HARRY HUGHES, Governor

3113

FOR the purpose of increasing the minimum acreage permitted to be
eligible to qualify for the State forest conservation and
management program; extending the minimum length of contract
for participation in the State forest conservation and
management program; clarifying that the rollback penalty
applies to landowners not complying with program
requirements; and adding a certain penalty for agreements
that are terminated for noncompliance.

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments,

Article - Natural Resources

Section 5-302, 5-304, and 5-306

Annotated Code of Maryland

(1983 Replacement Volume and 1983 Supplement)

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF
MARYLAND, That the Laws of Maryland read as follows:

Article - Natural Resources

5-302.

The owner of any tract of land in the State which comprises
[5] 10 or more contiguous acres, by agreement with the
Department, may contract to place the tract within the program of
forest conservation and management, under circumstances and
conditions provided in the program and required by this subtitle.
Except for those contracts entered into before July 1, [1978]
1984, [10] 15 years shall be the minimum length of contract.

5-304.

At the end of the period covered by the contract [if less
than 15 years], at the time all or part of the timber is
harvested unless harvested according to the plan developed by the
Department, [or] AT THE TIME all or part of the tract is conveyed
to a new owner, OR UPON TERMINATION OF THE AGREEMENT BY THE
DEPARTMENT DUE TO NONCOMPLIANCE WITH PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS BY THE
LANDOWNER, there shall be a new valuation of all or part of the
tract. If only a part of the tract is conveyed or if only a part
of the timber is harvested, the new valuation for purposes of
assessment shall be only that part of the tract. Consecutive
contracts shall be deemed one contract from the date of the
original contract.

5-306.

If the new valuation under § 5-304 is greater than the
original valuation under § 5-303, the difference between the two
is computed in approximately equal annual steps from lower to
higher, covering the number of years elapsed between the two. At
the time of the conveyance of all or part of the tract or the
harvest of all or part of the timber, [the seller] OR TERMINATION