{"data":{"id":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-27a-27a-3-3-105","jurisdiction":"us-ok","citation":"Okla. Stat. tit. 27A, § 27A-3-3-105","heading":"Powers and duties","body":"A. In addition to other powers and duties provided by law, a\n\nconservation district and the directors thereof shall have the power\n\nand duty to:\n\n1. Obtain such information as may be necessary to the proper\n\ncarrying out of duties and powers prescribed in the Conservation\n\nDistrict Act, by making surveys and investigations relating to the\n\nconservation of renewable natural resources, and the preventive and\n\ncontrol measures and works of improvement needed; provided, however,\n\nthat such surveys and investigations shall not be undertaken except\n\nin cooperation with the State Conservation Commission or with the\n\ngovernment of this state or any of its agencies, or with the United\n\nStates or any of its agencies;\n\n2. Conduct operations for the conservation of renewable natural\n\nresources within the district on lands owned or controlled by this\n\nstate or any of its agencies, with the cooperation of the agency\n\nadministering and having jurisdiction thereof, and on any other\n\nlands within the district upon obtaining the consent of the owner of\n\nsuch lands or the necessary rights or interests in such lands, in\n\norder to demonstrate by example the means, methods, and measures by\n\nwhich the conservation of renewable natural resources may be carried\n\nout;\n\n3. Carry out preventive and control measures and works of\n\nimprovement for the conservation of renewable natural resources\n\nwithin the district including, but not limited to, engineering\n\noperations, methods of cultivation, the growing of vegetation and\n\nchanges in use of land on lands owned or controlled by this state or\n\nany of its agencies, with the cooperation of the agency\n\nadministering and having jurisdiction thereof, and on any other\n\nlands within the district upon obtaining the consent of the owner of\n\nsuch lands or the necessary rights or interests in such lands;\n\n4. Cooperate or enter into agreements with, and, within the\n\nlimits of appropriations duly made available to it by law, to\n\nfurnish financial or other aid to any agency, governmental or\n\notherwise, or any owner or occupier of lands within the district,\n\nsubject to such conditions as the directors may deem necessary to\n\nadvance the purposes of the Conservation District Act;\n\n5. Obtain options upon and to acquire, by purchase, exchange,\n\nlease, gift, grant, bequest, devise or otherwise, any property, real\n\nor personal, or rights or interests therein; to maintain, administer\n\nand improve any properties acquired; and to:\n\na. receive income from such properties and to expend such\n\nincome in carrying out the purposes and provisions of\n\nthe Conservation District Act, and\n\nb. sell, lease or otherwise dispose of any of its\n\nproperty or interests therein, all in furtherance of\n\nthe purposes and provisions of the Conservation\n\nDistrict Act; provided that in all cases when lands or\n\ninterests therein are deemed by the directors to be\n\nnecessary for upstream flood control purposes to carry\n\nout the purposes of the Conservation District Act and\n\nwhich cannot otherwise be acquired, the district shall\n\nbe vested with the power of eminent domain and may\n\ncondemn and acquire such lands as provided by the laws\n\nof this state governing the acquisition of lands by\n\nrailroad corporations;\n\n6. Make available, on such terms as it shall prescribe, to\n\nlandowners and occupiers within the district, agricultural and\n\nengineering machinery and equipment, fertilizer, seeds and\n\nseedlings, and such other material or equipment as will assist such\n\nlandowners and occupiers to carry on operations upon their lands for\n\nthe conservation of renewable natural resources;\n\n7. Construct, improve, repair, operate and maintain such\n\nstructures as may be necessary or convenient for the performance of\n\nany of the operations or activities authorized in the Conservation\n\nDistrict Act;\nd\n\nseedlings, and such other material or equipment as will assist such\n\nlandowners and occupiers to carry on operations upon their lands for\n\nthe conservation of renewable natural resources;\n\n7. Construct, improve, repair, operate and maintain such\n\nstructures as may be necessary or convenient for the performance of\n\nany of the operations or activities authorized in the Conservation\n\nDistrict Act;\n\n8. Develop resource conservation programs and annual work plans\n\nas provided in the Conservation District Act;\n\n9. Acquire by purchase, lease or otherwise, and to administer\n\nany project or program concerned with the conservation of renewable\n\nnatural resources located within its boundaries undertaken by any\n\nfederal, state or other public agency; and to:\n\na. accept donations, gifts and contributions, in money,\n\nservices, materials or otherwise, from the United\n\nStates or any of its agencies, or from this state or\n\nany of its agencies, or from any other source, and\n\nb. use or expend such moneys, services, materials or\n\nother contributions in carrying out the purposes of\n\nthe Conservation District Act, and\n\nc. enter into contracts and negotiate with any agency of\n\nthe United States or the State of Oklahoma in any plan\n\nrelated to the conservation of renewable natural\n\nresources;\n\n10. Sue and be sued in the name of the district; and to:\n\na. have a seal, which seal shall be judicially noticed,\n\nb. make and execute contracts and other instruments\n\nnecessary or convenient to the exercise of its powers,\n\nand\n\nc. make, and from time to time amend and repeal, rules\n\nand regulations not inconsistent with the Conservation\n\nDistrict Act to carry into effect its purposes and\n\npowers; and\n\n11. Carry workers' compensation insurance, in its discretion,\n\non any or all its employees, regardless of the nature of the work in\n\nwhich such employee or employees are engaged, such insurance to be\n\ncarried with the State Insurance Fund, and to be paid for by each\n\ndistrict out of the funds of such district.\n\nB. As a condition to the extending of any benefits under the\n\nConservation District Act to or the performance of work upon any\n\nlands not owned or controlled by this state or any of its agencies,\n\nthe directors may require contributions in money, services,\n\nmaterials or otherwise to any operations conferring such benefits\n\nand may require land occupiers to enter into and perform such\n\nagreements or covenants as to the use of such lands as may be\n\nconsistent with the purposes of the Conservation District Act.\n\nC. No provisions with respect to the acquisition, operation or\n\ndisposition of property by other public bodies shall be applicable\n\nto a district organized hereunder unless the Legislature shall\n\nspecifically so state.\n\nD. Soil and water conservation district directors have the\n\nauthority to accept appointment to serve as members of local,\n\nmunicipal, county, regional and state planning agencies, boards,\n\ncommissions and authorities and districts may participate in the\n\nfunding thereof and performance of works and projects thereunder.","path":["OK Code","Title 27A"],"source_url":"https://www.oklegislature.gov/OK_Statutes/CompleteTitles/os27A.pdf","current_through":"2026-08-14","vintage":"open-us-law v2026.08, retrieved 2026-09-14","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T18:32:36Z","sha256":"eb88108a45c9ceb2f7476538a07e0ee863ddc80af684f3b0a5987f40fd340cd5","source_id":"us-ok","stale":false,"prev":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-27a-27a-3-3-104","next":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-27a-27a-3-3-106"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}