A. There is created the Oklahoma Arboretum and Botanical Garden of Oklahoma, which shall be under the direction and supervision of the Board of Regents for the Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical Colleges.

B. The director shall be appointed by the Dean of the Division of Agriculture of Oklahoma State University and approved by the Board of Regents.

C. The Oklahoma Arboretum and Botanical Garden director shall:

1. Acquire, archive, process, and disseminate information on horticultural and botanical resources that is or could be of value to policy and decision makers in the state;

2. Act as a representative of the state in horticultural matters as pertains 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 horticultural and botanical resources, including but not limited to, native woody plant and certain herbaceous plant species distribution within the state, their relationships to each other and certain fauna and their environment as it pertains to agriculture;

4. Maintain plant inventories on or near the OSU campus and the respective associated sites including but not limited to the Tulsa Arboretum in natural or contrived ecosystems representing park and urban sites;

5. Establish a depository for preservation of live, native, and adaptive plant germplasm and as a distribution source of germplasm to cooperating affiliated arboretums, involved in plant evaluation, teaching, and research programs;

6. Maintain as a part of the statewide Arboretum plant collections representative but not restricted to the flora and plant communities of Oklahoma, which among other benefits will support research and investigative programs; and

7. Contract with  persons to assist in training of students and the citizenry with respect to our native and introduced woody and herbaceous plant material and their importance to Oklahoma.

D. The establishment of the Oklahoma Arboretum and Botanical Garden shall in no way preclude or limit the research and educational activities concerning biological and botanical resources and natural or contrived areas by universities, colleges, or other government entities.

E. The director is authorized to certify copies as being authentic reproductions of arboretum resource records held in the state.

F. The director shall present a report each year to the Board of Regents for the Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical Colleges.

Historical Data

Added by Laws 1991, c. 44, § 1, eff. September 1, 1991; Amended by Laws 2001, HB 1378, c. 146, § 124, emerg. eff. April 30, 2001 ( superseded document available ); Renumbered from 2 O.S. § 2021 by Laws 2001, HB 1378, c. 146, § 261, emerg. eff. April 30, 2001.