(1) Unless otherwise prohibited, every person seeking a permit for a navigational or nonnavigational encroachment constructed prior to January 1, 1975, shall provide the board with substantive documentation of the age of the encroachment and documentation that the encroachment has not been modified since 1974. Persons providing such documentation shall receive an encroachment permit and shall not be required to pay the application and publication fees established in this chapter. Such substantive documentation shall include dated aerial photographs, tax records, or other historical information deemed reliable by the board.