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<section article="gnr" article_name="Natural Resources" number="3-303.1" title_number="3" title_name="Environmental Programs" subtitle_number="3" subtitle_name="Power Plant Research Program">
  <level label="a">
    <text>The Department, in consultation with the Department of Agriculture, shall designate a solar generation facility as pollinator–friendly if the solar generation facility meets the requirements of this section.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>The Department shall adopt a Solar Site Pollinator Habitat Planning and Assessment scorecard that:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>Has been recommended by the University of Maryland bee lab;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>May be updated or amended only once every 2 years; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>Applies only to solar generation facilities.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <level label="1">
      <text>A solar generation facility may be designated as pollinator–friendly only by the Department.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>A solar generation facility may be designated by the Department as pollinator–friendly if:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>The solar generation facility:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>Is ground–mounted;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>Is at least 1 acre in size; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="3">
          <text>Meets or exceeds the minimum score identified in the Solar Site Pollinator Habitat Planning and Assessment scorecard; and</text>
        </level>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>The land on which the solar generation facility is located is planted and managed in accordance with a pollinator–friendly vegetation management standard or pollinator habitat plan evaluated under § 3–303(b)(9) of this subtitle by the power plant research program.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <text>The owner of a solar generation facility may not claim that the facility is pollinator–friendly or that the facility provides benefits to pollinators, song birds, or game birds unless the facility has been designated as pollinator–friendly by the Department in accordance with this section.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <text>The owner of a pollinator–friendly solar generation facility shall provide appropriate maintenance of the pollinator vegetation.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="f">
    <text>The owner of a pollinator–friendly solar generation facility shall make the facility’s pollinator–friendly vegetation management standard or pollinator habitat plan evaluated under § 3–303(b)(9) of this subtitle by the power plant research program available to the Maryland, DC, and Virginia Solar Energy Industries Association or other nonprofit solar industry trade associations.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="g">
    <text>Nothing in this section restricts any farming practices on any land adjacent to the land on which a solar generation facility is located.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="h">
    <text>The Department may charge the owner of a solar generation facility a reasonable fee to cover costs associated with designating the solar generation facility as pollinator–friendly.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="i">
    <text>The Department shall adopt regulations to carry out this section.</text>
  </level>
</section>
