The State Forester may administer the cost-sharing provisions of this chapter which shall include, but not be limited to, the following duties:
1. Prescribing the requirements for making application for cost-sharing funds.
2. Identifying those approved practices as defined in item 6 of Section 48-28-30 which shall be approved for cost-sharing under the provisions of this chapter.
3. Reviewing periodically the cost of forest renewal practices and establishing allowable ranges for cost-sharing purposes for approved practices under varying conditions throughout the State.
4. Determining, prior to approving cost-sharing payments to any landowner, that all proposed practices are appropriate and are comparable in cost to the prevailing cost of those practices.
5. Determining, prior to approving cost-sharing payments, that an approved forest management plan as defined in item 7 of Section 48-28-30 for the eligible land has been filed with the State Forester and that the landowner has indicated in writing his intent to comply with the terms of such management plan that related to cost-share payments.
6. Determining, prior to approving cost-sharing payments, that the approved practices for which payment is requested have been completed in a satisfactory manner, conform to the approved forest management plan submitted under item 5 of this section and otherwise meet the requirements of this chapter.
7. Disbursing from the forest renewal fund, comprised of appropriated funds and forest assessment funds, to eligible landowners, cost-sharing payments or satisfactory completion of practices provided for by this chapter and insofar as is practicable disbursing funds equally from the state appropriated funds and the forest renewal assessment funds, until appropriated funds are expended after which expenditures shall come from the forest renewal assessment funds subject to limitations of Section 48-28-100.
8. Applying directly funds resulting from slippage as defined in item 10 of Section 48-28-30 to the revolving forest renewal fund which shall be available for applying to cost-sharing for additional landowners.
9. Publishing guidelines for implementing this chapter.
10. Initiating recollection of all cost-share payments if a landowner does not meet the requirements of Section 48-28-80, for ten years.
HISTORY: 1981 Act No. 70, Section 1.