CHAPTER 134

An Act to prohibit certain acts on certain lands in certain areas where
extraordinary fire hazards exist; to authorize the Governor to tissue
proclamations in relation thercto; to provide the effect of such procla-
mations on hunting seasons; and to provide penalties for mt 138)

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Approved March 4, 1954
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. It shall be unlawful, when the forest lands, brush lands and fields in
this State or any part thereof have become so dry or parched as to create
an extraordinary fire hazard endangering lives and property, for any person,
except the owner, tenant or owner’s authorized agent, persons regularly en-
gaged in cutting, processing, or moving forest products, or person on official
duty, to enter or travel in any State, county, municipal or private forest
lands, brush lands, fields or idle or abandoned lands in the area so affected
except on public highways or well defined private roads. It shall further
be unlawful during such periods for any person to hunt, fish, smoke, burn
leaves, grass, brush or debris of any type therein or to ignite or maintain
any open fire therein nearer than three hundred feet from any such forest
lands, brush lands or fields containing inflammable vegetation.

Provided however that this section shall not be effective unless and
until the Governor shall have proclaimed such a condition to exist in this
State or any part thereof and it shall apply thereto until the Governor shall
have proclaimed such condition to have terminated.

Further provided that when any such proclamation shall be issued
during any open hunting season (with the exception of any season on
migratory birds or waterfowl, the limits of which are prescribed by any
agency of the Federal Government) or when the opening date of any such
hunting season shall occur while such proclamation is effective, said season,
if open, shall be automatically extended for a period not exceeding the
number of legal hunting days during which such proclamation is in effect,
beginning on the first legal hunting day after the expiration of said season,
and if not open, shall open beginning on the first legal hunting day after
such proclamation be rescinded and remain open for a period not exceed-
ing the prescribed length of said season, provided, however, that in no
event shall any extension of said seasons herein provided operate to extend
any of said seasons beyond January thirty-first in any year.

When any such proclamation is issued, amended or rescinded the Secre-
tary of the Commonwealth shall promptly give notice thereof through
a newspaper or newspapers of general circulation in the area or areas
affected and the Secretary may in his discretion give such additional notice
as he may deem necessary. :

Any person violating the provisions of this act shall be guilty of a mis-
demeanor and upon conviction shall be fined not less than ten dollars nor
more than five hundred dollars, or committed to jail for a period not to ex-
ceed thirty days, or both, for each separate offense.
An Act to amend the Code of Virginia by adding thereto a section num-
bered 21-117.1, relating to the abolishing of sanitary districts under
certain circumstances.

[H 61]

Approved March 4, 1954

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That the Code of Virginia be amended by adding thereto a section
numbered 21-117.1, as follows:

§ 21-117.1. Any sanitary district heretofore or hereafter created in
any county under the provisions of the preceding sections of this article,
may be abolished by an order entered by the circuit court of such county,
or the judge thereof in vacation, upon the petition of the governing body
of the county and of no less than fifty qualified voters residing within the
boundaries of the district desired to be abolished, or if the district contains
less than one hundred qualified voters upon petition of the governing body
of the county and fifty percentum of the qualified voters residing within
the boundaries of such district.

Upon filing of the petition, the court shall fix a day for a hearing on
the question of abolishing the sanitary district which hearing shall embrace
a consideration of whether the property in the sanitary district will or
will not be benefited by the abolition thereof and the court shall be fully
informed as to the obligations and functions of the sanitary district.
Notice of such hearing shall be given by publication once a week for three
consecutive weeks in some newspaper of general circulation within the
county to be designated by the court or the judge thereof in vacation.
At least ten days shall intervene between the completion of the publication
and the date set for hearing, and such publication shall be considered
complete on the twenty-first day after the first publication and no such
district shall be abolished until the notice has been given and the hearing

ad.

Any interested parties may appear and be heard on any matters
pertaining to the subject of the hearing.

Upon the hearing, such order shall be made and entered as to the
court or judge may seem equitable and proper, concerning the abolition
of the district and as to the funds on hand to the credit of the district.
Provided, however, that no such order shall be made abolishing the sanitary
district unless any bonds of the sanitary district which have theretofore
been issued have been redeemed and the purposes for which the sanitary
district was created have been completed, or, unless all obligations and
functions of the sanitary district have been taken over by the county as
a whole, or, unless the purposes for which the sanitary district was
created are impractical or impossible of accomplishment no obligations
have been incurred by said sanitary district.