The nine member state Board is part of the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs .
Board members serve without compensation.
The Commonwealth holds title to these resources and retains regulatory authority over their use. The Board's jurisdiction extends over the inland and coastal waters of the state. No person may remove, displace, damage, or destroy any underwater archaeological resource except in conformity with permits issued by the Board. Permittees range from individual sport divers to corporate ventures. To deal with certain types of artifact discoveries, the Board's regulations provide an exemption from the permit process for isolated finds and exempted sites.