(a) The director may make grants of state land to persons and municipal corporations to replace land which is rendered unusable by a natural disaster for the purposes for which it was used before the natural disaster. The director shall designate state land which is available to replace land rendered unusable.
(b) Only a person who is the owner of land rendered unusable that was used or leased before the natural disaster for private residential, business, or commercial purposes is eligible for a grant of state land. A person who incurred a binding obligation to purchase land before the natural disaster shall be considered the owner of the land for the purposes of this section.
(c) An application for a grant of state land shall be filed with the director, and shall contain
(1) the name and address of the applicant;
(2) a legal description of the land rendered unusable;
(3) proof of ownership of the land; and
(4) a statement of the purpose for which the land was used before the natural disaster rendered it unusable.
(d) The director shall, within 30 days of receipt of the application, approve or disapprove the application. The director's determination of eligibility for a grant of state land is final. Upon approval of the application or as soon thereafter as possible, the director shall specify the land which shall be granted to an eligible applicant. In making the designation the director shall consider the value, size and use of the land rendered unusable as a result of the natural disaster, and shall as nearly as possible grant land of equal size, or value or of equal utility.
(e) The applicant shall pay costs, not to exceed the administrative cost of transferring the property and the cost of surveying the land. In addition, the state may require a quitclaim deed to the unusable land in exchange for the grant of state land.
(f) In this section “natural disaster” means a flood, drought, fire, storm, earthquake, or other catastrophe which, in the determination of the governor, is or threatens to be of sufficient severity to warrant state assistance to persons and municipal corporations to alleviate damage, suffering, and hardship caused by the catastrophe.