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<subtitle article="gnr" title_number="5" subtitle_number="20" title_name="Forests and Parks" subtitle_name="Maryland Forestry Education Fund">
  <section article="gnr" article_name="Natural Resources" number="5-2001" title_number="5" title_name="Forests and Parks" subtitle_number="20" subtitle_name="Maryland Forestry Education Fund">
    <level label="a">
      <text>In this section, “Fund” means the Maryland Forestry Education Fund.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="b">
      <text>There is a Maryland Forestry Education Fund.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="c">
      <text>The purpose of the Fund is to expand and enhance:</text>
      <level label="1">
        <text>The Maryland Forestry Foundation’s capacity to provide education and resources that support Maryland’s forest landowners;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="2">
        <text>The ability of district forestry boards and the knowledge of local governments in Maryland to achieve:</text>
        <level label="i">
          <text>Environmental, economic, and social sustainability of forest health; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="ii">
          <text>The sustainable management of forest resources; and</text>
        </level>
      </level>
      <level label="3">
        <text>The ability of businesses to test innovative best management practices in forestry.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="d">
      <text>The Maryland Forestry Foundation shall administer the Fund.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="e">
      <level label="1">
        <text>The Fund is a special, nonlapsing fund that is not subject to § 7–302 of the State Finance and Procurement Article.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="2">
        <text>The State Treasurer shall hold the Fund separately, and the Comptroller shall account for the Fund.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="f">
      <text>The Fund consists of:</text>
      <level label="1">
        <text>Money appropriated in the State budget to the Fund;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="2">
        <text>Interest earnings; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="3">
        <text>Any other money from any other source accepted for the benefit of the Fund.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="g">
      <text>The Fund may be used only for:</text>
      <level label="1">
        <text>Providing training and education to forest landowners, district forestry boards, and local governments to ensure the landowners, boards, and governments are well informed on advances and developments in:</text>
        <level label="i">
          <text>Healthy forest management;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="ii">
          <text>Ecological service markets;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="iii">
          <text>Emerging forestry threats;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="iv">
          <text>Climate science;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="v">
          <text>Forest conservation;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="vi">
          <text>Urban forestry;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="vii">
          <text>Sustainability science;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="viii">
          <text>Forestry policy;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="ix">
          <text>Forestry practices; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="x">
          <text>Resource options that promote the multiple benefits of forest management;</text>
        </level>
      </level>
      <level label="2">
        <text>Providing outreach and engagement that builds local capacity and institutionalizes sustainability efforts within communities and the district forestry boards, including:</text>
        <level label="i">
          <text>Holding a forest sustainability conference once every 2 years;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="ii">
          <text>Implementing a peer–to–peer learning exchange; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="iii">
          <text>Providing healthy forest presentations;</text>
        </level>
      </level>
      <level label="3">
        <text>Developing and expanding a healthy forest education and conservation program;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="4">
        <text>Improving the outreach of district forestry boards by providing education, recognition, strategies, and actions the boards can implement;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="5">
        <text>Providing small grants to district forestry boards, forest landowners, local governments, and businesses to test innovative best management practices in forestry;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="6">
        <text>Recognizing the efforts forest landowners and local governments make toward achieving healthy, sustainable forest management; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="7">
        <text>Expenses related to the administration of the Fund.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="h">
      <level label="1">
        <text>The State Treasurer shall invest the money of the Fund in the same manner as other State money may be invested.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="2">
        <text>Any interest earnings of the Fund shall be credited to the Fund.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="i">
      <text>Expenditures from the Fund may be made only in accordance with the State budget.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="j">
      <text>Money expended from the Fund for the outreach, training, education, and grants under subsection (g) of this section is supplemental to and is not intended to take the place of funding that otherwise would be appropriated for forestry education and outreach.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="k">
      <text>For fiscal year 2025, the Governor shall include in the annual budget bill an appropriation of $250,000 to the Fund.</text>
    </level>
  </section>
</subtitle>