Changes in the operating procedures of the State Mineral Board were adopted at the Board’s meeting in August. According to Mineral Board Secretary Gus Rodemacher, mineral lease bidders must be registered with the Secretary of State in order to conduct any business with the Board. Members of the board approved the following measures:

Bidder Registration: (Act 449 of the 2005 Legislative Session) Effective July 13, 2005: All prospective bidders must be registered with the Department of Natural Resources’ Office of Mineral Resources to bid on a mineral lease. To register, bidders must submit a completed registration form and a current certificate from the Secretary of State that the Company, Partnership or Corporation is in good standing and authorized to do business in Louisiana.

New Lease Fee: (Act 89 of the 2005 Legislative Session) Beginning September 14, 2005: The per acre payment required from state mineral lessees as required by law (LSA-R.S. 30:136.1(D) will be $20. This is a five-dollar fee increase over the previous amount.

Board Changes Its Meeting Time Schedule: Starting October 12, 2005: The State Mineral Board Meeting and Mineral Lease Sale will be scheduled as follows:

8:30 am -Open Bids     9:30 am -Committee Meetings     11:00 am -Board Meeting

Additonally, Mineral Board Chairman Scott Angelle offered fellow board member and Vice Chair Marjorie McKeithen condolences upon the loss of her father, W. Fox McKeithen, former Secretary of State. The board adopted a resolution in his memory which can be viewed at dnr.louisiana.gov/MIN/min.asp.