SB72

Senate Bill No. 72–Committee on Judiciary

CHAPTER..........

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:

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

209.231 1. Any money received from the operation of any

conservation camp established under this chapter or from the

assignment of any crew of a conservation camp to the extent that the

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

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

Account.

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

Division of Forestry of the State Department of Conservation and

Natural Resources, may:

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

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

real property for any conservation camp.

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

and payment of expenses directly related to work projects performed

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

costs of utilities and operation of equipment.

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

or improvement of buildings and real property for any conservation

camp or work project of a conservation camp.

3. The State Forester Firewarden shall determine the amount

of wages that must be paid to offenders who participate in

conservation camps as provided in NRS 472.040.

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

472.040 1. The State Forester Firewarden shall:

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

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

Nevada, working with federal agencies, private associations,

counties, towns, cities or private persons.

(b) Administer all fire control laws and all forestry laws in

Nevada outside of townsite boundaries, and perform any other

duties designated by the Director of the State Department of

Conservation and Natural Resources or by state law.

to create legally constituted fire protection districts where they are

needed and offer guidance and advice in their operation.

(d) Designate the boundaries of each area of the State where the

construction of buildings on forested lands creates such a fire hazard

as to require the regulation of roofing materials.

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

retardant roofing materials to be used in the construction, alteration,

change or repair of buildings located within the boundaries of fire

hazardous forested areas.

(f) Purchase communication equipment which can use the

microwave channels of the state communications system and store

this equipment in regional locations for use in emergencies.

(g) Administer money appropriated and grants awarded for fire

prevention, fire control and the education of firemen and award

grants of money for those purposes to fire departments and

educational institutions in this state.

(h) 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.

2. The State Forester Firewarden in carrying out the provisions

of this chapter may:

(a) Appoint paid foresters and firewardens to enforce the

provisions of the laws of this state respecting forest and watershed

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

subject to the approval of the board of county commissioners of

each county concerned.

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

voluntarily except that they may receive compensation when an

emergency is declared by the State Forester Firewarden.

officials, resident officers of the United States Forest Service and

the United States Bureau of Land Management as voluntary

firewardens. Voluntary firewardens are not entitled to compensation

for their services.

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

investigators.

(e) Employ, with the consent of the Director of the State

Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, clerical

assistance, county and district coordinators, patrolmen, firefighters,

and other employees as needed, and expend such sums as may be

necessarily incurred for this purpose.

(f) Purchase, or acquire by donation, supplies, material,

equipment and improvements necessary to fire protection and forest

and watershed management.

(g) With the approval of the Director of the State Department of

Conservation and Natural Resources and the State Board of

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

used for lookout sites and for other administrative, experimental or

demonstration purposes. No real property may be purchased or

accepted unless an examination of the title shows the property to be

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

the real property must be examined and approved by the Attorney

General.

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

of Forestry of the State Department of Conservation and Natural

Resources for paying expenses incurred in fighting fires or in

emergencies which threaten human life.

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

and duties granted in this section, is subject to administrative

supervision by the Director of the State Department of Conservation

and Natural Resources.

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

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