Section 188-2-45 - Lease Renewal1. A lessee, on a form supplied by the Commissioner, may apply for Department approval of a lease renewal. A lessee must file with the Department an application to renew a lease at least 30 days prior to the lapse of the lease. The application shall include a nonrefundable application fee of $1,500.2. The Commissioner shall grant a lease renewal if it meets the conditions established in 12 M.R.S.A §6072(12) and further defined below:A. Consideration of speculative purposes includes whether the lessee has conducted substantially no research or aquaculture in the lease areas during the previous lease term; B. Consideration of the best interest of the state may include, but shall not be limited to, conflict with other new or existing uses of the area which the Commissioner determines to be a higher use of the area from the perspective of the public interest; and3. The Commissioner may not grant a lease renewal if the renewal will cause the lessee to become a tenant of any kind in leases covering an aggregate of more than 1000 acres.13-188 C.M.R. ch. 2, § 45