2021 c 181 s 1;2003 c 334 s 401;1987 c 20 s 1;1965 c 56 s 2;1927 c 255 s 155; RRS s 7797-155. Prior:1917 c 148 s 1;1915 c 152 s 1;1897 c 102 s 1. Formerly RCW79.01.616,78.20.010, part, and78.20.020.]