3770

LAWS OF MARYLAND

Ch. 795

Annotated Code of Maryland

(1982 Volume and 1983 Supplement)

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

Article - Agriculture

8-701.

(b)  "Best management practice" means a conservation or
pollution control practice that manages soil loss due to farming
practices or manages NUTRIENTS, animal wastes, or agricultural
chemicals so as to minimize movement into the surface waters of
the State.

(c)  "Eligible cost" means a capital expenditure for
installing, purchasing, or constructing a best management
practice[, including, but not limited to, the cost of pollution
control equipment, animal waste facilities, water control
structures, diversion facilities, sediment basins or grade
stabilization structures, establishing permanent vegetative
cover, or a contour, stripcropping, terrace, or conservation
tillage system of farming]. It does not include the cost of land
or interests in land, or the costs of operating or maintaining
best management practices.

8-704.

(a) (1) State cost sharing in any project may be made
available for up to 87 1/2 percent of eligible costs, not to
exceed $5,000 in any one project or $10,000 for best management
practices carried out under a pooling agreement.

(2) State cost sharing funds may be made available
for any project if:

(i) The Department of Agriculture, the soil
conservation district, and a person have executed an agreement
which, among other things, obligates the person to establish,
construct, or install the best management practice in accordance
with technical specifications, to maintain the best management
practice for its expected life span [and to so bind any successor
in title], and to provide the required matching funds for the
project;

(ii) The Board of Public Works has given
approval to the project when the proceeds of State bonds are to
be used to finance the State share; and

(iii) The soil conservation district has
certified to the Department that the project meets all applicable
technical standards, and that all submitted invoices properly
represent eligible costs.