12-E:8 Fees. –
I. The commissioner shall establish a fee for filing and obtaining both a prospecting permit and a mining permit. The fee, as determined by the commissioner, shall be adequate to cover the costs for acting upon the application but in no case shall the fees be less than $10 for a prospecting permit and $350 for a mining permit. The commissioner may require a fee for the filing of amendments.
II. Upon approval of the application and prior to the issuance of a mining permit, an additional fee of $60 per acre of all permit lands shall be paid to the commissioner. Whenever acreage is increased by amendment, the requisite fee shall be paid.
III. The fees collected pursuant to this section shall be placed in a special fund for the administration of this chapter.