(1) (a) The director of the division shall appoint nine individuals, at least three of whom are from the western slope, to act as the wildlife council, referred to in this section as the "council". The council has statewide responsibility and authority.

(b) (I) The council shall consist of the following members:

(A) Two sports persons who purchase big game licenses on a regular basis in Colorado, one of whom is from the western slope;

(B) Two sports persons who purchase fishing licenses on a regular basis in Colorado, one of whom is from the western slope;

(C) One person representing local counties in rural areas of Colorado, the economies of which have a substantial income from hunting or fishing recreation;

(D) One person representing municipalities in rural areas of Colorado, the economies of which have a substantial income from hunting or fishing recreation;

(E) One person representing the division of parks and wildlife;

(F) One person, who shall not be an employee of the division, with a substantial background in media and marketing operations; and

(G) One person representing agricultural producers.

(II) The council members appointed pursuant to sub-subparagraphs (A) and (B) of subparagraph (I) of this paragraph (b) shall be nominated by organized sports person groups with regional or statewide membership. The council members appointed pursuant to sub-subparagraphs (C) and (D) of subparagraph (I) of this paragraph (b) shall be nominated by organizations that represent the interests of such counties and municipalities.

(III) All members of the council shall be residents of the state of Colorado.

(IV) Every effort shall be made by the director to appoint members from all geographic areas of the state.

(c) A member shall serve for no more than two terms; except that no member representing the division of parks and wildlife shall be so limited. The appointments to the council shall be as follows:

(I) The initial terms for the two members representing sports persons who hunt shall be two years for one member of said group and four years for the other member of said group.

(II) The initial terms for the two members representing sports persons who fish shall be two years for one member of said group and four years for the other member of said group.

(III) The initial term length for the member representing the division shall be at the discretion of the director of the division.

(IV) The initial term length for the member representing counties and for the member representing agricultural producers shall be four years.

(V) The initial term length for the member representing municipalities and for the member with substantial experience in media and marketing operations shall be two years.

(VI) After the initial appointments, all subsequent appointments shall be for four years.

(d) Members of the council shall be compensated from the wildlife cash fund created in section 33-1-112 (1), for the reasonable and necessary expenses they incur in connection with their activities for the council.

(e) The council shall perform the following duties:

(I) Oversee the design of a comprehensive media-based public information program to educate the general public about the benefits of wildlife, wildlife management, and wildlife-related recreational opportunities in Colorado, specifically hunting and fishing;

(II) Prepare an operational plan for the director's approval no later than December 1, 1998;

(III) Expend moneys from the wildlife management public education fund in accordance with the operational plan approved by the director; except that all such expenditures shall be within the scope of the activities and funding levels authorized in such operational plan.

(f) Repealed.

(2) Nothing in this section shall be construed to be a mechanism to substitute funding that would otherwise be available for expenditure by the division, or to replace or reduce the obligation of the division to carry out public information programs under this title.

(3) Repealed.