(a) Definition. In this section “Committee” means the Forest Conservation Advisory Committee.
(b) Established. The County Executive must appoint, subject to confirmation by the County Council, a Forest Conservation Advisory Committee.
(c) Composition and terms of members.
(1) The Committee has 9 public members. The public members should include:
(A) landscape architects;
(B) arborists and urban foresters;
(C) horticulturists and representatives from the nursery industry;
(D) persons directly engaged in agriculture;
(E) persons directly involved in the building industry;
(F) members of citizen groups;
(G) members of environmental and conservation organizations;
(H) representatives of public utility companies; and
(I) persons who own a forest stand of at least 2 acres.
(2) The Executive must designate a staff member from each of the following departments to serve as an ex officio member:
(A) Agricultural Services;
(B) Environmental Protection;
(C) Transportation; and
(D) Permitting Services.
(3) The Executive must invite a representative from each of the following agencies to serve as an ex officio member:
(A) the County Planning Board; and
(B) the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission.
(4) The term of each member is 3 years and expires on December 31. After an appointment to fill a vacancy before a term expires, the successor serves the rest of the unexpired term.
(d) Voting, officers, meetings, and compensation.
(1) All members of the Committee are voting members.
(2) Each January, the Executive may designate a chair and vice-chair from among the Committee’s public members to serve a 1-year term. If the County Executive does not designate a chair or vice-chair by February 15, the Committee members must select a chair and vice-chair.
(3) The Committee meets at the call of the Chair. The Committee must meet as often as necessary to perform its duties, but not less than 6 times each year.
(4) A member must serve without compensation. However, a member may request reimbursement for mileage and dependent care costs at rates established by the County.
(e) Duties. The Committee must:
(1) advise the Executive, Council, Planning Board, and any other relevant agency, on forestry policy issues;
(2) propose to the Executive, Council, Planning Board, and any other relevant agency, proactive forestry policies, laws, and guidelines;
(3) recommend a comprehensive approach to urban forestry;
(4) advise on a tree inventory;
(5) review and comment on policies and programs related to forestry;
(6) promote and seek funding for a sustained forestry program;
(7) promote and foster a strong sense of community through urban forestry;
(8) communicate with other boards, agencies, and community residents about forestry issues; and
(9) promote volunteerism and act as a general information resource.
(f) Annual Report. By October 1 each year, the Committee must submit to the Executive, Council, Planning Board, and any other relevant agency, an annual report on its functions, activities, accomplishments, and plans and objectives.
(g) Advocacy. The Committee must not engage in any advocacy activity at the State or federal levels unless that activity is approved by the Office of Intergovernmental Relations.
(h) Staff. The Chief Administrative Officer must provide appropriate staff to the Committee. (2006 L.M.C., ch. 30, § 1; 2008 L.M.C., ch. 14, § 1; 2008 L.M.C., ch. 5, § 1; 2017 L.M.C., ch. 34, §1; 2021 L.M.C., ch. 1, § 1; 2021 L.M.C., ch. 26, § 1.)
Editor’s note—2008 L.M.C., ch. 5, § 3, states: Sec. 3. Any regulation in effect when this Act takes effect that implements a function transferred to another Department or Office under Section 1 of this Act continues in effect, but any reference in any regulation to the Department from which the function was transferred must be treated as referring to the Department to which the function is transferred. The transfer of a function under this Act does not affect any right of a party to any legal proceeding begun before this Act took effect.
2006 L.M.C., ch. 30, § 2, states: Transition. The County Executive must stagger the terms of the members initially appointed under Section 22A-31(c)(1) so that approximately one-third of the terms of these members expire each year.