Section 561.1.3. Organization.

       1.3(1) General. The department’s organizational structure consists of the natural resource commission, the environmental protection commission, the state advisory board for preserves, the director, the deputy director, and seven administrative divisions, described in subrule 1.3(2).

The natural resource commission is responsible for establishing policy and adopting rules for natural resource conservation, management, and recreation programs of the department. This commission also acts as a hearing authority in contested cases, and approves or disapproves land and water acquisitions or dispositions. The substantive rules of the natural resource commission are found under agency number 571 of the Iowa Administrative Code.

The environmental protection commission is responsible for establishing policy and adopting rules for the control and protection of the state’s water and air resources, and for the management of wastes. This commission also acts as hearing authority in contested cases, and issues site licenses for certain hazardous waste facilities. The substantive rules of the environmental protection commission are found under agency number 567 of the Iowa Administrative Code.

The state advisory board for preserves approves land or water areas for dedication as preserves, makes rules, and performs advisory functions related to the establishment and maintenance of preserves. The substantive rules of the state advisory board for preserves are found under agency number 575 of the Iowa Administrative Code.

The energy and geological resource policies are established by the department, and the rules relating to this subject are found under agency number 565 of the Iowa Administrative Code.

The director has rule-making authority for the general operation of the department, and the rules relating to this subject are found under agency number 561 of the Iowa Administrative Code.

       1.3(2) Administrative divisions of the department.

        a.           Director. The director, who is appointed by the governor and subject to confirmation by the senate, and who serves at the pleasure of the governor, is the chief administrative officer of the department. In that capacity the director administers the programs and services of the department in compliance with the Iowa Code and the rules adopted by the commissions or department. The duties of the director include: recommending to the commissions the adoption of rules for the effective administration of the department and implementation of the programs and services of the department; promulgating rules related to energy and geological services and the organization of the department; preparation of the annual budget request and federal grant applications; establishment of the administrative structure of the department; and other actions to administer and direct the programs of the department.

The administrators of the seven divisions, the deputy director, and the information and education bureau chief report to the director.

The information and education bureau provides information and education to the public on department programs and relevant natural resources issues. Activities include publishing the “Iowa Conservationist” and other publications; videos and exhibits; communications with news media; providing communications services to other divisions; and conducting conservation education programs.

        b.           Deputy director. The deputy director, appointed by the director, directs and administers the department in the director’s absence, and carries out other duties as assigned by the director.

        c.           Administrative services division. The administrative services division is responsible for budget and finance, administrative support, information technology, licensing, construction services, and land acquisition and management. The division consists of six bureaus:

       (1)             The budget and finance bureau prepares the agency budget and grant requests and the operating budget; reviews and monitors department budgets and contracts; and conducts special fiscal studies. It is also responsible for maintaining financial records; maintaining an inventory of department equipment and property; processing payrolls, personnel transactions, travel vouchers, and claims for payments of goods and services; processing cash receipts; and coordinating purchasing between field units and the department of general services.

       (2)             The administrative support bureau provides office support for the department, including records management; forms management; mail; provision of common supplies, central office telephone service and vehicle pool; word processing; data entry; telephone and reception services; technical library management; and information coordination.

       (3)             The information technology bureau develops and maintains computer-based information systems used by the department, maintains the information technology equipment used by the department, provides information technology user training and assistance for the department, provides system operation services for the department, maintains space for computer-based data files, and serves as the primary contact with the computer centers used by the department.

       (4)             The licensing bureau provides applications, permits, and licenses which permit the public to engage in environmental activities such as hunting and fishing. The bureau designs and orders forms; distributes forms and supplies to field personnel, county recorders, and license depositories; instructs license sellers on issuing and reporting requirements; supervises county recorders in the registration of boats, snowmobiles and all-terrain vehicles; issues licenses and permits directly through the mail; and certifies persons engaged in application and removal of waste material.

       (5)             The construction services bureau provides the engineering and contracting services needed for the construction of department facilities. Activities of the bureau include surveying and designing; administering construction contracts; contracting for the services of consulting architectural and engineering firms; and providing technical assistance for the proper operation and maintenance of department facilities.

