Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 68 Part 1.djvu/815

 68 S T A T. ]

PUBLIC LAW 642-AUG. 24, 1954

788

SEC. 2. The amendments made by the first section of this Act shall apply only with respect to offenses committed on and after the date of the enactment of this Act. Approved August 24, 1954. Public Law 642

CHAPTER 891

^^ ^^^ Granting the consent and approval of Congress to an interstate forest protection compact.

August 24, 1954 fire [H. R. 6393]

Be it enacted by the /Senate and House of Representatives of the South n r l United States of America in Congress assembled, That the consent and InterstateC eFotreast approval of Congress is hereby given to any two or more of the States F i r e Protection of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Texas to enter into consent of conthe following compact relating to the prevention and control of forest g'ess* fires in the South Central region of the United States. The compact reads as follows: " S O U T H CENTRAL INTERSTATE FOREST FIRE PROTECTION COMPACT "ARTICLE I

"The purpose of this compact is to promote effective prevention and control of forest fires in the South Central region of the United States by the development of integrated forest fire plans, by the maintenance of adequate forest fire fighting services by the member states, by providing for mutual aid in fighting forest fires among the compacting states of the region and with states which are party to other Kegional Forest Fire Protection compacts or agreements, and for more adequate forest development. "ARTICLE

II

"This compact shall become operative immediately as to those states ratifying it whenever any two or more of the States of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Texas which are contiguous have ratified it and Congress has given consent thereto. Any state not mentioned in this article which is contiguous with any member state may become a party to this compact, subject to approval by the legislature of each of the member states. uARTICLE III

" I n each state, the state forester or officer holding the equivalent position who is responsible for forest fire control shall act as compact administrator for that state and shall consult with like officials of the other member states and shall implement cooperation between such states in forest fire prevention and control, "The compact administrators of the member states shall organize to coordinate the services of the member states and provide administrative integration in carrying out the purposes of this compact. "There shall be established an advisory committee of legislators, forestrj^ commission representatives, and forestry or forest products industries representatives which shall meet from time to time with the compact administrators. Each member state shall name one member of the Senate and one member of the House of Representatives, and the Governor of each member state shall appoint one representative who shall be the chairman of the state forestry commission or comparable official and one representative who shall be associated with forestry or forest products industries to comprise the

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