Section 2-517.1 – Farmland Preservation Partnership Program
(a) (1) The Foundation may establish a Farmland Preservation Partnership Program that is governed by the requirements of this section. (2) The Farmland Preservation Partnership Program may include the acquisition of easements under the Critical Farms Program as provided under § 2–517 of this subtitle. (3) The objective of the Partnership Program is to preserve productive agricultural and forested […]
Section 2-518 – Priority Preservation Areas
(a) In this section, “area” means a priority preservation area. (b) (1) A county may include a priority preservation area element in the county’s comprehensive plan. (2) A county that applies for certification or recertification under § 5–408 of the State Finance and Procurement Article shall include a priority preservation area element in the county’s comprehensive plan. (c) An area […]
Section 2-519 – Imposition of Civil Penalties
(a) (1) In addition to any other remedies available at law or in equity and after an opportunity for a hearing, the board of trustees of the Foundation may impose a penalty on an owner of property that is subject to an easement granted under this subtitle for a violation of any provision of this subtitle, any […]
Section 2-509.1 – Elimination of Districts as a Requirement for Easement Application Process
(a) Effective July 1, 2007, districts may not be a requirement for the easement application process to the Foundation. (b) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, as of June 30, 2012, all districts held by the Foundation shall be terminated and a landowner may not be bound to the terms of any Foundation district […]
Section 2-510 – Sale of Easement in Agricultural Land
(a) An owner of agricultural land whose application to sell an easement has been approved by the county under this subtitle may sell an easement to the Foundation on the contiguous acreage of the agricultural land, subject to the requirements of this subtitle and regulations of the Foundation. (b) In order to be considered by the Foundation, […]
Section 2-510.1 – Grant to Purchase Easement Under Certain Conditions
(a) The Foundation may make a grant to purchase an easement on a property selected by the Foundation to a county with a program, approved by the Foundation, to purchase easements using installment purchase agreements. (b) The Foundation may only approve a county’s installment purchase program if the program is used to purchase easements using installment purchase […]
Section 2-511 – Value of Easement
(a) Except as provided in subsection (e) of this section, the maximum value of any easement to be purchased shall be the asking price or the difference between the fair market value of the land and the agricultural value of the land, whichever is lower. (b) The fair market value of the land is the price as […]
Section 2-512 – Approval of Local Programs of Agricultural Land Preservation
(a) The Foundation may not approve matching allotted purchases of easements for land located in any county which has not secured approval from the Foundation for a local program of agricultural land preservation. (b) The Foundation may approve a local program of agricultural land preservation upon request of a county, provided that: (1) The county shall agree to […]
Section 2-513 – Use of Land for Which Easement Purchased
(a) Agricultural land preservation easements may be purchased under this subtitle for any land in agricultural use which meets the minimum criteria established under § 2–509 of this subtitle if the easement and county regulations governing the use of the land include the following provisions: (1) Any farm use of land is permitted. (2) Operation at any time […]
Section 2-513.1 – Authority of County to Deny Applications Under Local Land Use Regulations
(a) This section applies only to applications affecting land encumbered by a deed of easement created under this subtitle. (b) If the Foundation has not authorized approval of the application, a county may deny an application for: (1) A subdivision plat or plan; (2) A building permit, except for: (i) Improvements or accessories to an existing residence; or (ii) A farm […]