The purpose of this Article is to create a separate State agency to be known as the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, the function, purpose, and duty of which shall be to manage, restore, develop, cultivate, conserve, protect, and regulate the wildlife resources of the State of North Carolina, and to administer the laws relating to game, game and freshwater fishes, and? other wildlife resources enacted by the General Assembly to the end that there may be provided a sound, constructive, comprehensive, continuing, and economical game, game fish, and wildlife program directed by qualified, competent, and representative citizens, who shall have knowledge of or training in the protection, restoration, proper use and management of wildlife resources. (1947, c. 263, s. 3; 1965, c. 957, s. 13.)