THEODORE E. MCKELDIN, GOVERNOR 1857

two years, one for four years and one for five years. The
Governor shall have the power to remove for cause and
any vacancy shall be filled for the unexpired portion of
the term. The members of the Commission shall receive
no compensation for their services, but shall be reimbursed
for necessary traveling expenses and disbursements in at-
tending meetings or performing other official duties. The
present State Forester shall become the Director of the
Department and his successor shall be appointed by the
Commission, in accordance with the Merit System Law.
The Director shall be a person with executive ability and
special training and experience in forestry, and a grad-
uate of an accredited school of forestry. The Director shall
be the administrative head of the Department, shall appoint
such assistants and employees as may be provided for in
the Budget, subject to the approval of the Commission
and under the provision of the Merit System law, and shall
have charge of all Forest and Park Wardens in the State
aid and direct them in their work [. ]; take such action as
is authorized by law to prevent and extinguish forest fires,
enforce all laws, rules and regulations pertaining to PUB-
LIC forests, scenics preserves, historic monuments, park-
ways, parks and recreation areas, and prosecute for any
violations of such laws, rules and regulations; direct the pro-
motion of recreation in cooperation with public and pri-
vate agencies and the planning, administration and im-
provement of State parks, scenic preserves, historic monu-
ments, parkways, State recreation areas, forest reserves;
collect data relative to forest management; the adminis-
tration of the forest conservation practices on privately
owned forest land and cooperate with landowners as de-
scribed in Sections 4 and 53 to 64 inclusive of this Article.
All present personnel of the State Department of Forestry
shall be transferred to the new Department.

3. The Department of [State] Forests and Parks shall
have the power to purchase and manage lands in the name
of the State, suitable for forest culture [and], reserves,
watershed protection, State Parks, scenic preserves, his-
toric monuments, parkways and State recreational re-
serves, using for such purposes any special appropriation
or any surplus money not otherwise appropriated, which
may be standing to the credit of the Forest Reserve
[Fund, ] or Park Reserve Fund, provided that on and after
June 1, 1947, no individual tract of land in excess of one
hundred acres shall be purchased in Garrett County, ex-
cept with the approval of the County Commissioners of

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