The Heritage Trust Advisory Board is hereby created to assist the board of the department in carrying out its duties and responsibilities under this chapter. The advisory board shall consist of seventeen members who shall be chosen as follows and shall elect from its membership a chairman:

1. From the general public, six persons, one from each congressional district within the State, who shall be appointed by the Governor and serve for a term of six years. Of these six, four persons shall be from the scientific community who are recognized and qualified experts in the ecology of natural areas, and two persons shall be from the cultural community who are recognized and qualified experts in the history and archeology of the State. The term "expert" does not of necessity denote a professional but one learned and interested in the field.

2. From state government, the following persons or their designees:

A. The Chairman of the board of the Department of Natural Resources;

B. The Director of the Department of Natural Resources;

C. The Director of the South Carolina Department of Park, Recreation and Tourism;

D. The Director of the Land Resources Conservation Districts Division of the Department of Natural Resources;

E. The Director of the South Carolina Department of Archives and History;

F. The State Forester;

G. The State Archeologist;

H. The Director of the State Museum; and

I. The Secretary of Commerce.

Provided, however, of the initial appointees under this section, that of the six persons appointed under Item 1 above, two shall serve for a term of two years, two for a term of four years, and two for a term of six years.