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H.B. 567
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VETOES
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The Maryland General Assembly created the Maryland Agricultural Land
Preservation Foundation (MALPF) in 1977 for the purpose of preserving and
ensuring continuation of the agricultural interests of Maryland. Agricultural
preservation districts are formed when qualifying landowners sign voluntary
agreements to keep their land in agricultural or woodland use for a minimum of five
years. Landowners agreeing to place their farms within an agricultural preservation
district relinquish their interests in the land and may sell a development rights
easement on the property to the Foundation which protects the property from further
development.
Currently, the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation is at its
maximum subscription level, and it is unnecessary to provide this type of incentive to
induce property owners to conserve their land in this program. House Bill 567 is
another in a continuing series of bills that have been introduced in the past few years
to weaken easement restrictions purchased by MALPF. It would be a bad precedent to
begin eroding the agricultural land preservation program by carving out and creating
a special exception to the Foundation's policy of requiring the subordination of other
interests in preserved property. I am also concerned about language in the bill that
requires the Foundation to make a determination regarding whether the exercise of
the natural gas rights will interfere with the agricultural operation. This provision
could lead to many disputes involving the Foundation, landowners and the owners of
natural gas rights.
We have protected over one million acres of land in Maryland and, for the first time,
we are preserving more land than we are losing to development. House Bill 567 is one
of several bills that passed this year and in prior years which, taken together, would
seriously erode our efforts to preserve land for future generations. I respectfully urge
future Governors and future legislatures to remain vigilant in these protection efforts
and proceed cautiously in altering these programs.
For the above reasons, I have vetoed House Bill 567.
Sincerely,
Parris N. Glendening
Governor
House Bill No. 567
AN ACT concerning
Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation - Allegany and
Garrett Counties - Natural Gas Rights
FOR the purpose of prohibiting regulations and procedures "adopted by the Maryland
Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation for the establishment and
monitoring of agricultural districts from requiring, in Allegany and Garrett
counties, a natural gas rights owner or lessee to subordinate its interest to the
Foundation's interest under certain circumstances; requiring that a certain
report be submitted by a certain date; and generally relating to the Maryland
Agriculture Land Preservation Foundation.
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- 5174 -
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