A. The Commission of Game and Inland Fisheries is continued and shall hereafter be known as the Board of Wildlife Resources (the Board).
B. The Board shall consist of 11 members. Each member of the Board shall be appointed by the Governor, subject to confirmation by the General Assembly. The members appointed shall be citizens of the Commonwealth and shall be knowledgeable about wildlife conservation, hunting, fishing, boating, agriculture, forestry, or habitat. Each Department region, as constituted on July 1, 2014, shall be represented by two members, and three members shall be members-at-large, each representing a different Department region. Members shall be appointed for terms of one to four years; however, appointments shall be made in a manner whereby no more than three members shall have terms which expire in the same year. An appointment to fill a vacancy shall be made in the same manner, but only for the unexpired term. No person shall be eligible to serve more than two consecutive four-year terms. Members may be removed from office during their respective terms by the Governor.
C. The Board shall adopt rules and procedures for the conduct of its business that shall be set forth in a Governance Manual. The Board may establish committees to assist it with its duties and responsibilities. All decisions by a committee shall be reviewed by the Board, and shall only take effect if approved by the Board.
D. The Board shall elect one of its members as its chairman whose duties shall be limited to (i) presiding at all regular and called meetings of the Board; (ii) serving as the Board liaison to the Director, other Board members, and the Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources; and (iii) the other duties set forth in the Governance Manual as approved by a majority of the Board. The Board shall also elect a vice-chairman to preside in the absence of the chairman. Any additional duties of the vice-chairman shall be set forth in the Governance Manual. The Board shall annually elect one of its members as chairman and one of its members as vice-chairman. At such annual election, the chairman and vice-chairman shall not be eligible to be re-elected to their respective positions and no person shall serve more than one year as chairman and one year as vice-chairman during a four-year term.
E. The Board shall meet at least once every quarter of the calendar year for the transaction of business, and other meetings may be called if necessary by the chairman or at the request of any three members. The majority of the members shall constitute a quorum. Meetings shall be held in Richmond or at such other places within the Commonwealth as may be necessary.
Code 1950, §§ 29-3, 29-4, 29-8, 29-17; 1952, c. 608; 1956, c. 447; 1975, c. 152; 1987, c. 488; 2006, cc. 69, 915; 2014, c. 592; 2020, c. 958; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 401.