(a) Any qualified individual, company, corporation, or public institution desiring to conduct any type of exploration or excavation of cultural resources shall first make application to the commission for a permit or contract to conduct the operation. If the commission finds that the granting of a permit or contract is in the best interest of the state, it may, subject to the other provisions of this division, grant the applicant a permit or contract for a period of time and under those terms and conditions as the commission considers to be in the best interest of the state.

Terms Used In Alabama Code 41-9-294

  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
  • following: means next after. See Alabama Code 1-1-1
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Alabama Code 1-1-1
  • United States: includes the territories thereof and the District of Columbia. See Alabama Code 1-1-1
(b) Holders of permits or contracts shall be responsible for obtaining permission of any federal agencies having jurisdiction, including, but not limited to, the United States Department of the Navy and the United States Army Corps of Engineers, prior to conducting those activities.
(c) Permits or contracts may be issued or made for any of the following activities, without limitation:

(1) Recreational diving permit or contract.
(2) Exploration and evaluation permit or contract.
(3) Excavation and recovery permit or contract.