Oregon Revised Statutes Chapter 274 § 274.550 — Removal of material without payment of royalties; eligible material and uses

Removal of material without payment of royalties; eligible material and uses. (1) A person may remove material from submersible and submerged lands owned by the State of Oregon without payment of royalties to the Department of State Lands if the material is: (a) Removed for channel or harbor improvement or flood control; (b) Used for filling, diking or reclaiming land owned by the state or any political subdivision as defined in ORS 271.005 and located not more than two miles from the bank of the stream; (c) Used for the creation, maintenance or enhancement of fish or wildlife habitat; (d) Used for the maintenance of public beaches; or (e) Contaminated with hazardous material, as defined in ORS 466.605, provided that the person gives the department written notice of the removal at least 30 days prior to disposal. (2) A person does not have to pay royalties to the state for the following uses of material, if the person provides at least 30 days’ written notice to the department of the intended use: (a) The filling of any property up to an elevation of one foot above the line of ordinary high water of a waterway by a state agency or political subdivision, as defined in ORS 271.005. (b) The material is used solely for a public purpose by a political subdivision, as defined in ORS 271.005. (3) A person may not remove any material from the place it was first deposited or use the material as an article of commerce without providing, prior to the removal of the material, written notification to the department and payment of any royalties for the material as determined by the department. (4) In addition to the purposes enumerated in subsection (1) of this section, any person may take material for the exclusive use of the person to the extent of not more than 50 cubic yards or the equivalent weight in tons in any one year. However, before taking the material, the person shall first notify the department. (5) Upon the removal of material from submersible or submerged lands not exempt from the payment of royalties, royalties in an amount established by the department must be paid to the department. (6) For purposes of this section: (a) “Article of commerce” means any material, other than material used for upland disposal or contaminated material put to beneficial use, that is bought, sold or exchanged in any manner for goods or services and that otherwise would have to be acquired from alternative sources. (b) “Reclaiming land” means raising the elevation of a portion of land within a 100-year floodplain to not more than one foot of elevation higher than the highest elevation of the 100-year floodplain, or protecting land otherwise in the 100-year floodplain by the construction of dikes or other flood control improvements. [Amended by 1961 c.149 §1; 1961 c.676 §5; 1967 c.421 §146; 1969 c.594 §44; 1971 c.509 §3; 1981 c.787 §53; 2003 c.465 §1]