Michigan Laws 324.53505 – Board of foresters; creation; membership; qualifications; appointment; terms; vacancy; meetings; quorum; compliance with open meetings act; writings subject to freedom of information act; expense
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Terms Used In Michigan Laws 324.53505
- Board: means the board of foresters created in section 53505(1). See Michigan Laws 324.53501
- Department: means the department of natural resources. See Michigan Laws 324.53501
- Forester: means an individual who, by reason of his or her knowledge of the natural sciences, mathematics, and the principles of forestry, acquired by forestry education and practical experience, is qualified to engage in the practice of professional forestry. See Michigan Laws 324.53501
- Freedom of Information Act: A federal law that mandates that all the records created and kept by federal agencies in the executive branch of government must be open for public inspection and copying. The only exceptions are those records that fall into one of nine exempted categories listed in the statute. Source: OCC
- Person: means an individual, partnership, corporation, association, governmental entity, or other legal entity. See Michigan Laws 324.301
- Quorum: The number of legislators that must be present to do business.
- SAF: means Society of American Foresters. See Michigan Laws 324.53501
- state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, shall be construed to extend to and include the District of Columbia and the several territories belonging to the United States; and the words "United States" shall be construed to include the district and territories. See Michigan Laws 8.3o
- State forester: means that term as defined in section 50502. See Michigan Laws 324.53501
- United States: shall be construed to include the district and territories. See Michigan Laws 8.3o
- Violations committee: means the violations committee appointed under section 53505. See Michigan Laws 324.53501
(1) The board of foresters is an independent self-directed body appointed by the state forester and created within the department.
(2) To be eligible to serve on the board, an individual must be a citizen of the United States and a full-time resident of this state and must have at least 10 years of professional forestry experience. The board shall consist of not fewer than 5 or more than 7 of the following individuals, who shall be appointed by the state forester from and nominated by the group represented:
(a) An individual representing the Association of Consulting Foresters.
(b) An individual representing the Society of American Foresters.
(c) An individual representing the forestry program faculty of a university whose forestry program is accredited by the SAF.
(d) An individual representing state agencies that have forestry staff.
(e) An individual representing forest products advocacy or the forest products industry, including logging.
(f) An individual representing private forest landowners.
(g) An individual representing a municipal, urban, or community forestry field.
(3) The members first appointed to the board shall be appointed within 60 days after the effective date of the amendatory act that added this part.
(4) Members of the board shall serve for terms of 4 years or until a successor is appointed, whichever is later, except that, of the members first appointed, 3 shall serve for 2 years.
(5) If a vacancy occurs on the board, the state forester shall make an appointment for the unexpired term in the same manner as the original appointment. The state forester may remove a member of the board for incompetence, dereliction of duty, malfeasance, misfeasance, or nonfeasance in office, or any other good cause.
(6) The state forester shall call the first meeting of the board. At the first meeting, the board shall elect from among its members a chairperson, vice-chairperson, secretary, and other officers as it considers appropriate. Officers of the board shall serve for terms of 2 years. After the first meeting, the board shall meet once annually in person and once annually by conference call or video conference, or more frequently at the call of the chairperson or if requested by 2 or more members.
(7) Five or more members of the board constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at a meeting of the board. A majority of the members present and serving are required for official action of the board.
(8) Business that the board may perform shall be conducted at a public meeting of the board held in compliance with the open meetings act, 1976 PA 267, MCL 15.261 to 15.275. The secretary of the board shall record all proceedings of the board.
(9) A writing prepared, owned, used, in the possession of, or retained by the board in the performance of an official function is subject to the freedom of information act, 1976 PA 442, MCL 15.231 to 15.246.
(10) Members of the board shall serve without compensation. However, members of the board may be reimbursed for their actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their official duties as members of the board.
(11) For the purposes of section 53517, the chairperson of the board shall appoint a violations committee consisting of 3 members of the board. Members of the violations committee shall serve on the committee for terms of 2 years.