2013 Alaska Statutes
Title 03 - AGRICULTURE, ANIMALS, AND FOOD
Chapter 03.05 - POWERS AND DUTIES OF COMMISSIONERS OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION
Sec. 03.05.010 Powers and duties of commissioner of natural resources.

(a) The commissioner of natural resources shall

(1) direct, administer, and supervise promotional and experimental work, extension services, and agricultural projects for the purpose of promoting and developing the agricultural industry within the state including such fields as horticulture, dairying, cattle raising, fur farming, grain production, vegetable production, and development of other agricultural products;

(2) procure and preserve all information pertaining to the development of the agricultural industry and disseminate that information to the public;

(3) assist prospective settlers and others desiring to engage in the agricultural industry in the state with information concerning areas suitable for agriculture and other activities and programs essential to the development of the agricultural industry in the state;

(4) review the marketing, financing, and development of agricultural products inside the state including transportation, with special emphasis upon local production, and negotiate for the marketing of agricultural products of the state with federal and state agencies operating in the state;

(5) regulate and control the entry into the state and the transportation, sale, or use inside the state of plants, seeds, vegetables, shell eggs, fruits and berries, nursery stock, animal feeds, remedies and mineral supplements, fertilizers, and agricultural chemicals in order to prevent the spread of pests, diseases, or toxic substances injurious to the public interest, and to protect the agricultural industry against fraud, deception, and misrepresentation; in this connection the commissioner may require registration, inspection, and testing, and establish procedures and fees;

(6) regulate the farming of elk in a manner similar to the manner in which the commissioner regulates domestic animals and livestock, to the extent that is appropriate;

(7) implement the farm-to-school program established in AS 03.20.100 .

(b) To carry out the requirements of this title, the commissioner of natural resources may issue orders, regulations, quarantines, and embargoes relating to

(1) examination and inspection of premises containing products, articles, and commodities carrying pests;

(2) establishment of quarantines for eradication of pests;

(3) establishment of standards and labeling requirements pertaining to the sale of agricultural and vegetable seeds;

(4) tests and analyses which may be made and hearings which may be held to determine whether the commissioner will issue a stop order or quarantine;

(5) cooperation with federal and other state agencies.