Ch. 117

LAWS OF MARYLAND

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF
MARYLAND, That the Laws of Maryland read as follows:

Article - Natural Resources

5-801.

(a) The Governor, on behalf of the State, may execute a
compact in substantially the following form, with one or more of
the states of Delaware, New Jersey, OHIO, Pennsylvania, Virginia,
and West Virginia. The General Assembly signifies in advance its
approval and ratification of this compact:

Article I

The purpose of this compact is to promote effective
prevention and control of forest fires in the Middle Atlantic
region of the United States by the development of integrated
forest fire plans, by the maintenance of adequate forest fire
fighting services by the member states, and by providing for
mutual aid in fighting forest fires among the compacting states
of the region and with states which are party to other regional
forest fire protection compacts or agreements.

Article II

This compact shall become operative immediately as to those
states ratifying it whenever any two or more of the states of
Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, OHIO, Pennsylvania, and Virginia
and West Virginia which are contiguous have ratified it and
Congress has given consent thereto.

Article III

In each state, the state forester or officer holding the
equivalent position who is responsible for forest fire control
shall act as compact administrator for that state and shall
consult with like officials of the other member states and shall
implement cooperation between such states in forest fire
prevention and control.

The compact administrators of the member state shall
organize to coordinate the services of the member states and
provide administrative integration in carrying out the purposes
of this compact.

The compact administrators shall formulate and, in
accordance with need, from time to time, revise a regional forest
fire plan for the member states.

It shall be the duty of each member state to formulate and
put in effect a forest fire plan for that state and take such
measures as may be necessary to integrate such forest fire plan

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