3-911. Conservation and public education

A. The department may conserve the highly safeguarded native plants including the use, and encouraging the use, of all methods and procedures that are necessary to bring the highly safeguarded native plants to the point where they are no longer in need of federal protection as endangered or threatened plants or state protection as highly safeguarded native plants. These methods and procedures include all activities associated with scientific resource management such as research, census, law enforcement, habitat protection and maintenance, propagation and transplantation.

B. The department shall encourage commercial businesses engaged in land development or other activities conducted on private land to salvage protected native plants to the greatest extent feasible.

C. The department may produce, and collect reasonable fees for, seminars, courses, pamphlets and other educational programs and publications concerning the effect, intent and interpretation of this chapter, the identification, nature or condition of protected native plants and the feasibility and techniques for their conservation and salvage for presentation and dissemination to:

1. State agencies and political subdivisions, including state and local law enforcement agencies and counties or municipalities which have enacted or consider enacting ordinances preserving protected native plants.

2. Real estate and other commercial businesses engaged in land development and other activities conducted on private land.

3. Landowners and the public at large.

4. Persons or entities that are convicted of violating this chapter or rules and ordinances adopted pursuant to this chapter and that are ordered by the court to attend educational classes or programs as part of their sentences.

D. Notwithstanding section 35-148, subsection A, the director shall deposit any monies received under this section in the trust fund established by section 3-913.