(a) An advisory body to the State Parks Division to be known as the “Arkansas Trails Council”, is created for the purpose of informing the division, other trail-providing agencies, and the public at large of public need, use, and ongoing and planned trail development and to provide a public forum for discussion of trail-related issues.
(b) The council is a voluntary organization open to representatives of all state and federal agencies with an interest in or potential for trail development, to all local governments with interests in trails, to public or to private utility companies the rights-of-way of which hold trail potential, to private landowners, and to trail users.
(c) The Department of Parks, Heritage, and Tourism's representative on the council shall serve as the council's executive secretary.
(d) The council may make suggestions to the division concerning methods to meet trail needs within the state and shall assist the division in coordinating trail development within the state.
(e)
(1) The council shall review nominations to the Arkansas Trails System and make recommendations to the division regarding the acceptance or rejection of each application based on criteria outlined in § 22-4-405.
(2) The Director of the State Parks Division may add a qualifying trail to the Arkansas Trails System after a review of recommendations made by the council.
(f) The council shall periodically review the components of the Arkansas Trails System and submit information concerning those trails of superior quality to the National Park Service for consideration as components in the National Trails System.
(g) The council shall assist in updating the Arkansas Trails Plan, a part of the Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan.
(h) The council shall periodically review member trails of the Arkansas Trails System for compliance with § 22-4-405 and shall report its findings to the division in order to maintain high quality within the Arkansas Trails System.
(i) Trails accepted into the Arkansas Trails System which do not fulfill the requirements established in this subchapter or prescribed by the division and the council may be removed from the Arkansas Trails System by the division after consultation with the council and after appropriate opportunity has been given for correction of the inadequacies.
(j) The council shall not have the power of eminent domain.