                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE OFFICE; VIRGINIA FARMLAND AND FORESTLAND PRESERVATION
FUND (§ 10.1-1119.3)

A. The Office shall have the following powers and duties:

   1. To develop, in cooperation with the Department of Small Business and
   Supplier Diversity, the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation, the American Farmland
   Trust, the Virginia Land Conservation Foundation, the Virginia Outdoors
   Foundation, the Virginia Association of Counties, and the Virginia Cooperative
   Extension, (i) model policies and practices that may be used as a guide to
   establish local purchase of development rights programs; (ii) criteria for the
   certification of local purchase of development rights programs as eligible to
   receive grants, loans, or other funds from public sources; and (iii) methods
   and sources of revenue for allocating funds to localities to purchase
   agricultural and forestal conservation easements;

   2. To create programs to educate the public about the importance of farmland
   and forestland preservation to the quality of life in the Commonwealth;

   3. To provide technical, professional, and other assistance to farmers on
   matters related to farmland and forestland preservation;

   4. To provide technical, professional, and other assistance to local
   governments interested in developing additional farmland and forestland
   preservation policies and programs. Such policies and programs shall include
   (i) use value assessment and taxation pursuant to &#xA7;&#xA7; 58.1-3230 and
   58.1-3231; (ii) transfer of development rights pursuant to Article 7.1 (&#xA7;
   15.2-2316.1 et seq.) of Chapter 22 of Title 15.2; (iii) agricultural and
   forestal districts pursuant to Chapter 43 (&#xA7; 15.2-4300 et seq.) of Title
   15.2; and (iv) establishment of local lease of development rights; and

   5. To administer the Virginia Farm Link Program established pursuant to &#xA7;
   10.1-1119.4.

B. State grants shall be distributed to local purchase of development rights
programs under policies, procedures, and guidelines developed by the Office. In
general, for each $1 in grant moneys awarded by the Office, the applicable local
purchase of development rights program of the county or city shall be required
to provide a $1 match. However, as part of these policies, procedures, and
guidelines developed by the Office, the Office shall include incentives that
recognize and encourage counties and cities participating in use value taxation
pursuant to Article 4 (&#xA7; 58.1-3229 et seq.) of Chapter 32 of Title 58.1.

C. There is hereby created in the state treasury a special nonreverting fund to
be known as the Virginia Farmland and Forestland Preservation Fund. The Fund
shall be established on the books of the Comptroller. The Fund shall consist of
all moneys appropriated to it by the General Assembly and such moneys as may be
made available from any other source, public or private. All moneys shall be
paid into the state treasury and credited to the Fund. Interest earned on moneys
in the Fund shall remain in the Fund and be credited to it. Any moneys remaining
in the Fund, including interest thereon, at the end of each fiscal year shall
not revert to the general fund but shall remain in the Fund. Moneys in the Fund
shall be used solely for the purposes of carrying out the provisions of this
article. Expenditures and disbursements from the Fund shall be made by the State
Treasurer on warrants issued by the Comptroller upon written request signed by
the State Forester.

HISTORY: 2024, cc. 10, 146.