§27A-3-2-106.

§27A-3-2-106.
   
   A. In addition to other powers and duties specified by law and except
   as otherwise provided by law, the Oklahoma Conservation Commission
   shall have the power and duty to:
   
   1. Offer the assistance as may be appropriate to the directors of
   conservation districts in the carrying out of any of their powers and
   programs and to:
   
   a. assist and guide districts in the preparation and carrying out of
   programs for resource conservation authorized under the Conservation
   District Act,
   
   b. review district programs,
   
   c. coordinate the programs of the several districts and resolve any
   conflicts in such programs, and
   
   d. facilitate, promote, assist, harmonize, coordinate and guide the
   resource conservation programs and activities of districts as they
   relate to other special purpose districts, counties and other public
   agencies;
   
   2. Keep the directors of each of the several districts informed of the
   activities and experience of all other districts, and to facilitate an
   interchange of advice and experience between such districts and
   cooperation between them;
   
   3. Review agreements, or forms of agreements, proposed to be entered
   into by districts with other districts or with any state, federal, or
   interstate, or other public or private agency, organization or
   individual, and advise the districts concerning such agreements or
   forms of agreements;
   
   4. Secure the cooperation and assistance of the United States and any
   of its agencies, and of agencies of this state, in the work of such
   districts and to accept donations, grants, gifts and contributions in
   money, services or otherwise from the United States or any of its
   agencies or from the state or any of its agencies in order to carry
   out the purposes of the Conservation District Act;
   
   5. Disseminate information throughout the state concerning the
   activities and programs of the conservation districts and to make
   available information concerning the needs and the work of the
   conservation districts and Commission to the Governor, the
   Legislature, executive agencies of the government of this state,
   political subdivisions of this state, cooperating federal agencies and
   the general public;
   
   6. Serve along with conservation districts as the official state
   agencies for cooperating with the Natural Resources Conservation
   Service of the United States Department of Agriculture and carrying on
   conservation operations within the boundaries of conservation
   districts;
   
   7. Cooperate with and give such assistance as they deem necessary and
   proper to conservancy districts, watershed associations and other
   special purpose districts in the State of Oklahoma for the purpose of
   cooperating with the United States through the Secretary of
   Agriculture in the furtherance of conservation pursuant to the
   provisions of the Federal Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention
   Act, as amended;
   
   8. Recommend the inclusion in annual and longer term budgets and
   appropriation legislation of the State of Oklahoma of funds necessary
   for appropriation by the Legislature to finance the activities of the
   Commission and the conservation districts and to:
   
   a. administer the provisions of the Conservation District Act
   hereafter enacted by the Legislature appropriating funds for
   expenditure in connection with the activities of conservation
   districts,
   
   b. distribute to conservation districts funds, equipment, supplies and
   services received by the Commission for that purpose from any source,
   subject to such conditions as shall be made applicable thereto in any
   state or federal statute or local ordinance making available such
   funds, property or services,
   
   c. issue regulations establishing guidelines and suitable controls to
   govern the use by conservation districts of such funds, property and
   services; and to review all budgets, administrative procedures and
   operations of such districts and advise the districts concerning their
   conformance with applicable laws and regulations;
   
   9. Enlist the cooperation and collaboration of state, federal,
   regional, interstate, local, public and private agencies with the
   conservation districts and to facilitate arrangements under which the
   conservation districts may serve county governing bodies and other
   agencies as their local operating agencies in the administration of
   any activity concerned with the conservation of renewable natural
   resources;
   
   10. Pursuant to procedures developed mutually by the Commission and
   federal, state and local agencies that are authorized to plan or
   administer activities significantly affecting the conservation of
   renewable natural resources, receive from such agencies for review and
   comment suitable descriptions of their plans, programs and activities
   for purposes of coordination with district conservation programs and
   to arrange for and participate in conferences necessary to avoid
   conflict among such plans and programs, to call attention to omissions
   and to avoid duplication of effort;
   
   11. Compile information and make studies, summaries and analyses of
   district programs in relation to each other and to other resource
   conservation programs on a statewide basis;
   
