(1)    Powers.

      (a)    Hearings. The board may hold public hearings in the performance of its functions.

      (b)    Delegation. The board may delegate to its chairperson or to one or more of its members any of its powers or duties.

      (c)    Soil and water conservation studies and recommendations. The board may make studies and recommendations on matters relating to soil and water conservation.

   (2)   Duties.

      (a)    Advise secretary and department. The board shall advise the secretary and department on matters relating to exercise of the department’s authority under this chapter.

      (b)    Review land and water resource management plans. The board shall review land and water resource management plans prepared under s. 92.10 and make recommendations to the department on approval or disapproval of those plans.

      (d)    Review plans. The board shall review annual grant allocation plans developed under s. 92.14 (6) (b) and make recommendations to the department on approval, modification or disapproval of the plans.

      (e)    Review joint evaluation plan. The board shall review the evaluation plan prepared under s. 92.14 (13). After its review, the board shall make recommendations on the plan to the department and to the department of natural resources.

      (f)    Review annual reports. The board shall review the annual reports under ss. 92.14 (12) and 281.65 (4) (o).

      (g)    Advise the University of Wisconsin System. The board shall advise the University of Wisconsin System annually on needed research and educational programs relating to soil and water conservation.

      (h)    State erosion control goals; compliance and evaluation. The board shall review compliance with state soil erosion control goals established under s. 92.025. The board shall notify the department and the legislature if these goals are not achieved or if it is unlikely that these goals will be achieved.

      (i)    Tolerable erosion levels. The board shall establish a tolerable erosion level based on an erosion rate which is acceptable and maintains long-term soil productivity.

      (j)    Records. The board shall keep a full and accurate record of all proceedings before it and all actions taken by it.

      (k)    Review of pollution abatement determinations. The board shall review and affirm or reverse decisions of county land conservation committees under s. 281.20 (3) (b) when review is requested under s. 281.20 (5). The board may conduct an informal hearing that is not a contested case under ch. 227.

      (L)    Review of critical site determinations. The board shall review and affirm or reverse decisions of county land conservation committees under s. 281.65 (7) (a) 2. when review is requested under s. 281.65 (7) (b). The board may conduct an informal hearing which is not a contested case under ch. 227.

   (3)   Rules review.

      (a)    Board review. The board shall review all rules of the department relating to implementation of this chapter prior to promulgation.

      (b)    Submission for review. Before submitting proposed rules to the legislative council staff under s. 227.15, the department shall submit the proposed rules to the board for comment. The board has 30 days to submit comments on the proposed rules to the department.

      (c)    Emergency rules. If the department promulgates an emergency rule under s. 227.24, it shall provide a copy of the rule to the board prior to publication of the rule in the official state paper.

      (d)    Hearing. The chairperson of the board, or his or her designee from the board, may cochair with the department any public hearing held by the department on proposed rules.

      (e)    Dissenting report. The department shall submit to the board a copy of the report required under s. 227.19 (2) on proposed rules. The board may prepare a dissenting report stating its recommendations on the proposed rules. The board shall prepare any dissenting report within 10 days from the date of receipt of the department’s report. The department shall attach the dissenting report to the department’s report, send them to the presiding officer of each house of the legislature and distribute copies under s. 227.19 (2). The department shall cause a statement to appear in the Wisconsin administrative register to the effect that a dissenting report of the board was submitted to the presiding officer of each house of the legislature.

      (f)    No rule-making power. The board has no rule-making authority on matters relating to soil and water conservation.