Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 6890, the commission may, when it appears to be in the public interest, grant leases for the extraction of minerals other than oil and gas to the highest responsible bidder by competitive bidding from tide and submerged lands of the State whenever it appears that the execution of such leases and the operations thereunder will not interfere with the trust upon which such lands are held or substantially impair the public rights to navigation and fishing.
(Added by Stats. 1941, Ch. 551.)