   12. Except as otherwise assigned by law, carry out the policies of
   this state in programs at the state level for the conservation of the
   renewable natural resources of this state and represent the state in
   matters affecting such resources;
   
   13. Assist conservation districts in obtaining legal services from
   state and local legal officers;
   
   14. Require annual reports from conservation districts, the form and
   content of which shall be developed by the Commission in consultation
   with the district directors;
   
   15. Establish by regulations, with the assistance and advice of the
   State Auditor and Inspector, adequate and reasonably uniform
   accounting and auditing procedures which shall be used by conservation
   districts;
   
   16. Conduct workshops for district directors to instruct them on the
   subjects of district finances, the Conservation District Law and
   related laws, and their duties and responsibilities as directors;
   
   17. Assist and supervise districts in carrying out their
   responsibilities in accordance with the Oklahoma laws;
   
   18. Have power, by administrative order, upon the written request of
   the board of directors of the conservation district or districts
   involved, with a showing that such request has been approved by a
   majority vote of the members of each of the boards involved, to:
   
   a. transfer lands from one district established under the provisions
   of the Conservation District Act to another,
   
   b. divide a single district into two or more districts, each of which
   shall thereafter operate as a separate district under the provisions
   of the Conservation District Act, and
   
   c. consolidate two or more districts established under the provisions
   of the Conservation District Act, which consolidated area shall
   operate thereafter as a single district under the provisions of the
   Conservation District Act;
   
   19. Except as otherwise provided by law, act as the management agency
   having jurisdiction over and responsibility for directing nonpoint
   source pollution prevention programs outside the jurisdiction or
   control of cities or towns in Oklahoma. The Commission, otherwise,
   shall be responsible for all identified nonpoint source categories
   except silviculture, urban storm water runoff and industrial runoff;
   
   20. Administer cost-share programs for the purpose of carrying out
   conservation or best management practices on the land to benefit the
   public through the prevention or reduction of soil erosion and
   nonpoint source pollution and through general resource management. The
   Commission is not authorized to implement mandatory compliance with
   management practices, except as otherwise provided by law, to abate
   agricultural nonpoint source pollution;
   
   21. Plan watershed-based nonpoint source pollution control activities,
   including the development and implementation of conservation plans for
   the improvement and protection of the resources of the state;
   
   22. Provide assistance to the Oklahoma Water Resources Board on lake
   projects through stream and river monitoring, assessing watershed
   activities impacting lake water quality and assisting in the
   development of a watershed management plan;
   
   23. Maintain the activities of the state's nonpoint source working
   group;
   
   24. Prepare, revise and review Oklahoma's nonpoint source management
   program and nonpoint source assessment report in coordination with
   other state environmental agencies and compile a comprehensive
   assessment for the state every five (5) years. Such management program
   and assessment report shall be distributed to the Governor, Secretary
   of Environment, the President Pro Tempore of the Senate and the
   Speaker of the House of Representatives;
   
   25. Under the direction of the Office of the Secretary of the
   Environment, develop and implement the state's nonpoint source water
   quality monitoring strategy in coordination with other environmental
   agencies;
   
   26. Monitor, evaluate and assess waters of the state to determine the
   condition of streams and rivers impacted by nonpoint source pollution.
   In carrying out this area of responsibility, the Conservation
   Commission shall serve as the technical lead agency for nonpoint
   source pollution categories as defined in Section 319 of the Federal
   Clean Water Act or other subsequent federal or state nonpoint source
   programs;
   
   27. Administer the Blue Thumb Program;
   
   28. Enter into agreements or contracts for services with any of the
   substate planning districts recognized by the Oklahoma Department of
   Commerce;
   
   29. Cooperate with the federal government, or any agency thereof, to
   participate in and coordinate with federal programs that will yield
   additional federal funds to the state for programs within the
   jurisdiction of the Conservation Commission. This participation shall
   be subject to the availability of state funds; and
   
   30. Implement pilot projects and programs, subject to the availability
   of funds, that will demonstrate the latest technologies and
   applications in conservation programs that may provide direct or
   residual benefits to conservation practices in the state.
   
   B. Nothing in this act shall take away any of the present duties or
   responsibilities delegated by law or constitution to other
   environmental agencies.