       (6)             The land acquisition and management bureau acquires land and coordinates land management practices. Activities of the bureau include negotiating for purchase or donation; providing relocation assistance; preparing or contracting for land appraisals; contracting and recording land surveys; coordinating the leasing of department land; establishing and marking land boundaries; resolving boundary disputes and private encroachment upon state lands; maintaining land records; issuing sand and gravel permits; and coordinating the soil erosion control program above state lakes with the division of soil conservation within the department of agriculture and land stewardship.

        d.           Parks, recreation, and preserves division. The parks, recreation, and preserves division is responsible for programs relating to water access development, state parks and recreation areas, and preserves. The division consists of the field operations bureau and the program administration bureau.

       (1)             The field operations bureau manages state parks and recreation areas. Activities include operating and maintaining area facilities; protecting and managing the flora and fauna; monitoring concession operators; providing information to the public concerning use opportunities; and enforcing conservation laws. The bureau includes four district management offices, identified in rule 1.4(17A,455A).

       (2)             The program administration bureau conducts park master planning, ecosystem management planning, park and resource interpretive programs; administers park concession contracts; maintains the Iowa natural areas inventory database; provides environmental reviews of proposed construction projects; administers a variety of state grant programs for outdoor recreation facilities; provides staff assistance to the state preserves advisory board; provides coordination with the state historic preservation officer on matters dealing with historical and archeological programs; coordinates with other state and local agencies on matters dealing with recreation and natural resource management; coordinates training and certification of park managers in water and waste management systems; carries on strategic planning within the division; and administers a variety of recreation and resource planning programs.

        e.           Forests and prairies division. The forests and prairies division is responsible for programs relating to state forests and prairies, and operation of the state forest nursery. The division consists of the state forests and management bureau and the forestry services bureau.

       (1)             The state forests and management bureau manages state forests on a multiple-use basis; provides professional forestry service to the other divisions of the department; provides nursery stock for forestation, erosion control, and wildlife cover; cooperates with the department of corrections in a rehabilitation program for prison inmates; and manufactures wood products for the department and for limited sale.

       (2)             The forestry services bureau provides professional forestry assistance to private landowners, political subdivisions, and private wood-using industries; provides surplus federal equipment to local fire departments for fire control; participates with federal agencies in various forestry-related programs; and maintains reports of fruit tree and forest reservations from county auditors.

        f.            Energy and geological resources division. The energy and geological resources division is responsible for programs related to energy, geologic and hydrogeologic investigations, and oil and gas exploration/production. The division consists of the energy bureau and the geological survey bureau.

       (1)             The energy bureau develops energy policy for the state that includes energy efficiency and renewable energy to meet the state’s environmental and economic objectives. The energy bureau manages the energy programs of the state. The bureau gathers data and establishes a data bank; develops public education and communication programs on energy use and management; coordinates with other states on fuel allocation problems; reduces hardship due to energy supply shortages through allocation of state-owned or state-operated energy supplies in conjunction with the federal set-aside program; investigates and recommends to the department legislation on development and use of alternative sources of energy in Iowa and the reduction of dependence on nonrenewable resources; assesses information to enable the director to determine when the health, safety, or welfare of the people of the state is threatened by an actual or impending acute shortage of usable energy, notifies the governor what emergency measures are necessary, and utilizes the emergency powers that the governor delegates to the department; administers major federal energy management programs in Iowa; develops financial assistance programs for schools, hospitals, communities, industries and public care facilities; and develops a program to annually give public recognition within each congressional district to innovative methods of energy conservation.

       (2)             The geological survey bureau collects, interprets, and reports information on basic geologic features and products of the state, including information on the availability and quality of both surface and groundwater; conducts various research programs to advance geologic and hydrogeologic knowledge of the state’s mineral and water resources; and promotes and regulates oil, gas, and metallic mineral exploration/production in Iowa through issuance of permits and enforcement of statutes and rules related thereto. The bureau has lead responsibility for development, implementation and maintenance of the department’s geographic information system (GIS), including management of databases in the natural resources GIS library.

        g.           Environmental protection division. The environmental protection division is responsible for programs relating to water pollution control, water supply, flood control, and air pollution control. The division consists of the water quality bureau, the air quality bureau, and the compliance and enforcement bureau.

       (1)            The water quality bureau is responsible for water pollution control, water supply, and flood control programs. The bureau consists of three sections: wastewater, water resources, and water supply.

