4. a. The Department of Environmental Protection shall develop and administer a program for prescribed burning on public and private lands under which the department may authorize a person to conduct a prescribed burn pursuant to a prescribed burn plan approved by the department.
b. The department may charge a reasonable fee to cover the costs associated with the program. All such fees collected shall be credited to a special dedicated account in the General Fund and appropriated to the Forest Fire Service to help pay for the administration and operation of its forest fire programs.
c. A person who desires to conduct a prescribed burn only on land for which the person is the landowner or lessee shall not be required to become certified.