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<section article="gag" article_name="Agriculture" number="2-2402" effective_note="EFFECTIVE UNTIL JUNE 30, 2030 PER CHAPTER 430 OF 2025" title_number="2" title_name="Department of Agriculture" subtitle_number="24" subtitle_name="Maryland Leaders in Environmentally Engaged Farming (Leef) Program">
  <level label="a">
    <text>There is a Maryland Leaders in Environmentally Engaged Farming (LEEF) Program.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>The purposes of the Program are to:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>Invigorate strategies to:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Reduce nutrients in support of Chesapeake Bay watershed restoration;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Mitigate farm emissions and increase carbon sequestration in accordance with Maryland’s Climate Pollution Reduction Plan; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>Align environmental goals and initiatives of the Department and the State while enhancing farm profitability;</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Provide producers with greater incentives to voluntarily participate in the adoption of multiple conservation practices and community best practices within individual agricultural operations or across multiple operations that are in close proximity to one another;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>Establish tiers of recognition for producers to be evaluated for Program certification; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>Provide State funds to incentivize the coordinated adoption of conservation practices and community best practices to achieve environmental, social, and climate resiliency benefits and nutrient and sediment reduction.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
