Article 74.

Acquisition and Control of State Forests and State Recreational Forests.

§ 106-870.  Policy and plan to be inaugurated by Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

(a) In this Article, unless the context requires otherwise, "Department" means the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and "Commissioner" means Commissioner of Agriculture.

(b) For purposes of this Chapter, "State recreational forest" means a forest managed primarily for natural resource preservation, scenic enjoyment, and recreational purposes.

(c) The Department shall inaugurate the following policy and plan looking to the cooperation with private and public forest owners in this State insofar as funds may be available through legislative appropriation, gifts of money or land, or such cooperation with landowners and public agencies as may be available:

(1) The extension of the forest fire prevention organization to all counties in the State needing such protection.

(2) To cooperate with federal and other public agencies in the restoration of forest growth on land unwisely cleared and subsequently neglected.

(3) To furnish trained and experienced experts in forest management, to inspect private forestlands and to advise with forest landowners with a view to the general observance of recognized and practical rules of growing, cutting, and marketing timber. The services of such trained experts of the Department must naturally be restricted to those landowners who agree to carry out so far as possible the recommendations of said Department.

(4) To prepare and distribute printed and other material for the use of teachers and club leaders and to provide instruction to schools and clubs and other groups of citizens in order to train the younger generation in the principles of wise use of our forest resources.

(5) To acquire small areas of suitable land in the different regions of the State on which to establish small, model forests which shall be developed and used by the said Department as State demonstration forests for experiment and demonstration in forest management. (2011-145, s. 13.25(o).)