Senate Bill No. 72–Committee on Judiciary

 

February 10, 2003

____________

 

Referred to Committee on Natural Resources

 

SUMMARY—Authorizes State Forester Firewarden of Division of Forestry of State Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to determine amount of wages paid to certain offenders in conservation camps. (BDR 16‑1005)

 

FISCAL NOTE:  Effect on Local Government: No.

                           Effect on the State: No.

 

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EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.

 

AN ACT relating to conservation camps; authorizing the State Forester Firewarden of the Division of Forestry of the State Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to determine the amount of wages that must be paid to offenders who participate in conservation camps and who perform work relating to fire fighting and other work projects of conservation camps; and providing other matters properly relating thereto.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN

SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

 

1-1  Section 1. NRS 209.231 is hereby amended to read as follows:

1-2  209.231  1.  Any money received from the operation of any

1-3  conservation camp established under this chapter or from the

1-4  assignment of any crew of a conservation camp to the extent that the

1-5  money is not used for salaries, overhead or operating expenses of

1-6  any camp or crew[,] must be placed in the Division of Forestry

1-7  Account.

1-8  2.  The State Forester Firewarden, as Executive Head of the

1-9  Division of Forestry of the State Department of Conservation and

1-10  Natural Resources, may:

1-11      (a) Expend the money received pursuant to subsection 1 for:

2-1       (1) The renovation, repair or improvement of buildings and

2-2  real property for any conservation camp.

2-3       (2) The acquisition of special clothing, tools and equipment ,

2-4  and payment of expenses directly related to work projects performed

2-5  by a crew of a conservation camp such as, but not limited to, the

2-6  costs of utilities and operation of equipment.

2-7  (b) Direct all activities in connection with any renovation, repair

2-8  or improvement of buildings and real property for any conservation

2-9  camp or work project of a conservation camp.

2-10      3.  The State Forester Firewarden shall determine the amount

2-11  of wages that must be paid to offenders who participate in

2-12  conservation camps as provided in NRS 472.040.

2-13      Sec. 2.  NRS 472.040 is hereby amended to read as follows:

2-14      472.040  1.  The State Forester Firewarden shall:

2-15      (a) Supervise or coordinate all forestry and watershed work on

2-16  state-owned and privately owned lands, including fire control, in

2-17  Nevada, working with federal agencies, private associations,

2-18  counties, towns, cities or private persons.

2-19      (b) Administer all fire control laws and all forestry laws in

2-20  Nevada outside of townsite boundaries, and perform any other

2-21  duties designated by the Director of the State Department of

2-22  Conservation and Natural Resources or by state law.

2-23      (c) Assist and encourage county or local fire protection districts

2-24  to create legally constituted fire protection districts where they are

2-25  needed and offer guidance and advice in their operation.

2-26      (d) Designate the boundaries of each area of the State where the

2-27  construction of buildings on forested lands creates such a fire hazard

2-28  as to require the regulation of roofing materials.

2-29      (e) Adopt and enforce regulations relating to standards for fire

2-30  retardant roofing materials to be used in the construction, alteration,

2-31  change or repair of buildings located within the boundaries of fire

2-32  hazardous forested areas.

2-33      (f) Purchase communication equipment which can use the

2-34  microwave channels of the state communications system and store

2-35  this equipment in regional locations for use in emergencies.

2-36      (g) Administer money appropriated and grants awarded for fire

2-37  prevention, fire control and the education of firemen and award

2-38  grants of money for those purposes to fire departments and

2-39  educational institutions in this state.

2-40      (h) Determine the amount of wages that must be paid to

2-41  offenders who participate in conservation camps and who perform

2-42  work relating to fire fighting and other work projects of

2-43  conservation camps.

2-44      2.  The State Forester Firewarden in carrying out the provisions

2-45  of this chapter may:

3-1  (a) Appoint paid foresters and firewardens to enforce the

3-2  provisions of the laws of this state respecting forest and watershed

3-3  management or the protection of forests and other lands from fire,

3-4  subject to the approval of the board of county commissioners of

3-5  each county concerned.

3-6  (b) Appoint suitable citizen-wardens. Citizen-wardens serve

3-7  voluntarily except that they may receive compensation when an

3-8  emergency is declared by the State Forester Firewarden.

3-9  (c) Appoint, upon the recommendation of the appropriate federal

3-10  officials, resident officers of the United States Forest Service and

3-11  the United States Bureau of Land Management as voluntary

3-12  firewardens. Voluntary firewardens are not entitled to compensation

3-13  for their services.

3-14      (d) Appoint certain paid foresters or firewardens to be arson

3-15  investigators.

3-16      (e) Employ, with the consent of the Director of the State

3-17  Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, clerical

3-18  assistance, county and district coordinators, patrolmen, firefighters,

3-19  and other employees as needed, and expend such sums as may be

3-20  necessarily incurred for this purpose.

3-21      (f) Purchase, or acquire by donation, supplies, material,

3-22  equipment and improvements necessary to fire protection and forest

3-23  and watershed management.

3-24      (g) With the approval of the Director of the State Department of

3-25  Conservation and Natural Resources and the State Board of

3-26  Examiners, purchase or accept the donation of real property to be

3-27  used for lookout sites and for other administrative, experimental or

3-28  demonstration purposes. No real property may be purchased or

3-29  accepted unless an examination of the title shows the property to be

3-30  free from encumbrances, with title vested in the grantor. The title to

3-31  the real property must be examined and approved by the Attorney

3-32  General.

3-33      (h) Expend any money appropriated by the State to the Division

3-34  of Forestry of the State Department of Conservation and Natural

3-35  Resources for paying expenses incurred in fighting fires or in

3-36  emergencies which threaten human life.

3-37      3.  The State Forester Firewarden, in carrying out the powers

3-38  and duties granted in this section, is subject to administrative

3-39  supervision by the Director of the State Department of Conservation

3-40  and Natural Resources.

3-41      Sec. 3.  This act becomes effective on July 1, 2003.

 

3-42  H