§ 49-0207. State land acquisition plan. 1. The department and the office shall prepare a state land acquisition plan to guide selection of projects for state acquisition taking into account regional advisory committee priorities and the department's and office's assessment of need for land acquisition projects. Such plan shall include an identification of: a. lands, by region and category, for which acquisition is of a high priority in order to carry out the purposes of this title; b. lands, by region, having statewide or regional environmental, historic, cultural or recreational significance that are threatened with diminishment of resource value; c. the department's and office's priorities of categories of land, by region, for future acquisition; and d. lands, by region, having statewide or regional environmental, historic, cultural or recreational significance which should be considered for state acquisition, but which do not qualify for acquisition under present law. 2. Such plan shall include consideration of the inventory prepared pursuant to section 49-0205 of this title and shall identify those areas within the state which are not adequately protected in such categories. 3. In preparing such plan, the department and office shall: a. conduct one or more public hearings in each of the department's administrative regions. b. consult with:

(i) the regional advisory committees;

(ii) officials of departments and agencies of the state having duties and responsibilities concerning the protection of open space and natural, environmental, historic, cultural or recreational resources;

(iii) officials and representatives of local governments in the state; and

(iv) persons, organizations and groups interested in the protection of open space and natural, environmental, historic, cultural or recreational resources of the state. c. request and receive from any department, division, board, bureau, commission or any other agency of the state or any political subdivision thereof or any public authority such assistance and data as may be necessary to enable the department and office to carry out its responsibilities under this section. 4. The department and office shall prepare a draft plan and shall propose, no later than January thirty-first, nineteen hundred ninety-one, a schedule of public hearings thereon. 5. On or before January thirty-first, nineteen hundred ninety-two and every three years thereafter, the department and office shall submit the plan to the governor, the majority leader of the senate and the speaker of the assembly. Upon approval by the governor such plan shall become a guide for the implementation of the acquisition programs of the department and office.