(1) Upon receipt of the application, the forest management plan certification, the timber rights certification, and the application fee described in section 51103, the department shall evaluate the forestland offered and fix a date for a public hearing upon the eligibility of the forestland for determination as a commercial forest. The hearing shall be held in the county where the land is located not later than November 1 following receipt of the application. Applications offering lands in the same county may be heard on the same day and at the same place. The department shall publish a notice of hearing and a list of the legal descriptions of lands being considered for determination as commercial forests in a newspaper of general circulation in the county in which the land is located. The notice of hearing shall be published at least 20 days before the date of the hearing. At the time of publication, the department shall provide a copy of the notice of hearing and a list of descriptions of land in each township to be considered for determination as a commercial forest to each township supervisor in whose township the lands are located. Any person who wishes may testify as to eligibility for determination as a commercial forest of any of the described lands. The hearing shall be conducted by the department.

    (2) After the hearing, if the department determines that the applicant and forestland meet the requirements of this part and determines that all valid taxes assessed against that forestland have been paid, the department shall approve the application. Upon approval of the application, the department shall immediately record a listing certificate in the register of deeds office in the county in which the land is located with the department approval endorsed on the listing certificate and forward a copy of the listing certificate to the applicant and to the township supervisor of the township in which the land is located.