{"data":{"id":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-2-2-16-35","jurisdiction":"us-ok","citation":"Okla. Stat. tit. 2, § 2-16-35","heading":"Compact authorized - Form and provisions","body":"The Governor, on behalf of this state, is authorized to execute\n\na compact, in substantially the following form, with any one or more\n\nof the states of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas, and\n\nthe Legislature signifies in advance its approval and ratification\n\nof the compact:\n\nSOUTH CENTRAL INTERSTATE FOREST\n\nFIRE PROTECTION COMPACT\n\nARTICLE I.\n\nThe purpose of this compact is to promote effective prevention\n\nand control of forest fires in the South Central region of the\n\nUnited States by the development of integrated forest fire plans, by\n\nthe maintenance of adequate forest fire fighting services by the\n\nmember states, by providing for mutual aid in fighting forest fires\n\namong the compacting states of the region and with states which are\n\nparty to other Regional Forest Fire Protection compacts or\n\nagreements, and for more adequate forest development.\n\nARTICLE II.\n\nThis compact shall become operative immediately as to those\n\nstates ratifying it whenever any two or more of the states of\n\nArkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Texas which are\n\ncontiguous have ratified it and Congress has given consent thereto.\n\nAny state not mentioned in this article which is contiguous with any\n\nmember state may become a party to this compact, subject to approval\n\nby the Legislature of each of the member states.\n\nARTICLE III.\n\nIn each state, the state forester or officer holding the\n\nequivalent position who is responsible for forest fire control shall\n\nact as compact administrator for that state and shall consult with\n\nlike officials of the other member states and shall implement\n\ncooperation between such states in forest fire prevention and\n\ncontrol.\n\nThe compact administrators of the member states shall organize\n\nto coordinate the services of the member states and provide\n\nadministrative integration in carrying out the purposes of this\n\ncompact.\n\nThere shall be established an advisory committee of legislators,\n\nforestry commission representatives, and forestry or forest products\n\nindustries representatives which shall meet, from time to time, with\n\nthe compact administrators. Each member state shall name one member\n\nof the Senate and one member of the House of Representatives, and\n\nthe Governor of each member state shall appoint one representative\n\nwho shall be the chairman of the state forestry commission or\n\ncomparable official and one representative who shall be associated\n\nwith forestry or forest products industries to comprise the\n\nmembership of the advisory committee. Action shall be taken by a\n\nmajority of the compacting states, and each state shall be entitled\n\nto one vote.\n\nThe compact administrators shall formulate and, in accordance\n\nwith need, from time to time, revise a regional forest fire plan for\n\nthe member states.\n\nIt shall be the duty of each member state to formulate and put\n\nin effect a forest fire plan for that state and take such measures\n\nas may be necessary to integrate such forest fire plan with the\n\nregional forest fire plan formulated by the compact administrators.\n\nARTICLE IV.\n\nWhenever the state forest fire control agency of a member state\n\nrequests aid from the state forest fire control agency of any other\n\nmember state in combating, controlling or preventing forest fires,\n\nit shall be the duty of the state forest fire control agency of that\n\nstate to render all possible aid to the requesting agency which is\n\nconsonant with the maintenance of protection at home.\n\nARTICLE V.\n\nWhenever the forces of any member state are rendering outside\n\naid pursuant to the request of another member state under this\n\ncompact, the employees of such state shall, under the direction of\n\nthe officers of the state to which they are rendering aid, have the\n\nsame powers (except the power of arrest), duties, rights, privileges\n\nand immunities as comparable employees of the state to which they\n\nare rendering aid.\nsuant to the request of another member state under this\n\ncompact, the employees of such state shall, under the direction of\n\nthe officers of the state to which they are rendering aid, have the\n\nsame powers (except the power of arrest), duties, rights, privileges\n\nand immunities as comparable employees of the state to which they\n\nare rendering aid.\n\nNo member state or its officers or employees rendering outside\n\naid pursuant to this compact shall be liable on account of any act\n\nor omission on the part of such forces while so engaged, or on\n\naccount of the maintenance or use of any equipment or supplies in\n\nconnection therewith: Provided, that nothing herein shall be\n\nconstrued as relieving any person from liability for his own\n\nnegligent act or omission, or as imposing liability for such\n\nnegligent act or omission upon any state.