1628                             Laws of Maryland                      [Ch. 626

and governmental agencies may apply by submitting local project
applications through the subdivisions to the Department of Forests
and Parks.

(b)    The Department of Forests and Parks shall administer the
local projects portion of Program Open Space and shall promulgate
and adopt rules and regulations governing the submission of applica-
tions for grants by the subdivisions. Such rules and regulations
shall be prepared in conjunction with the Department of State Plan-
ning and such other State, local or regional agencies or organiza-
tions as the Department of Forests and Parks may deem appropriate
to consult. The Department of Forests and Parks shall process and
submit applications, plans, and other supporting data, together with
recommendations, to the Board of Public Works. The Board of
Public Works may approve, or modify and approve, the recommenda-
tions submitted, provided that any modification made by the Board
of Public Works shall be in accord with the rules and regulations
promulgated and adopted by the Department of Forests and Parks.
The Board of Public Works shall certify the obligation of funds for
each approved project to the State Treasurer, and the Treasurer,
through the Department of Forests and Parks, shall make such funds
available to the governing body of the subdivision submitting the
approved application.

(c)    The State shall provide twenty-five percent (25%) of the
total project cost for each approved local acquisition and/or de-
velopment project. If federal funds are not available because of
lack of funds the State shall provide additional funds, but not
more than seventy-five percent (75%) of the total project cost.

(d)    At least fifty percent (50%) of the funds allocated to a
county annually, including any municipal corporation therein, shall
be used for acquisition projects and fifty percent (50%) of the funds
allocated to a county annually, including any municipal corporation
therein, may be utilized for development projects. Twenty-five per-
cent (25%) of the total funds allocated annually to a county, including
any municipal corporation located therein, may be utilized for de-
velopment projects prior to obligating the funds for acquisition but
the remaining twenty-five percent (25%) of the total funds al-
located annually shall not be used for development projects until
fifty percent (50%) of the funds allocated to the county have been ob-
ligated for acquisition. This provision shall not apply to Baltimore
City.

(e)    Land acquired or developed under a State grant from Pro-
gram Open Space shall not, without the written approval of the Di-
rector of Forests and Parks and the Secretary of State Planning, be
converted from outdoor public recreation or open space use to any
other use. Such conversion in the land use may only be approved after
the subdivision replaces the land with land of at least equivalent area
and of equal recreation value.

(f)    Each local project shall conform to a comprehensive plan ap-
proved by the local governing body and shall have the approval of
official planning agencies having jurisdiction, including comprehen-
sive planning agencies with area-wide jurisdiction.

(g)    Local projects will not be considered or approved for a grant
until the rules and regulations promulgated by the Department of