§ 82-521. County commissioners - Duties concerning conservation - Cooperation with State Board.

The board of county commissioners of the various counties of the State of Oklahoma are hereby authorized to cooperate with the Conservation Commission of the State of Oklahoma in all instances where such cooperation is necessary and will expedite the provisions of this act or any other act to which this act is cumulative, and such boards are further empowered and authorized to devise methods and means to stop and/or prevent soil erosion or soil drifting in their respective counties.  In any county or any part thereof of the state where the Conservation Commission of the State of Oklahoma has not exercised its powers for the prevention and control of soil erosion, the board of county commissioners may order the land subject to soil erosion and drifting to be cultivated, plowed, listed or planted, or may in any other manner take such steps as are necessary to prevent such soil erosion and drifting.  Upon any such order being made by the board of county commissioners, all owners of land within the district designated by the board of county commissioners shall forthwith take such steps as are designated by said board and in case any land owner shall fail or refuse to comply therewith, the board of county commissioners is hereby authorized to employ agents to go upon the land of any such person who shall fail or refuse to comply with such orders, for the purpose of plowing, ditching, listing or planting the same to prevent soil erosion and drifting, and said board of county commissioners is hereby expressly authorized to assess reasonable charges for such services against such lands affected thereby, which charges and assessments shall be levied and collected as other taxes on real estate; provided, that no order for the plowing, ditching, listing or planting of any lands in any given area shall be ordered by any board of county commissioners unless and until sixty percent (60%) of the land owners of such area have filed with such board of county commissioners written requests for such action.

Laws 1935, p. 345, § 9.