9-4-405. State district grazing boards; district boundaries.

(a) A state board for each Taylor Grazing Act district established in Wyoming is created to direct and guide the disposition of the range improvement funds under W.S. 9-4-403 of each Taylor Grazing Act district (48 Stat. 1269) in the state. The distribution shall be most beneficial to the permittees from whom the funds are derived and for the counties involved in each district.

(b) Each board shall be known respectively as the Wyoming State Grazing Board of District .... in accordance with the following designations:

(i) Worland district;

(ii) Lander district;

(iii) Rawlins district;

(iv) Rock Springs district;

(v) Pinedale district.

(c) District boundaries shall be substantially the same as boundaries set for the federal grazing districts as constituted prior to the reorganization of the district boundaries as implemented in 1974 by the bureau of land management, according to the map filed in the state department of agriculture.

(d) Each state district board shall consist of not less than five (5) nor more than nine (9) permittees who hold section 3, Taylor Grazing Act permits and graze livestock upon the public lands within the grazing district for which the state grazing board is created. Officers and directors of corporations and partners of partnerships, or their designated representatives, who conduct the grazing are qualified to serve on the boards on behalf of the corporation or partnership. The term of each member is three (3) years except as provided for in subsection (e) of this section, beginning on January 1 after his election.

(e) In November of each year, each state district grazing board shall conduct an election to fill any existing vacancies. If any vacancy occurs on a state district grazing board for any reason, the remaining board members shall select a qualified successor to fill the vacancy for the unexpired term.

(f) A duly qualified person elected to serve as a member of a state district grazing board shall assume office after taking an oath for the performance of his duties. The permittees holding section 3, Taylor Grazing Act permits to graze livestock on the public lands within the grazing district served by a state district grazing board shall elect the members to serve on that state district grazing board, and each permittee or his designated representative is entitled to one (1) vote.

(g) Each state district grazing board shall appoint a chairman and a nominating committee representative of each geographical area serving on the board, but not including any members of the board, and the committee shall make nominations to fill the expiring positions on the board. Nominations, together with appropriate space for write-in candidates, shall be circulated to the permittees within the district, so that each member may cast his vote for each vacancy on the board. The carryover members of the state district grazing board shall certify the results of the election.

(h) Each state district grazing board shall select its own chairman and secretary from its membership. Employees may be hired by each board. The board shall set the remuneration of each employee and the remuneration shall be considered as administrative expense of the board concerned. The members of each state district grazing board shall receive no compensation but shall be reimbursed under W.S. 9-3-102 and 9-3-103 for travel and per diem expenses incurred in the performance of their duties.

(j) Meetings of a state district grazing board may be called at any time by the chairman or a majority of the members of the board. The board shall meet at least twice each year. Each board may adopt its own rules and regulations for the calling and holding of meetings, but a majority of each board constitutes a quorum for the transaction of business by the board. Action by each board shall be determined by a majority vote of the members present.