In all cases where state lands have been heretofore or may hereafter be sold pursuant to the provisions of law upon which minerals have been reserved, the holder of any mineral lease subsequently issued thereon may nevertheless enter upon the lands and prospect on the lands under the lease.
Before entering upon lands described in subdivision 1, the lease holder shall pay or secure to the owner of the lands all damages which may arise therefrom and the same may be determined either by mutual agreement or, if the interested parties cannot agree, then the holder of the mineral lease may, in the name of the state of Minnesota, institute proceedings to condemn the same according to chapter 117; provided, that the state shall bear no part of the cost of these proceedings, nor pay any part of the damages awarded in the proceedings.
Minn. Stat. § 93.05
(6399, 6400) 1907 c 411 s 1,2; 1949 c 593 s 1; 1969 c 1129 art 10 s 2; 1986 c 444; 2000 c 495 s 9