The term natural resources encompasses land, fish, wildlife, biota,
air, water, ground water, drinking water supplies, and other such resources
belonging to, managed by, held in trust by, relating to, or otherwise controlled
by the United States, any State or local government. Various federal legislation,
such as the Code of Federal Regulations, govern conservation of resources
efforts. Some states have a Department of Conservation and Natural
Resources or similar government body, whose duties vary by state, but may
include:
- To protect, conserve and increase the wildlife of the state and to administer all laws relating to wildlife and the protection, conservation and increase thereof;
- To make exploration, surveys, studies and reports concerning the
wildlife, state parks and monuments and historical sites in the state and
to publish such thereof as will be of general interest;
- To maintain, supervise, operate and control all state parks, monuments
and historical sites;
- To maintain, supervise, operate and control all state lands other
than those specifically committed to the use or control of some other department,
board, bureau, commission, agency, office or institution of the state;
- To cooperate with and enter into cooperative agreements and stipulations
with the Secretary of Agriculture of the United States or any other federal
officer or department, board, bureau, commission, agency or office thereunto
authorized with respect to wildlife restoration projects, the carrying
on of an educational program in connection therewith, the collection and
publication of data with respect to wildlife, state parks and the monuments
and historical sites or any other matters committed to the Department of
Conservation and Natural Resources by this title and to make and enforce
all regulations and restrictions required for such cooperation, agreements
or stipulations;
- To carry on a program of education and public enlightenment with
respect to the wildlife and other natural resources, state parks and the
monuments and historical sites;
- To make an annual report to the Governor concerning the activities
and accomplishments of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
for the preceding fiscal year; and
- To recommend to the Legislature such legislation as may be needed
further to protect, conserve, increase or to make available or useful the
wildlife and other natural resources, state parks and the monuments and
historical sites of the state.
