KRS 146.485: Powers and duties of office.

In furtherance of the purposes of KRS 146.410 to 146.530, the office shall have the

following additional powers and duties:

(1) To seek and approve the dedication of nature preserves as part of the system;

(2) To make and publish policies and rules, and to recommend to the secretary the

promulgation of administrative regulations for the selection, acquisition,

management, protection, and use of natural areas and nature preserves, and for the

conduct of office affairs;

(3) To cooperate with and to contract w ith any public body of this state, any public

body of any other state, any private organization, any individual, and the federal

government and its agencies;

(4) To purchase land from a willing seller without the use of the powers of

condemnation or eminen t domain, which said powers are expressly denied to the

office;

(5) To make reasonable investigations as to the ownership of any lands which it judges

may be appropriate for acquisition;

(6) To maintain a state registry of natural areas, an inventory of natural types, flora, and

fauna, and other records of natural areas and nature preserves within the

Commonwealth;

(7) To promote the coordination of all departments, divisions and branches of state,

county and city governments within the Commonwealth which r elate to nature

preserves;

(8) To study the operation of all laws, rules, regulations, orders, and governmental

policies affecting conservation of natural resources pertaining to natural areas, and

to recommend to the Governor, and to the General Assembly, new legislation, rules,

regulations, orders and policies in the interest of correcting natural resource

conservation problems pertaining to natural areas and nature preserves;

(9) To provide a central clearing house of information for environmental and

conservation matters and to promote educational programs pertaining to natural

areas and nature preserves;

(10) To conduct research, investigations, public hearings, and interpretative programs

and to publish and disseminate information to the general public pertaining to

natural areas and nature preserves;

(11) To supervise the protection, management, and use of nature preserves and to

enforce and administer rules and regulations pertaining thereto;

(12) To promote, study, investigate, recommend, encourage, advise and assist in the

preservation, protection, and management of natural areas;

(13) To report to the Governor and General Assembly on proposed legislation, policies,

regulations, or actions, public or private, which may significantly affect the qualit y

of the natural ecology or the human environment in the Commonwealth. Such

report shall include an evaluation of environmental and ecological effects, and shall

compare any adverse effects of the proposed action against possible social benefits.

The repo rt shall describe and recommend appropriate alternatives, which avoid

significant adverse effects on the quality of the natural ecology of natural areas;

(14) To submit to the Governor and members of the General Assembly, a report on or

before October 1 of each even-numbered year, detailing the condition of each nature

preserve in the system, and each registered natural area, and make other reports and

recommendations as it may deem advisable.