HARRY HUGHES, Governor

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(2) To applicants on a statewide basis as

provided by the priority ranking system established under §
2-510(e) of this subtitle; and

(3) Only after the expiration of the period
allowed for acceptance of offers to buy under allotted
general and matching purchases.

2-512.

(a)    The foundation may not approve matching allotted
purchases of easements for land located in any county which
has not secured approval from the foundation for a local
program of agricultural land preservation.

(b)  The foundation may approve a local program of
agricultural land preservation upon request of a county,
provided that:

(1)  The county shall agree to make payments up
to a specified aggregate amount to the Maryland Agricultural
Land Preservation Fund to equal at least 40 percent of the
value of any easement acquired by the foundation as a result
of a matching allotted purchase, made during the ensuing
fiscal year; and

(2)  The county shall show evidence that any
county program for the acquisition of agricultural land for
preservation, or easements for purposes of preservation of
agricultural land, will not result in preservation of land
which does not meet the minimum standards set by the
foundation under § 2-509 of this subtitle; and

(3)  The request for approval of a local program
must be submitted to the foundation, together with any
necessary agreements not later than 90 days prior to the
beginning of the fiscal year for which approval is being
sought.

(c)  Approval of a local program by the foundation is
valid only during the next fiscal year following the fiscal
year of the request for approval by the county.

(d)    Local programs shall be approved upon the
affirmative vote of a majority of the foundation members
at-large, and upon approval of the Secretary and the State
Treasurer.

(E) (1) IN THIS SUBSECTION, "DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS" MEAN
THE POTENTIAL FOR IMPROVEMENT OF A PARCEL OF REAL PROPERTY
THAT IS MEASURED IN DWELLING UNITS OR UNITS OF COMMERCIAL OR
INDUSTRIAL SPACE AND THAT EXIST BECAUSE OF THE ZONING
CLASSIFICATION OF THE PARCEL.