La. Admin. Code tit. 43 § VII-315

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 11, November 20, 2024

Section VII-315 - Administrative Review (Formerly LAC 43:I.865)

A. A leaseholder of an oyster lease acquired, in whole or in part, in accordance with these regulations and R.S. 56:432.1 may seek an administrative hearing through the department.

1. Any such adjudication shall be limited to whether the acquisition due to the impact of dredging, direct placement of dredged or other materials, or other work or activities necessary for the construction or maintenance of a project for coastal protection, conservation, or restoration is proper, or whether the compensation issued by the department satisfies the rules and regulations under this Subchapter.

2. Any leaseholder whose lease is not acquired, but upon which dredging, direct placement of dredged or other materials, or other work or activities necessary for the construction or maintenance of a project for coastal protection, conservation, or restoration has occurred, may also seek an administrative hearing through the department under this section to determine if acquisition of such oyster lease acreage would be proper.

B. A leaseholder's request for an administrative hearing under this section shall be requested in writing and sent to the department at the following address: Louisiana Department of Natural Resources, Office of Coastal Restoration and Management, Assistant Secretary, P.O. Box 44487, Baton Rouge, LA 70804-4487.

1. A written request for adjudication under this Section must be received by the department within 60 days after issuance of the notice of acquisition, determination of compensation, or payment to which the request pertains. However, a request for adjudication may be submitted to the department within two years after completion of the project for which acreage was acquired, if and only if, the leaseholder establishes that notice of the acquisition, determination of compensation, or payment was not issued as required by R.S. 56:432.1 or §313, or the request for adjudication seeks review of the lack of acquisition of leased acreage upon which dredging, direct placement of dredged or other materials, or other work or activities necessary for the construction or maintenance of a project for coastal protection, conservation, or restoration has occurred.

a. A request for adjudication received after the aforementioned deadlines, as applicable, is not timely and shall be denied.

b. A request for adjudication is deemed timely "received" when the request is mailed on or before the due date. If the papers are received by mail on the first legal day following the expiration of the delay, there shall be a rebuttable presumption that they are timely filed. In all cases where the presumption does not apply, the timeliness of the mailing shall be shown by an official United States postmark or by official receipt or certificate from the United States Postal Service or a bona-fide commercial mail service such as Federal Express or United States Parcel Service, made at the time of mailing which indicates the date thereof.

2. A request for an administrative hearing shall, at a minimum, include the following:

a. identification of the notice of acquisition to which the request pertains, or if no notice has been issued, identification of the affected lease and affected acreage to which the request pertains;

b. a statement of the relief requested, identifying the specific issue or point as to which adjudication is sought;

c. a statement of the reasons such relief is requested, and the facts upon which the request for relief is based;

d. the name and address to which the department and the Division of Administrative Law will send all communications regarding the request for administrative review. Neither the department nor the Division of Administrative Law have any obligation to deliver any communications or other notices regarding the request to any person or address other than the address listed in the request or any amendment thereto. If no person is listed, the department and the Division of Administrative Law shall deliver all communications or notices to the last address on file for the leaseholder with DWF, and shall have no obligation to deliver communications or notices to any other person or address.

3. The department shall promptly submit a request for adjudication to the Division of Administrative Law.

C. Any adjudication hereunder shall be governed by and conducted in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), R.S. 49:950 et seq., and the Division of Administrative Law Act (DALA), R.S. 49:991 et seq., unless such procedures are inconsistent or in conflict with the provisions of this Subchapter or R.S. 56:432.1.

D. The leaseholder may provide to the Division of Administrative Law, the department, and any other parties, including any holder of any lien or encumbrance or any other leaseholder claiming an interest in the acreage at issue, on or before the date of the adjudication, any reasonably confirmable data or other information that the leaseholder believes should be considered by the Division of Administrative Law in conducting the administrative review of the determination of the department. The Division of Administrative Law shall consider any reasonably confirmable data or information timely provided to the department by the leaseholder or any other person pursuant to §313 and R.S. 56:432.1. The Division of Administrative Law may disregard any information or data that is not submitted timely pursuant to this Subchapter.

E. The final decision of the Division of Administrative Law shall be issued to the leaseholder, in writing by certified mail, at his address on file with DWF on the date of issuance thereof, or at such other address as may be specified in the request for adjudication; and the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources, Office of Coastal Restoration and Management, Assistant Secretary, P.O. Box 44487, Baton Rouge, LA 70804-4487.

F. A request for adjudication shall have no effect upon the validity of the acquisition of the acreage acquired pursuant to a notice of acquisition, but only the compensation payable to the leaseholder. However, the acquisition may be found invalid if adjudication is sought timely and the project or action for which acquisition is sought does not further coastal protection, conservation, or restoration. If the acquisition is invalidated, the full possession of the oyster lease acreage sought to be acquired shall remain with the leaseholder, as if the notice of acquisition had never been issued.

G. If the Division of Administrative Law declares in a final decision that the leaseholder is entitled to additional compensation for the acquisition of the leasehold acreage at issue or that the department should have acquired a lease or acreage which it had not previously acquired, and states the amount of such compensation that is due, the department, subject to Constitution Article 12, Section 10, shall issue a check or draft to the leaseholder for such additional amount, except for and less any amount due on recorded liens and encumbrances to be paid out of said proceeds, by certified United States mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid, or hand delivery, to the last address on file with DWF on the date of issuance, or at such other address as may be specified in the request for adjudication, within 60 days after issuance of the final decision.

La. Admin. Code tit. 43, § VII-315

Repromulgated by the Office of the Governor, Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority LR 412614 (12/1/2015).

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 49:213.1, et seq. and R.S. 56:432.1.