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<section article="gag" article_name="Agriculture" number="2-518" title_number="2" title_name="Department of Agriculture" subtitle_number="5" subtitle_name="Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation">
  <level label="a">
    <text>In this section, “area” means a priority preservation area.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <level label="1">
      <text>A county may include a priority preservation area element in the county’s comprehensive plan.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>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.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <text>An area shall:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <level label="i">
        <text>Contain productive agricultural or forest soils; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Be capable of supporting profitable agricultural and forestry enterprises where productive soils are lacking;</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Be governed by local policies, ordinances, regulations, and procedures that:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Stabilize the agricultural and forest land base so that development does not convert or compromise agricultural or forest resources; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Support the ability of working farms in the priority preservation area to engage in normal agricultural activities; and</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>Be large enough to support normal agricultural and forestry activities in conjunction with the amount of development permitted by the county in the priority preservation area, as represented in its adopted comprehensive plan.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <text>An area may:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>Consist of a single parcel of land, multiple connected parcels of land, or multiple unconnected parcels of land; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Include rural legacy areas.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <text>A county’s acreage goal for land to be preserved through easements and zoning within an area shall be equal to at least 80% of the remaining undeveloped land in the area, as calculated at the time of application for State certification of an area.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="f">
    <text>Each time a county’s comprehensive plan is updated, the update shall include an evaluation of:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>The county’s progress toward meeting the goals of the Foundation;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Any shortcomings in the county’s ability to achieve the goals of the Foundation; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>Past, current, and planned actions to correct any identified shortcomings.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="g">
    <text>In accordance with § 5–408 of the State Finance and Procurement Article and any regulations adopted under the authority of that section, the Department of Planning and the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation shall jointly certify an area.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="h">
    <text>In accordance with § 5–408 of the State Finance and Procurement Article, the Department of Planning and the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation shall review any update to a county’s comprehensive plan or any other change that may affect an area.</text>
  </level>
</section>
