Archeological exploration, excavation, or surveying; administrative appeal of department orders

(a) The State of Georgia, acting through the department and its authorized officers and employees, reserves to itself the exclusive right and privilege of exploring, excavating, or surveying all prehistoric and historic sites, ruins, artifacts, treasure, and treasure-trove, and other similar sites and objects found on all lands owned or controlled by the state, provided that this reservation shall not apply to property under the jurisdiction of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia. (b) All findings of such ruins, artifacts, treasure, treasure-trove, and other similar sites and objects shall be reported to the department within two days, Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays excluded, after being found. (c) The department is authorized to grant permits to or enter into contractual agreements with recognized scientific institutions or qualified individuals to conduct field archeological research or salvage archeology through data recovery on such state properties if, in the opinion of the department, conditions or situations warrant such arrangements or agreements. All such permits and agreements that affect burial sites or burial objects shall be issued by the department in accordance with the procedures outlined in subsection (d) of this Code section. All such information and archeologically significant objects derived from archeological research conducted on state lands shall be utilized solely for scientific or public educational purposes and shall remain the property of the state with the exception of those items required to be repatriated by Public Law 101-601 or by Code Section