Mississippi Code 1972 (2023) › Title 73 - PROFESSIONS AND VOCATIONS (§§ 73-1-1 — 73-79-1) › Chapter 36 - REGISTERED FORESTERS (§§ 73-36-1 — 73-36-37) › Section 73-36-33 - Suspension or revocation of license; review; hiring services of investigator; inspections

(1)
The board shall have the power, after notice and hearing, to suspend or revoke the license of any registrant who (a) is found guilty by the board of fraud or gross negligence in the practice of professional forestry; (b) fails to comply with board rules and regulations; (c) is found guilty by the board of unprofessional or unethical conduct; or (d) has had his license suspended or revoked for cause in another jurisdiction.
(2)
Any person may prefer charges of fraud or gross negligence in connection with any forestry practice against any registrant. Such charges shall be in writing, shall be sworn to by the person making them, and shall be filed with the secretary of the board. All charges shall be heard by the board pursuant to its rules and regulations without undue delay.
(3)
Any applicant whose license is suspended or revoked by the board may apply for a review of the proceedings with reference to such suspension or revocation by appealing to the Chancery Court of the First Judicial District of Hinds County, Mississippi, provided a notice of appeal is filed by such applicant with the clerk of said court within sixty (60) days from entry of an order by the board suspending or revoking his license, provided said applicant files with said notice of appeal a bond to be approved by the court assuring the prompt payment of any and all costs of said appeal, said amount to be fixed by the court. Upon the filing of such notice of appeal and posting of such bond, the clerk of the said court shall notify the secretary of the board thereof and the record of the proceedings involved shall be prepared by the secretary and forwarded to the court within a period of sixty (60) days from such notice by the clerk. The court shall thereupon review the proceedings on the record presented and may hear such additional testimony as to the court may appear material and dispose of the appeal in termtime or in vacation, and the court may sustain or dismiss the appeal, or modify or vacate the order complained of, but in case the order is modified or vacated, the court may also, in its discretion, remand the matter to the board for such further proceedings not inconsistent with the court's order as, in the opinion of the court, justice may require. The decision of the chancery court may be appealed as other cases to the Supreme Court.
(4)
The board is authorized to secure, by contract, the services of an investigator when deemed necessary by the board to properly consider any charge then before it. The board may, at its discretion, establish a program of routine inspections.
(5)
In addition to the reasons specified in subsection (1) of this section, the board shall be authorized to suspend the license of any licensee for being out of compliance with an order for support, as defined in Section
93-11-153
, or for failure of the licensee to satisfy a judgment against such licensee, and/or the company or business for which the licensee provided services, provided that such judgement was rendered in connection to the practice of forestry. The procedure for suspension of a license for being out of compliance with an order for support, and the procedure for the reissuance or reinstatement of a license suspended for that purpose, and the payment of any fees for the reissuance or reinstatement of a license suspended for that purpose, shall be governed by Section
93-11-157
or
93-11-163
, as the case may be. Actions taken by the board in suspending a license when required by Section
93-11-157
or
93-11-163
are not actions from which an appeal may be taken under this section. Any appeal of a license suspension that is required by Section
93-11-157
or
93-11-163
shall be taken in accordance with the appeal procedure specified in Section
93-11-157
or
93-11-163
, as the case may be, rather than the procedure specified in this section. If there is any conflict between any provision of Section
93-11-157
or
93-11-163
and any provision of this chapter, the provisions of Section
93-11-157
or
93-11-163
, as the case may be, shall control.
Laws, 1977, ch. 475, § 64; reenacted and amended, Laws, 1983, ch. 326, § 17; reenacted, Laws, 1991, ch. 330, § 17; Laws, 1996, ch. 507, § 70; reenacted without change, Laws, 1999, ch. 445, § 16; reenacted without change, Laws, 2004, ch. 416, § 17, eff. 7/1/2004.
Amended by Laws, 2023, ch. 408, HB 787,§ 1, eff. 7/1/2023.