(a) Policy. The surface estate in the coastal public lands of this state constitutes an important and valuable asset dedicated to the permanent school fund and to all people of Texas. Such estate shall be managed as follows.
  (1) The natural resources of the surface estate in coastal public lands shall be preserved. Such resources shall be construed to include the natural aesthetic values of those areas and the value of such areas in their natural state for the protection and nurture of all types of marine life and wildlife.
  (2) Uses which the public at large may enjoy and in which they may participate shall take priority over those uses which are limited to fewer individuals.
  (3) The public interest in navigation in the intracoastal waters shall be protected.
  (4) Unauthorized use of coastal public lands shall be prevented.
  (5) Utilization and development of the surface estate in such lands shall not be allowed unless the public interest as expressed in the Coastal Public Lands Management Act is not significantly impaired thereby.
  (6) The surface estate in coastal public lands shall not be alienated except by the granting of leaseholds and lesser interests therein.
  (7) Vested rights in land shall be protected subject to the paramount authority of the state in the exercise of such rights; and the orderly use of littoral property in a manner consistent with the public policy of this state shall not be impaired.
  (8) The economic benefits of leases, easements, and other grants of interests in the surface estate of coastal public lands shall be weighed against the need to protect and preserve the resources of coastal public lands.
  (9) Rights to use the surface estate of coastal public lands shall not unduly prevent or interfere in any way with the board's management or administration of coastal public lands or the board's authority to grant other rights to coastal public land.
  (10) The General Land Office (GLO), may at any time, inspect any structure located on coastal public land.
  (11) If shoreline alteration is proposed, a coastal boundary survey, as defined in Texas Natural Resources Code §33.136, and field notes shall be required.
  (12) The board may modify or waive the requirements of any rule or fee set forth herein if such action would be in the public's best interest as determined by the board.
(b) Scope of rules. These rules set forth the practice and procedure for administration by the board in granting a lease, easement, permit, and the registration of a structure on coastal public lands. All grants of interest are subject to these rules and regulations. The board may grant the following interest in coastal public lands for the indicated purposes:
  (1) leases for public purposes;
  (2) easements for purposes connected with ownership of littoral property:
  (3) permits authorizing limited continued use of heretofore unauthorized structures on coastal public lands, not connected with ownership of littoral property;
  (4) channel easements to the holder of any surface or mineral interests in coastal public lands, for purposes necessary or appropriate to the use of such interests; and
  (5) any other interest in coastal public land for any purpose that the board determines is in the best interest of the state.
(c) If a Department of the Army Corps of Engineers permit is required for a proposed project, the board may postpone a decision on the application pending receipt of comments on the work described in the Corps of Engineers public notice.
(d) Definitions. The following words and terms, when used in this chapter, shall have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.
  (1) Adjacent littoral property--The property that is contiguous to and borders the coastal public land upon which the property interest is sought.
  (2) Alignment Bulkheads--Proposed bulkheads which align with an adjacent, preexisting bulkhead, or bulkheads.
  (3) Appraised market value of adjacent littoral property--Fair market value of the unimproved adjacent littoral property as determined by the appropriate tax appraisal district.
  (4) Basin--A structure used for a commercial or industrial activity that consists of the area of the land encumbered and any fixtures attached thereto. This definition includes the construction and maintenance of marinas, piers, walkways, docks, dolphins, and wharves and any and all dredged area associated therewith.
  (5) Basin formula--The amount of encumbered state land multiplied by the appraised market value of the adjacent littoral property multiplied by the submerged land discount multiplied by the return on investment.
  (6) Board--The School Land Board of Texas.
  (7) Boathouse--A garage-like enclosed structure built over water for the purpose of storing watercraft. Boathouses are suitable for long-term storage and may contain lifts, winches, or other ancillary docking mechanisms.
  (8) Boatlift--A covered or uncovered boat slip with winch or pulley devices, used for lifting watercraft out of the water; suitable for long-term storage. The covering structure may not enclose the slip.
  (9) Boat ramp--An inclined structure extending from the adjacent property or pier into state owned submerged land for the purpose of launching and retrieving boats. Typically constructed of concrete or wood.
  (10) Boat-skid--A ramp-like device, typically using 2 pieces of wood, used to place watercraft in or remove watercraft from the water.
  (11) Boat slip--An encumbered area of water (covered or uncovered but not enclosed), formed by adjacent finger piers or pilings, into which a watercraft is moored or stored. Most suitable for short-term storage.
  (12) Breakwater--A structure of timber, cement, or other material, either fixed or floating, designed to protect beaches, bay shorelines, and harbor areas from wave action.
  (13) Bulkhead--Structures of timber, steel, concrete, rock, or similar substance erected parallel to the shoreline for erosion control purposes.
  (14) Coastal area--Refers to the geographic area comprising all the counties of Texas having any tidewater shoreline including that portion of the continental bed and waters of the Gulf of Mexico within the jurisdiction of the State of Texas.
  (15) Coastal natural resource area--As defined by Texas Natural Resource Code §33.203(1).
  (16) Coastal public lands--All or any portion of the state-owned submerged lands, the waters overlying those lands, and all state-owned islands in coastal area.
  (17) Commercial activity--Activity undertaken by a lessee or any other person with or without consent, which is designed to enhance or accommodate a venture associated with a revenue generating activity. This definition excludes industrial activity, but includes residential uses other than those included in the definition of residential use, Category III if there is revenue generating activity conducted on the premises.
  (18) Commissioner--The commissioner of the GLO.
  (19) Covered second level--A permanently covered (partially or fully) second story associated with a boathouse or boatlift. Excludes enclosure of a second story, which is strictly prohibited.
  (20) Dilapidated or derelict structure--Any structure which has deteriorated to an unsafe and/or unusable condition due to neglect, misuse, or which has been made inhabitable by vandalism or natural forces, or which or has been abandoned either through neglect or misuse.
  (21) Dredged area--An area that has been made deeper by the removal or relocation of sediments; dredged areas are considered to be structures on state-owned submerged land. When dredged areas are evaluated for permitting purposes, placement of dredged material must be addressed.
  (22) Dredged material--The sediments that have been removed from a dredged area; initial dredging of an area often produces usable material and maintenance dredging typically produces unconsolidated material that must dry before possible use.
  (23) Dredging--The moving of soil, sand, gravel, shell or other materials from its natural setting, including propwashing, and thereby artificially altering the water depth, e.g., channels, basins, etc.
  (24) Encumbered state land--The amount of state coastal public land encumbered by the permitted activity and is expressed in number of square feet.
  (25) Evaluation fee--A one-time fee assessed upon the granting of a commercial instrument. In the case of multiple-purpose easement applications, only one evaluation fee will be assessed.
  (26) Fill--The placement of materials on coastal public lands for the purpose of changing the elevation of a water body or to create emergent land.
Cont'd...