10.1-1105 - Additional powers and duties of State Forester. - Virginia Statutes

§ 10.1-1105. Additional powers and duties of State Forester.

The State Forester shall supervise and direct all forest interests and allmatters pertaining to forestry within the Commonwealth. He shall have chargeof all forest wardens and shall appoint, direct and supervise persons heemploys to perform labor in the forest reservations or the nurseries providedfor herein, and he is authorized to employ temporary forest wardens toextinguish forest fires in the Commonwealth. He shall take such action as isauthorized by law to prevent and extinguish forest fires; develop a programto promote the use of prescribed burning for community protection andecological, silvicultural, and wildlife management; enforce all lawspertaining to forest and woodlands; prosecute any violation of such laws;develop silvicultural best management practices, including reforestation,prevention of erosion and sedimentation, and maintenance of buffers for waterquality, pursuant to Article 12 (§ 10.1-1181.1 et seq.) of this chapter;collect information relative to forest destruction and conditions; direct theprotection and improvement of all forest reservations; and, as far as hisduties as State Forester will permit, conduct an educational course onforestry at the University of Virginia for credit toward a degree, atfarmers' institutes and at similar meetings within the Commonwealth. He shallprovide for the protection of state waters from pollution by sedimentdeposition resulting from silvicultural activities as provided in Article 12(§ 10.1-1181.1 et seq.) of this chapter. In addition, the State Forestershall cooperate with counties, municipalities, corporations and individualsin preparing plans and providing technical assistance, based on generallyaccepted scientific forestry principles, for the protection, management andreplacement of trees, wood lots and timber tracts and the establishment andpreservation of urban forests, under an agreement that the parties obtainingsuch assistance shall pay the field and traveling expenses of the personemployed in preparing such plans.

(1986, c. 567, § 10-31.4; 1988, c. 891; 1989, c. 215; 1993, c. 948; 1997, c.7; 1998, c. 156; 1999, c. 220; 2000, c. 997.)