(a) There is hereby established a Department of Fish and Wildlife which shall be administered by the Commissioner.

(b) There is hereby established a Fish and Wildlife Board. The Board shall consist of 14 members, one from each county, appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate. The members of the Board shall be appointed for a term of six years, or unexpired portion thereof, and during their terms shall reside in the county from which they are appointed. In the event a member no longer resides in the county from which he or she was appointed, the Governor shall appoint a member from that county for the unexpired portion of the term. Appointments shall be made in such manner that either two or three terms shall expire each year. A member serving a full six-year term shall not be eligible for reappointment. The Governor shall biennially designate a chair. (Added 1961, No. 119, § 1, eff. May 9, 1961; amended 1965, No. 22, eff. April 8, 1965; 1983, No. 158 (Adj. Sess.), eff. April 13, 1984; 1985, No. 215 (Adj. Sess.), § 1, eff. June 2, 1986; 2003, No. 136 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; 2013, No. 161 (Adj. Sess.), § 72.)