350                              LAWS OF MARYLAND                     [CH. 154

and also all other boards, commissions, departments, officers or insti-
tutions of the State government, except as provided in Section 12 of
this article, or as otherwise provided by law.

Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That Sections 2, 3, 4(b), 4(c),
4(d), 4(e), 4(f) and 4(g) of Article 66C of the Annotated Code of
Maryland (1957 Edition, 1967 Replacement Volume and 1968 Sup-
plement), title "Natural Resources," subtitle "Board of Natural
Resources," be and they are hereby repealed in their entirety.

Sec. 4. And be it further enacted, That Sections 1, 4(a) and 5
of Article 66C of the Annotated Code of Maryland (1957 Edition,
1967 Replacement Volume and 1968 Supplement), title "Natural
Resources," subtitle "Board of Natural Resources," be and they are
hereby repealed and re-enacted with amendments, to be under the
same title but under the new subtitle "Department of Natural
Resources," all to read as follows:

1.

It is the intention of the General Assembly in [the enactment of
this subtitle] providing for a Department of Natural Resources, to
establish a State agency which shall, in addition to its other func-
tions, review and evaluate all natural resources policies, plans, pro-
grams and practices of State, county, regional and federal agencies
and institutions; which shall coordinate all natural resources activi-
ties within the State; which shall be a center for collecting and
organizing information on the natural resources for the guidance of
the Governor and the General Assembly; and which shall otherwise
unify [and], coordinate and promulgate policies, plans, programs
and practices which will insure the preservation, development, wise
use and enjoyment of all the natural resources for greatest benefits
to the State and its citizens.

4.

[(a)] The [chairman shall preside over all meetings of the
Board, shall serve as a member of the Governor's Advisory Council as
provided in Article 41 of this Code, and] Secretary of Natural
Resources, in addition to his other duties and functions, shall rep-
resent the [Board] Department of Natural Resources at hearings or
meetings of the Congress of the United States and the General
Assembly of Maryland, State and interstate conferences and at local
meetings or hearings pertaining to any matter of concern to the
[Board] Department. [The chairman may, from time to time,
appoint an alternate from either the Board or its employees to rep-
resent the Board at such hearings and meetings. The chairman shall
sign all leases, contracts or other legal agreements or documents in
which the Board is involved except for purchase orders and other
transactions authorized by the annual budget.]

[The Board shall elect annually from the appointed members a
vice-chairman who shall in the absence of the chairman carry out
the duties of the office of the chairman.]

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