Section 4. State soil and water conservation committee

(1) There is
  established in the department of agriculture and markets, the state soil
  and water conservation committee  as  an  agency  of  this  state  which
  committee  shall  exercise  the  functions  conferred  upon  it  in this
  chapter. The administrative  functions  of  such  department  under  the
  agriculture  and  markets  law  shall  not  operate  or  be  applied  in
  derogation of the powers of the  committee,  or  of  the  free  exercise
  thereof,  as  conferred  by  this  chapter. The following shall serve as
  members of the committee: five interested and qualified citizens  to  be
  appointed by the governor, one of whom shall be appointed from a list of
  nominees  submitted  by the state grange, one of whom shall be appointed
  from a list of nominees submitted by the state farm  bureau  federation,
  one  of whom shall be appointed from a list of nominees submitted by the
  New York Soil Conservation Districts  Association,  Inc.,  one  of  whom
  shall  be appointed at large, who shall represent the farm interest, and
  a fifth member  appointed  at  large  who  shall  represent  the  urban,
  suburban  and  rural  non-farm  landowner  interest; the director of the
  state  agricultural  extension  service,  or  his  or   her   designated
  representative;  the  dean  of the state college of agriculture and life
  sciences, or his or her designated representative; the president of  the
  college of environmental science and forestry of the state university of
  New  York,  or his or her designated representative; the commissioner of
  environmental conservation, or his or her designated representative; the
  commissioner of agriculture  and  markets,  or  his  or  her  designated
  representative;  the  commissioner  of  health, or his or her designated
  representative; the secretary of state, or his or her representative;  a
  representative  of  the  New York State Conservation District Employees'
  Association; and the state  conservationist  of  the  soil  conservation
  service   of  the  United  States  department  of  agriculture,  or  his
  designated representative. The five lay  members  shall  be  the  voting
  members.  The  balance  of  the  committee  will serve in an advisory or
  consulting capacity. The committee shall keep a record of  its  official
  actions,  and  may  perform  such  acts,  and  promulgate such rules and
  regulations as may be necessary for the execution of its functions under
  this chapter. After April twenty-third, nineteen hundred sixty-four, the
  first appointment of the member chosen from a list submitted by the  New
  York  soil and water conservation districts association shall be made of
  a successor to the member representing the state grange whose term first
  expires, and the first appointment of the member  representing  non-farm
  interests  shall  be  made of a successor to the member representing the
  New York farm bureau whose term first expires.
    (2) The committee may call upon the attorney-general of the state  for
  such  legal  services  as  it  may  require.  It shall have authority to
  delegate to its chairman, to one or more of its members, or  to  one  or
  more  agents  or employees such powers and duties as it may deem proper.
  Upon request of the committee for the purpose of carrying out any of its
  functions, the supervising officer of any state agency, or of any  state
  institution  of  learning  shall,  insofar  as  may  be  possible  under
  available appropriations, and having due regard  to  the  needs  of  the
  agency  to  which  the  request  is  directed,  assign  or detail to the
  committee  members  of  the  staff  or  personnel  of  such  agency   or
  institution  of  learning,  and  make  such  special reports, surveys or
  studies as the committee may request.
    (3) The committee shall designate its chairman and may  from  time  to
  time  change  such designation. The lay members shall be appointed for a
  period of five years, except that the  first  five  appointed  shall  be
  designated  to  serve  terms  of  one,  two,  three, four and five years
  respectively, the terms of office to correspond to  the  state's  fiscal

  year.  Committee  members  shall hold office until their successors have
  been appointed and have qualified. The selection of successors to fill a
  vacancy shall be made in the same manner in which the retiring committee
  members  shall  have  been  selected.  A majority of the committee shall
  constitute a quorum and the concurrence of  a  majority  in  any  matter
  within their duties shall be required for its determination. The members
  shall  not receive a salary or other compensation, but shall be entitled
  to their actual and necessary  expenses,  including  traveling  expenses
  incurred  in  the discharge of their duties. The committee shall provide
  for the keeping of a full and accurate record of all proceedings and  of
  all  resolutions,  regulations,  and orders issued or adopted; and shall
  provide  for  an  annual  audit  of  the  accounts   of   receipts   and
  disbursements.
    (4)  In  addition  to the duties and powers hereinafter conferred upon
  the state soil and water  conservation  committee,  it  shall  have  the
  following duties and powers:
    a.  To adopt such policies in the carrying out of district programs as
  it deems appropriate;
    b. To keep the directors of each of the  several  districts  organized
  under  the  provisions  of  this  act  informed  of  the  activities and
  experience of all other districts organized hereunder, and to facilitate
  an interchange of advice  and  experience  between  such  districts  and
  cooperation between them;
    c.  To  approve  and  coordinate  the programs of the several soil and
  water conservation districts organized hereunder;
    d. To secure the cooperation and assistance of the United  States  and
  any  of its agencies, and of agencies of this state, in the work of such
  districts;
    e. To disseminate information  throughout  the  state  concerning  the
  activities  and  programs  of  the soil and water conservation districts
  organized hereunder, and to encourage the formation of such districts in
  areas where their organization is desirable;
    f. To accept contributions from any source to carry on work under  the
  provisions of this chapter;
    g.   To  develop  and  maintain  principles  and  standards  for,  and
  procedures  for  participating  in,   the   agricultural   environmental
  management   (AEM)   program  in  partnership  with  the  department  of
  environmental conservation, as set forth  in  article  eleven-A  of  the
  agriculture and markets law;
    h.  To  develop  evaluation  criteria,  collect,  maintain and analyze
  information to assess the AEM program for effectiveness in meeting state
  and federal environmental and public health goals;
    i.  To  coordinate  and  approve  the  participation  of  the  several
  districts  in  the  AEM  program as set forth in article eleven-A of the
  agriculture and markets law.