        1.            The wastewater section reviews applications and issues or denies permits for the construction and operation of wastewater disposal systems and discharge of wastewater (including animal feeding operations and stormwater), certifies or denies certification of property as pollution control property, and administers the state revolving fund for wastewater.

        2.            The water resources section is responsible for developing rules and standards for flood plain management, water pollution control (including nonpoint source management), conducting special studies and evaluating alternative control strategies in surface and groundwater quality and reviewing applications and issuing or denying permits for construction or excavation within a floodway or flood plain, coordinating and approving flood control works, providing flood plain information and technical assistance to local governments, and conducting the department’s dam safety program. This section also provides technical expertise to other branches and divisions of the department in matters relating to surface water hydrology and hydraulics, and certifies local programs for qualification under the national flood insurance program.

        3.            The water supply section reviews applications and issues or denies permits for withdrawal, diversion, storage, or use of water, and for the construction and operation of public drinking water supplies. This section is also responsible for coordination of the allocation of storage for water supply in multipurpose reservoirs constructed with state or federal funds, and performs monitoring and compliance activities related to public drinking water supplies.

       (2)             The air quality bureau is responsible for air pollution control programs. The bureau consists of four sections.

        1.            The air construction permits section reviews applications and issues or denies construction permits and tax certifications for air pollution sources and control equipment.

        2.            The air operating permits section reviews applications for operation of air pollution sources.

        3.            The air quality program development section develops rules and standards for air pollution control and conducts special studies and evaluates alternative control strategies.

        4.            The air quality inventory, compliance and monitoring section monitors and seeks to secure compliance with statutes, rules and permit conditions and administers the state’s ambient air monitoring program.

       (3)             The compliance and enforcement bureau conducts investigations of facilities or activities regulated by the division, on its own initiative or in response to citizen complaints, and monitors compliance with the statutes and rules administered by the division. The bureau consists of six field offices, a legal services group, and an emergency response group. The six field offices, identified in rule 1.4(17A, 455A), provide on-site response to reports of hazardous conditions, natural disasters, and complaints; conduct inspections and make reports on water, air, and waste management facilities; and recommend enforcement actions when necessary and appropriate to fulfill the purpose and function of the division. The legal services group provides legal advice to the department staff and commissions, conducts negotiations, and prosecutes administrative enforcement proceedings to obtain compliance with department statutes and rules; prepares referrals to the attorney general; and drafts or reviews enforcement procedures, legislative proposals, and rules. The emergency response group coordinates department actions and provides technical assistance relating to hazardous conditions.

        h.           Fish and wildlife division. The fish and wildlife division is responsible for programs relating to wildlife, law enforcement, fisheries, and land acquisition and management. The division consists of the law enforcement bureau, the fisheries bureau, and the wildlife bureau.

       (1)            The law enforcement bureau enforces conservation laws, primarily those relating to fish and wildlife, boating, and snowmobiling. Other activities include assisting in wildlife and fisheries surveys; providing conservation information to the public; providing hunter safety, boating, and snowmobile safety training; and supervising Iowa’s private shooting preserves. This bureau includes six district management offices, identified in rule 1.4(17A,455A).

       (2)             The fisheries bureau manages the fishery resource. Activities include providing technical advice and assistance on fish management and disease problems in private waters; managing fish populations in public waters; collecting creel statistics; fish hatching and stocking; conducting research studies for the purpose of setting fishing seasons and for scientific knowledge; providing fishing information to the general public; and developing fishing areas and accesses.

       (3)             The wildlife bureau manages the wildlife resource. Activities include managing wildlife on public lands; advising private landowners on wildlife habitat improvement; conducting research studies for the purposes of setting hunting and trapping seasons and for scientific knowledge; providing wildlife information to the public; and developing and maintaining public wildlife and fishing areas.

        i.            Land quality and waste management assistance division. The land quality and waste management assistance division is responsible for programs relating to land quality, underground storage tanks, solid waste, hazardous wastes, comprehensive waste management planning, waste management assistance, and siting of some hazardous waste and low-level radioactive waste facilities. The division consists of the land quality bureau and the waste management bureau.

       (1)             The land quality bureau is responsible for the underground storage tank program and the contaminated sites programs.

       (2)             The waste management bureau is responsible for the regulatory solid waste program, comprehensive waste management planning, waste management assistance and siting of certain waste management facilities.