The department shall have the power and it shall be its duty to:

1. Develop, after consultation with local governments and interested persons, groups and institutions, policies and programs to preserve and enhance the natural and man-made beauty of the state, and encourage, facilitate and assist in the coordination of the activities of the various state agencies in furtherance of such policies and programs.

2. Advise, encourage and assist local governments in the development and coordination of policies, programs and activities, and in the full utilization of powers vested in local governments by the Constitution and laws of the state, to preserve and enhance the natural and man-made beauty of the state.

3. Conduct and coordinate studies, surveys and inventories of the vast natural and man-made resources contributing to the beauty of the state by virtue of their scenic, aesthetic, or cultural values.

4. Designate scenic sites, areas, and highways in the state and develop programs for their preservation and enhancement, including but not limited to programs to discourage littering, defacement, and blighting of such scenic sites, areas and highways.

5. Promote the application of aesthetic considerations in the location, design, construction and maintenance of state lands, projects and buildings.

6. Serve as a clearing house for information relating to the preservation and enhancement of natural and man-made beauty.