(a) On the effective date of Kan. Stat. Ann. § 74-5,112 through 74-5,132, and amendments thereto, the division of conservation is hereby established within the Kansas department of agriculture. The division of conservation shall be a continuation of the state conservation commission and the executive director of conservation shall be a continuation of the executive director of the state conservation commission. The division shall be administered under the supervision of the secretary of agriculture by the executive director of the division of conservation, who shall be the chief administrative officer of the division. The executive director of the division of conservation shall be jointly appointed by the secretary of agriculture and the state conservation commission and shall serve at the pleasure of the secretary and the state conservation commission. The executive director of the division of conservation shall be in the unclassified service under the Kansas civil service act and shall receive an annual salary fixed by the secretary of agriculture, with the approval of the governor.

(b) All of the powers, duties and functions of the existing state conservation commission and the existing executive director of the state conservation commission are hereby transferred to and imposed upon the conservation division of the Kansas department of agriculture and the executive director of the conservation division, respectively.