STATE CONSERVATION DEPARTMENTS 185 



is under the direction of a board appointed by him, which 

 in turn appoints a commissioner to run the department. 

 Michigan, for example, has a Conservation Commission 

 made up of seven members appointed by the Governor and 

 confirmed by the State Senate, who holds office for six years 

 unless removed sooner by the Governor for cause and after 

 hearing. The Director of Conservation, who is charged 

 with the actual administration, is appointed by and holds 

 office at the pleasure of the Commission. 22 



The advantage of the integrated conservation department 

 lies in the fact that broad questions of policy may be deter- 

 mined by the political administration which is, in turn, 

 directly responsible to the voters, while these policies are 

 carried out by non-political civil servants. Thus policy is 

 determined, as it should be, by elected officials, while it is 

 put in force by the permanent staff of non-political experts. 



Type of Power Entrusted to Administrative Bodies: The 

 powers entrusted to administrative bodies, notably to the 

 commission or commissioner who has charge of game and 

 fish conservation, whatever his exact title may be, vary 

 greatly from state to state. In all the states, with but two 

 exceptions, 23 he has the power to appoint wardens and other 

 subordinate employees in the department, although in some 

 states this power must be exercised in accordance with civil 

 service rules. The administrative body in every case is 

 authorized to issue licenses, although in those states where 

 conservation work is divided among several administrative 

 units, the licensing power is also divided. 



Customarily the commission has the power to declare 

 certain areas closed to hunting and fishing. A qualification, 



22 Compiled Laws of Michigan, sec. 5654 (1929). 



38 Illinois and Tennessee are the only states where the agency in charge 

 of fish and game does not have its warden system. 



