Section 6. Wild Resource Conservation Board.
(a) There is hereby created a Wild Resource Conservation Board, the members of which shall consist of the Secretary of the Department of Environmental Resources or his designee, the Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission or his designee, the Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Game Commission or his designee, the chairman and minority chairman of the House Conservation Committee or their designees and the chairman and minority chairman of the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee or their designees. The chairmanship of said board shall rotate on an annual basis among the members thereof.
((a) amended July 1, 1994, P.L.375, No.56)
(b) The board shall have the power and its duty shall be to:
(1) Meet annually to determine and prioritize the management objectives deemed necessary to preserve and enhance the wild resource.
(2) Conduct a public hearing not less than 60 days prior to each annual meeting of the board, providing 30 days advance notice thereof by publication in the Pennsylvania Bulletin to which all interested persons shall be invited to make recommendations to the board.
(3) Establish, after reviewing the recommendations made at the public hearing and consulting with the professional staffs of those agencies represented on the board, management projects or programs deemed necessary to preserve and enhance the wild resource and to allocate moneys from the Wild Resource Conservation Fund to the agency or agencies selected by the board to implement said programs or projects. Prior to the issuance of an allocation for any project or program authorized herein, the board shall allocate moneys to the Department of Environmental Resources for its administrative responsibilities under sections 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11.
(4) Administer the Wild Resource Conservation Fund.
(5) Establish projects or programs to promote the voluntary contribution system and to allocate moneys from the fund to implement same.
(6) Issue an annual report, to be published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin concurrently with the notice required in paragraph (2), which shall include a financial analysis and synopsis of program activities.
(c) The board shall have the right to issue for sale to the public, stamps, decals or other items of personal property intended to signify the interest of the purchaser in contributing to programs established by the board, the net proceeds of which shall be deposited in the Wild Resource Conservation Fund.
(d) The authority granted pursuant to subsection (c) shall not effect or interfere with similar authority vested by law in any agency represented on the board to sell items of personal property which promote the independent programs of those respective agencies. Said agencies shall likewise have the right to issue for sale items of personal property intended to signify the interest of the purchaser in contributing to programs established by the board, the net proceeds of which shall be deposited in the Wild Resource Conservation Fund.
(e) The board may establish an advisory committee, the members of which shall be chosen from the public and shall serve at the pleasure of the board, which shall meet to advise the board and make recommendations regarding general management objectives or specific management projects.
(f) Within two years following the effective date of this act, the board shall develop a comprehensive management plan which shall establish the management objectives and policies of the board. The board shall review said plan periodically and make revisions thereto when necessary. The board shall make the plan and any revisions thereto available for public review and comment by publication in the Pennsylvania Bulletin.
(g) The powers and duties granted pursuant to this section shall be in addition to any powers and duties granted to the Department of Environmental Resources pursuant to the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.177, No.175), known as "The Administrative Code of 1929," or to the Fish Commission pursuant to 30 Pa.C.S. § 101 et seq. (relating to fish), or to the Game Commission pursuant to the act of June 3, 1937 (P.L.1225, No.316), known as "The Game Law."
Compiler's Note: The Department of Environmental Resources, referred to in this section, was abolished by Act 18 of 1995. Its functions were transferred to the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the Department of Environmental Protection.
Compiler's Note: The Secretary of Environmental Resources, referred to in this section, was abolished by Act 18 of 1995. The functions of the secretary were transferred to the Secretary of Conservation and Natural Resources and the Secretary of Environmental Protection.
Compiler's Note: The name of the Pennsylvania Fish Commission, referred to in subsecs. (a) and (g), was changed to the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission by the act of December 12, 1991 (P.L.368, No.39). See 30 Pa.C.S. § 308 (relating to designation of commission).