854 LAWS OF MARYLAND. [CH. 437
CHAPTER 437.

AN ACT to add a new sub-title and fourteen new sections to
Article 2A of the Annotated Code of Maryland (1935 Sup-
plement), title "Agriculture", said new sub-title to be known
as "Soil Conservation", and said new sections to be known
as Sections 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27 and
28, to follow immediately after Section 14 of said Article;
to declare the necessity of creating governmental subdivi-
sions of the State, to be known as "soil conservation dis-
tricts", to engage in conserving soil resources and prevent-
ing and controlling soil erosion; to establish the State Soil
Conservation Committee, and to define its powers and du-
ties; to provide for the creation of soil conservation dis-
tricts; to define the powers and duties of all soil conserva-
tion districts, and to provide for the exercise of such pow-
ers, including the power to acquire property by purchase,
gift, and otherwise; and exempting such property from
taxation; to empower such districts to adopt programs and
regulations which shall be binding on all lands within the
district, for the discontinuance of land-use practices con-
tributing to soil wastage and soil erosion, and the adoption
and carrying out of soil conserving land-use practices, and
to provide for the enforcement of such programs and regula-
tions by providing for the collection of costs for performing
work required pursuant to such programs and regulations
and to provide for the discontinuance of such soil conserva-
tion districts.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Mary-
land., That a new sub-title and fourteen new sections be and
the same are hereby added to Article 2A of the Annotated
Code of Maryland (1935 Supplement), title "Agriculture",
said new sub-title to be known as "Soil Conservation", and
said new sections to be known as Sections 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20,
21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27 and 28, to follow immediately after
Section 15, and to read as follows:

15. SHORT TITLE. This Act shall be known as the Mary-
land Soil Conservation Districts Law.

1G. LEGISLATIVE DETERMINATIONS, AND DECLARATION OF
POLICY. It is hereby declared, as a matter of legislative de-
termination.

A. THE CONDITION. That the farm and grazing lands of
the State of Maryland are among the basic assets of the State
and that the preservation of these lands is necessary to pro-
tect and promote the health, safety, and general welfare of its