Oklahoma Secretary of the Environment
Seal of the Secretary of Environment
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| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | July 1, 1993 |
| Headquarters | 3800 N. Classen Boulevard Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
| Employees | 981.9 (FY2012) |
| Annual budget | $590 million (FY2012) |
| Minister responsible | |
| Child agencies | |
| Website | Office of the Secretary of the Environment |
The Oklahoma Secretary of Environment is a member of the Oklahoma Governor's Cabinet. The Secretary is appointed by the Governor, with the consent of the Oklahoma Senate, to serve at the pleasure of the Governor. The Secretary serves as the chief advisor to the Governor on environmental policy development and implementation.
The sixth and current Secretary is Gary Sherrer, who was appointed by Governor Mary Fallin on January 14, 2011.
The Office of the Secretary of Environment was established in 1993 to provide greater oversight to the environmental activities of the State government. The Office was established, along with the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality, by the Oklahoma Environmental Quality Act of 1993. The Act directed the Secretary of Environment ensure that state environmental agencies management activities are well coordinated and of high quality.
The Secretary of Environment is responsible for overseeing the development, management and protection of the natural resources and wildlife of the State. The primary duties assigned to the Secretary by law are as follows:
As the State's official Trustee for Natural Resources, the Secretary ensures that natural resources and the services they provide that are injured or lost because of contamination are restored for the benefit of the State.
As of fiscal year 2012, the Secretary of Environment oversees 981.9 full-time employees and is responsible for an annual budget of $590 million.
The Secretary heads the Office of the Secretary of Environment, which is a state agency. The Mission Statement of the Office is:
The staff of the Office serves as the immediate staff to the Secretary. Although well funded, the Office has a very limited staff: only four full-time employees including the Secretary. As of 2012, the following are the authorized positions within the Office:
The Office of the Secretary has a very large budget for the size of its staff. For Fiscal Year 2013, with only 4 employees, the Office has an annual budget of $12 million. Less than $350 thousand of that budget is actually dedicated to employee compensation and operating expenses. The remaining $11.65 million (or 95%) of the budget is used as grants for State and local agencies with environmental responsibilities.
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