§26-15  Department of land and naturalresources.  (a)  The department of land and natural resources shall beheaded by an executive board to be known as the board of land and naturalresources, except for matters relating to the state water code where thecommission on water resource management shall have exclusive jurisdiction andfinal authority.

The board shall consist of seven members, onefrom each land district and three at large.  The appointment, tenure, andremoval of the members and the filling of vacancies on the board shall be asprovided in section 26-34.  At least one member of the board shall have abackground in conservation and natural resources, as provided in section 171-4.

The governor shall appoint the chairperson ofthe board from among the members thereof.

The board may delegate to the chairperson suchduties, powers, and authority, or so much thereof, as may be lawful or properfor the performance of the functions vested in the board.

The chairperson of the board shall serve in afull-time capacity.  The chairperson, in that capacity, shall perform thoseduties, and exercise those powers and authority, or so much thereof, as may bedelegated by the board.

(b)  The department shall manage and administerthe public lands of the State and minerals thereon and all water and coastalareas of the State except the commercial harbor areas of the State, includingthe soil conservation function, the forests and forest reserves, aquatic life,wildlife resources, state parks, including historic sites, and all activitiesthereon and therein including, but not limited to, boating, ocean recreation,and coastal areas programs.

(c)  The functions and authority heretoforeexercised by the commissioner and board of public lands (including the hydrographydivision and the bureau of conveyances), the Hawaii water authority, thecommission on ground water resources, the Hawaii land development authority,the soil conservation committee, and the commission on historical sites and thefunction of managing the state parks and the function of promoting theconservation, development and utilization of forests, including the regulatorypowers over the forest reserve, aquatic life and wildlife resources of theState heretofore exercised by the board of commissioners of agriculture andforestry as heretofore constituted are transferred to the department of landand natural resources established by this chapter. [L Sp 1959 2d, c 1, §21; amL 1961, c 132, §1(b) to (e); am L 1963, c 10, §1; am L 1965, c 223, §8(b);Supp, §14A-20; am L 1967, c 145, §1; HRS §26-15; am L 1983, c 15, §1; am L1987, c 45, §3; am L 1991, c 272, §3; am L 1999, c 6, §1; am L 2002, c 16, §3;am L 2005, c 9, §1]