The chief of the division of parks and watercraft shall administer the state programs for wild river areas, scenic river areas, and recreational river areas. The chief may accept and administer state and federal financial assistance for the maintenance, protection, and administration of wild, scenic, and recreational river areas and for construction of facilities within those areas. The chief, with the approval of the director of natural resources, may expend for the purpose of administering the state programs for wild, scenic, and recreational river areas money that is appropriated by the general assembly for that purpose, money that is in the scenic rivers protection fund created in section 4501.24 of the Revised Code, and money that is in the waterways safety fund created in section 1547.75 of the Revised Code, including money generated by the waterways conservation assessment fee levied by sections 1547.54 and 1547.542 of the Revised Code, as determined to be necessary by the division of parks and watercraft not to exceed six hundred fifty thousand dollars per fiscal year. The chief may condition any expenditures, maintenance activities, or construction of facilities on the adoption and enforcement of adequate floodplain zoning or land use rules.

Any instrument by which real property is acquired pursuant to this section shall identify the agency of the state that has the use and benefit of the real property as specified in section 5301.012 of the Revised Code.

The chief may cooperate with federal agencies administering any federal program concerning wild, scenic, or recreational river areas.