(a) The Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection may, in cooperation with federal agencies, or by his own initiative, raise or purchase, with moneys appropriated from the General Fund, planting seed or seedling stock for reforestation, farm windbreaks, wildlife management plantings or soil conservation or other conservation purposes within the state and may sell such seedlings to landowners in this state, state agencies, municipalities or conservation organizations at prices which will cover the approximate cost of the seedlings to the state.

(b) The commissioner may provide tree seedlings at no cost to any elementary or secondary school or conservation commission for the celebration of Arbor Day in accordance with any proclamation issued pursuant to subdivision (3) of subsection (a) of section 10-29a.

(c) The commissioner may, when the space available in Connecticut state nurseries for the raising of seedling stock is in excess of that needed for raising such stock for use by Connecticut landowners, state agencies, municipalities or conservation organizations, enter into an agreement with any other state or the United States Forest Service to raise seedling stock in Connecticut state nurseries for use by such states or service for reforestation, farm windbreaks, wildlife management plantings or soil conservation or other conservation purposes. When the needs of landowners in this state have been met, the commissioner may: (1) Sell seedling stock to landowners, state agencies, municipalities or conservation organizations outside this state, provided the state forester or the equivalent official of the state where the seedlings are to be planted has granted permission to do so; or (2) dispose of any excess of planting seed by sale to, or exchange with, any other state forestry organization or the United States Forest Service. Notwithstanding any other provision of the general statutes, the commissioner may sell such seeds and seedlings at prices or on such terms that he deems appropriate and such prices or terms may exceed the cost of the seeds or seedlings to the state of Connecticut.

(d) The commissioner shall require that each purchaser of seedlings, except for any nonprofit conservation organization, sign an agreement stating that the seedlings will be used for the aforementioned purposes and will not be resold at any time with roots attached and he may take such other measures as he deems necessary to assure himself that seedlings so purchased shall not be used for shade trees, landscaping or ornamental plantings. Nonprofit conservation organizations may resell or otherwise distribute seedling stock purchased from the commissioner, provided such resale or distribution is in furtherance of the purposes of this section. The commissioner shall require that each nonprofit conservation organization purchasing seedlings sign an agreement that the seedlings will be resold, distributed or otherwise utilized in furtherance of such purposes and he may take such other measures as he deems necessary to assure that seedlings so purchased shall not be used for shade trees, landscaping or ornamental plantings.

(1949 Rev., S. 3449; 1949, 1951, June, 1955, S. 1866d; February, 1965, P.A. 31, S. 1; 1971, P.A. 872, S. 186; P.A. 73-316, S. 1, 2; P.A. 84-64, S. 1, 2; P.A. 96-132, S. 4, 5; P.A. 06-196, S. 155; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3, S. 484; P.A. 11-80, S. 1.)

History: 1965 act authorized sale or exchange of excess planting stock or seed to or with, as the case may be, forestry organizations or U.S. Forest Service; 1971 act replaced references to state forester with references to environmental protection commissioner; P.A. 73-316 authorized agreements with other states or U.S. Forest Service for use of excess space in state nurseries to raise planting stock; P.A. 84-64 amended section by substituting “seedling” for “planting” stock and adding provisions authorizing the sale of seedling stock for any conservation purpose and the provision of seedlings to schools for Arbor Day, and to specify that seedlings shall not be used for shade trees or landscaping purposes; P.A. 96-132 divided section into Subsecs., amended Subsec. (a) to authorize purchase of seed, amended Subsec. (b) to delete a requirement that seedlings be planted on public lands, amended Subsec. (c) to add provisions re out-of-state sale of seedling stock and price, amended Subsec. (d) to exempt nonprofit conservation organizations from certain requirements re purchase of seedlings and to make alternative provisions and amended Subsec. (e) to provide that receipts be deposited into the Conservation Fund, effective July 1, 1996; P.A. 06-196 made a technical change in Subsec. (b), effective June 7, 2006; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3 deleted former Subsec. (e) re deposit of certain receipts and reimbursements in the Conservation Fund; pursuant to P.A. 11-80, “Commissioner of Environmental Protection” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection” in Subsec. (a), effective July 1, 2011.