\n\nAll liability, except as otherwise provided herein, that may\n\narise either under the laws of the requesting state or under the\n\nlaws of the aiding state or under the laws of a third state on\n\naccount of or in connection with a request for aid, shall be assumed\n\nand borne by the requesting state.\n\nAny member state rendering outside aid pursuant to this compact\n\nshall be reimbursed by the member state receiving such aid for any\n\nloss or damage to, or expense incurred in the operation of any\n\nequipment answering a request for aid, and for the cost of all\n\nmaterials, transportation, wages, salaries, and maintenance of\n\nemployees and equipment incurred in connection with such request;\n\nprovided, that nothing herein contained shall prevent any assisting\n\nmember state from assuming such loss, damage, expense or other cost\n\nor from loaning such equipment or from donating such service to the\n\nreceiving member state without charge or cost.\n\nEach member state shall provide for the payment of compensation\n\nand death benefits to injured employees and the representatives of\n\ndeceased employees in case employees sustain injuries or are killed\n\nwhile rendering outside aid pursuant to this compact, in the same\n\nmanner and on the same terms as if the injury or death were\n\nsustained within such state.\n\nFor the purposes of this compact the term \"employee\" shall\n\ninclude any volunteer or auxiliary legally included within the\n\nforest fire fighting forces of the aiding state under the laws\n\nthereof.\n\nThe compact administrators shall formulate procedures for claims\n\nand reimbursement under the provisions of this article, in\n\naccordance with the laws of the member states.\n\nARTICLE VI.\n\nRatification of this compact shall not be construed to affect\n\nany existing statute so as to authorize or permit curtailment or\n\ndiminution of the forest fire fighting forces, equipment, services\n\nor facilities of any member state.\n\nNothing in this compact shall be construed to limit or restrict\n\nthe powers of any state ratifying the same to provide for the\n\nprevention, control and extinguishment of forest fires, or to\n\nprohibit the enactment or enforcement of state laws, rules or\n\nregulations intended to aid in such prevention, control and\n\nextinguishment in such state.\n\nNothing in this compact shall be construed to affect any\n\nexisting or future cooperative relationship or arrangement between\n\nthe United States Forest Service and a member state or states.\n\nARTICLE VII.\n\nThe compact administrators may request the United States Forest\n\nService to act as the primary research and coordinating agency of\n\nthe South Central Interstate Forest Fire Protection Compact in\n\ncooperation with the appropriate agencies in each state, and the\n\nUnited States Forest Service may accept the initial responsibility\n\nin preparing and presenting to the compact administrators its\n\nrecommendations with respect to the regional fire plan.\n\nRepresentatives of the United States Forest Service may attend\n\nmeetings of the compact administrators.\n\nARTICLE VIII.\nFire Protection Compact in\n\ncooperation with the appropriate agencies in each state, and the\n\nUnited States Forest Service may accept the initial responsibility\n\nin preparing and presenting to the compact administrators its\n\nrecommendations with respect to the regional fire plan.\n\nRepresentatives of the United States Forest Service may attend\n\nmeetings of the compact administrators.\n\nARTICLE VIII.\n\nThe provisions of Articles IV and V of this compact which relate\n\nto mutual aid in combating, controlling or preventing forest fires\n\nshall be operative as between any state party to this compact and\n\nany other state which is party to a regional forest fire protection\n\ncompact in another region; provided, that the legislature of such\n\nother state shall have given its assent to such mutual aid\n\nprovisions of this compact.\n\nARTICLE IX.\n\nThis compact shall continue in force and remain binding on each\n\nstate ratifying it until the legislature or the Governor of such\n\nstate takes action to withdraw therefrom. Such action shall not be\n\neffective until six (6) months after notice thereof has been sent by\n\nthe chief executive of the state desiring to withdraw to the chief\n\nexecutives of all states then parties to the compact.","path":["OK Code","Title 2"],"source_url":"https://www.oklegislature.gov/OK_Statutes/CompleteTitles/os2.pdf","current_through":"2026-08-14","vintage":"open-us-law v2026.08, retrieved 2026-09-14","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T18:32:36Z","sha256":"6625b6ad951625fd68cd3e9742958be1ec6ccb1ab57a465ad1628f7a25234dd2","source_id":"us-ok","stale":false,"prev":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-2-2-16-34","next":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-2-2-16-36"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}