11-16-122. Powers and duties of districts and supervisors thereof generally.

(a) Each conservation district organized under this act shall make an annual estimate of the funds required by the district for conservation programs and present a certified copy of the estimate, along with a budget showing all anticipated income and expenses, to the county commissioners. District supervisors shall administer the finances of the district according to the provisions of the Uniform Municipal Fiscal Procedures Act, except that an annual audit in accordance with W.S. 16-4-121 is not required. Each district shall comply with the provisions of W.S. 9-1-507(a)(iii).

(b) A conservation district organized under this act and the supervisors thereof, in addition to other powers granted by this act, may:

(i) Employ personnel and determine their duties and conditions of employment;

(ii) Call upon the attorney general of the state for legal services or employ their own counsel and legal staff;

(iii) Delegate to their chairman, to one (1) or more supervisors or to one (1) or more agents or employees such delegable powers and duties as they deem proper;

(iv) Furnish to the state conservation commission upon request, copies of ordinances, rules, regulations, orders, contracts, forms and other documents they adopt or employ, and such other information concerning their activities as it may require and to the county clerk copies of ordinances, rules, regulations and orders it adopts in accordance with law;

(v) Conduct surveys, investigations and research and disseminate information relating to range management, the character of soil erosion, flood prevention or the conservation, development, utilization and disposal of water, and the preventive and control measures and works of improvement needed, but in order to avoid duplication of research activities, no district shall initiate any research program except in cooperation with the government of this state or its agencies, or with the United States or its agencies;

(vi) Conduct demonstration projects within the district on lands owned or controlled by this state or its agencies, with the cooperation of the agency administering and having jurisdiction thereof, and on other lands within the district with the consent of the owner or occupier of the lands, to demonstrate range management practices, the means, methods and measures by which soil and soil resources may be conserved, and soil erosion in the form of soil blowing and washing may be prevented and controlled and works of improvement for flood prevention or the conservation, development, utilization and disposal of water may be carried out;

(vii) Carry out preventive and control measures and works of improvement within the district, including engineering operations, range management, methods of cultivation, the growing of grass or other vegetation, changes in use of land or any measure which may be developed for the control of erosion and better use of soil, and works of improvement for flood prevention or the conservation, development, utilization and disposal of water on lands owned or controlled by this state or its agencies, with the cooperation of the agency administering and having jurisdiction thereof, or on other lands within the district with the consent of the owner or occupier of the lands;

(viii) Cooperate, including but not limited to representing the conservation district as a cooperating agency with special expertise as provided by the National Environmental Policy Act and in federal land planning implementation as provided in W.S. 11-16-135(a), enter into agreements with and furnish financial or other aid to, any agency, governmental or otherwise, or any owner or occupier of lands within the district, in carrying on range management or erosion control and prevention operations and works of improvement for flood prevention or the conservation, development, utilization and disposal of water within the district, subject to such conditions as the supervisors deem necessary;

(ix) Repealed by Laws 1987, ch. 21, § 3.

(x) Repealed by Laws 1987, ch. 21, § 3.

(xi) Repealed by Laws 1987, ch. 21, § 3.

(xii) Repealed by Laws 1987, ch. 21, § 3.

(xiii) Repealed by Laws 1987, ch. 21, § 3.

(xiv) Make available on terms it prescribes, to owners and occupiers of land within the district, agricultural and engineering machinery and equipment, fertilizer, seeds and seedlings, male breeding animals, livestock supplies and such other material or equipment as will assist the owners and occupiers of land to carry on operations upon their lands and upon those owned or leased by the district, for range improvement and stabilization, the conservation of soil and water resources, the prevention and control of soil erosion and for flood prevention or the conservation, development, utilization and disposal of water. The assistance authorized by this paragraph shall be on a limited scale for demonstration purposes and the district shall not be deemed authorized to compete with private industry;

(xv) Repealed by Laws 1987, ch. 21, § 3.

(xvi) Develop and implement comprehensive resource use and management plans for range improvement and stabilization, conservation of soil, water and vegetative resources, control and prevention of soil erosion and for flood prevention or the conservation, development, utilization and disposal of water within the district, which plans shall include range management provisions and shall specify in detail the acts, procedures, performances and avoidances necessary or desirable to carry out the plans, including the specification of engineering operation, fence and stockwater developments, methods of cultivation, the growing of grass and other vegetation, cropping and range programs, tillage and grazing practices, and changes in use of lands. In developing plans under this paragraph, the supervisors of the district shall consider the customs and culture of residents of the district as those customs and culture relate to the land and resource, current and historical information and data related to the uses of the land and resource;

(xvii) Make public the plans and information and bring them to the attention of owners and occupiers of land within the district;

(xviii) Repealed by Laws 1987, ch. 21, § 3.

(xix) Manage, as agent of the United States or any of its agencies, and enter into agreements with the United States or any of its agencies, or this state or any of its agencies, to effect cooperation with the United States or any of its agencies under United States Public Law 566 approved August 4, 1954, or amendments thereto, in connection with the acquisition, construction, operation or administration of any land utilization, soil conservation, erosion control, erosion prevention, flood prevention projects, conservation of water, water utilization, disposal of water in watershed areas and other water projects within its boundaries;

(xx) Act as representative for local groups in dealing with the United States or its representatives, in soil or water conservation matters under United States Public Law 566 approved August 4, 1954, or amendments thereto;

(xxi) Accept donations, gifts and contributions in money, services, materials or otherwise from any source which will impose no financial obligation upon the state, and use or expend the monies, services, materials or contributions in carrying on its operations;

(xxii) Sue and be sued in the name of the district;

(xxiii) Have a seal, which shall be judicially noticed;

(xxiv) Have perpetual succession unless terminated as hereinafter provided;

(xxv) Make and execute contracts and other instruments necessary to the exercise of its powers;

(xxvi) Make, amend and repeal rules and regulations not inconsistent with this act, to implement its purposes and powers;

(xxvii) As a condition to extending any benefits to or performance of work upon any land not owned or controlled by the state or its agencies, require contributions in money, services, materials or otherwise to any operations conferring benefits and require owners and occupiers of land to enter into and perform such agreements or covenants as to the permanent use of such lands as will prevent or control erosion and prevent flood water and sediment damages thereon and promote the best use of such lands;

(xxviii) The supervisors of a conservation district which has officially adopted a comprehensive plan pursuant to W.S. 11-16-122(b)(xvi) may coordinate with federal agencies as provided in the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974, as amended by the national Forest Management Act of 1976 and any other federal statute which provides for coordination with local governments and federal regulations adopted pursuant to those acts.

(c) A conservation district shall not purchase or hold title to farm lands as defined by W.S. 11-34-101(a)(ii).