A. There is hereby created the Biological Survey Office of the State of Oklahoma, which shall be under the direction and supervision of the Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma. B. The director of the Oklahoma Biological Survey shall be appointed by the Board. The salary of the director shall be determined by the Board. C. The Oklahoma Biological Survey shall: 1. acquire, archive, process and disseminate information on biological resources and natural areas that is or could be of value to policy and decision makers in the state; 2. act as a representative of the state in biological matters, exclusive of wildlife matters under the authority of the Wildlife Conservation Commission and exclusive of matters pertaining to agriculture, both within and outside the state when necessary or appropriate, or when requested to do so by proper authority, which shall include among others the legislative or executive branches of state government; 3. conduct research, investigations, and interpretive programs pertaining to natural areas and biological resources, including but not limited to distributions of animal and plant forms within the state and their relationships to one another and their environment except as those matters pertain to agriculture; 4. maintain an inventory of natural and scientific areas, an inventory of natural ecosystems and their components, and an inventory of habitats of rare and endangered species of plants and animals; 5. maintain as part of an herbarium, a plant collection that is representative of but not restricted to the flora and plant communities of Oklahoma, which among other benefits will support research and investigative programs; 6. participate in the Oklahoma Natural Heritage Program, including development of and responsibility for the Oklahoma Natural Heritage Inventory of the state's habitats and species, which among other benefits will provide a centralized and continually updated inventory of the biological diversity of Oklahoma that will contain accurate and timely information for environmental planning, resource management, protection of significant natural areas, endangered species review, and biological research and education; and 7. as authorized by the Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma, contract with private entities or state agencies to assist in the training of students and the citizenry with respect to biological resources and their importance to Oklahoma. D. The establishment of the Biological Survey Office shall in no way preclude or limit research and educational activities concerning biological resources and natural areas by universities, colleges, or other governmental entities. E. The director is authorized to certify copies as being authentic reproductions of biological resource records held in the state. F. The director of the Oklahoma Biological Survey shall present a report each year to the Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma showing the progress and condition of the Oklahoma Biological Survey and any other information that the Board may deem necessary.
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