(a) Prior to the sale or transfer of state land or any interest in state land by a state agency, department or institution, such agency, department or institution shall provide notice of such sale or transfer to the Council on Environmental Quality, the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management and the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection on a form approved by the Council on Environmental Quality. Such notice shall be published in the Environmental Monitor and shall provide for a written public comment period of thirty days following publication of such notice, during which the public and state agencies may submit comments to the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management. Such comments may include, but shall not be limited to, significant natural and recreational resources on such land and recommend means to preserve such natural or recreational resources. The Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, in consultation with the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection, shall (1) respond to any written comments received during such thirty-day comment period, and (2) publish such written comments along with the Office of Policy and Management’s response to such written comments in the Environmental Monitor for a period of not less than fifteen days prior to the sale or transfer of the land.

(b) The Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection shall develop a policy for reviewing notices received from a state agency, department or institution, as described in subsection (a) of this section, and making a draft recommendation to the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management as to whether all or a portion of the land or land interest referenced in such notice should be preserved by (1) transferring the land or land interest or granting a conservation easement therein to the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, (2) imposing restrictions or conditions upon the transfer of the land or land interest, or (3) transferring all or a portion of the land or land interest, or granting a conservation easement interest therein, to an appropriate third party. Any such recommendations shall be accompanied by a report explaining the basis of the recommendations and shall include, where appropriate, a natural resource inventory. Such recommendations and report shall be published in the Environmental Monitor and shall provide for a written public comment period of thirty days following publication of such notice. The Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection shall (A) respond to any written comments received during such thirty-day comment period, (B) make a final recommendation to the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, and (C) publish such written comments along with the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection’s response to such written comments including the department’s final recommendation to the secretary in the Environmental Monitor. Following receipt of the final recommendation of the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection, the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management shall make the final determination as to the ultimate disposition of the land or interest. Such determination shall be published in the Environmental Monitor for a period of not less than fifteen days prior to the sale or transfer of such land or interest.

(c) Nothing in this section shall be construed to:

(1) Limit the applicability of sections 22a-1a to 22a-1i, inclusive, with respect to the sale or transfer of state land or any interest in state land, except that if an environmental impact evaluation was prepared pursuant to sections 22a-1b and 22a-1c or an environmental statement was prepared for such state land or interest in state land pursuant to any other state or federal law or regulation, as specified in § 22a-1f, such state agency, department or institution shall be exempt from the notice and public comment requirements set forth in subsections (a) and (b) of this section;

(2) Affect any purchase and sale agreement entered into between the state and any second party that was in effect prior to October 1, 2007, or any subsequent sale, transfer, easement, lease or other such agreement made pursuant to any such purchase and sale agreement;

(3) Apply to the conveyance of any parcel of state land or any interest in state land pursuant to an act of the General Assembly;

(4) Apply to the sale or transfer of state lands between state agencies;

(5) Apply to any easement that is granted to a municipality or a regulated utility or utilities that (A) primarily benefits the state or an agency or institution of the state, (B) is ordered as the result of a state or federal regulatory process or proceeding, or (C) is necessary as a result of the construction or reconstruction of any Department of Transportation highway or facility;

(6) Apply to the sale or transfer of state land or an interest in state land that was designated as surplus, pursuant to subsections (b) to (h), inclusive, of § 4b-21 prior to October 1, 2007, provided the provisions of this section were complied with at the time of such designation;

(7) Apply to the transfer of ten acres or less by the Department of Transportation or the Department of Education;

(8) Limit state agency or public comments to a particular subject matter area;

(9) Limit the publication of any public notifications, comments or reports that are required under this section solely to the Environmental Monitor; or

(10) Limit the solicitation of public comment solely to the Environmental Monitor.