SB 723

This bill increases the amount appropriated to the Department of Agriculture,

Trade and Consumer Protection for county conservation staffing under the soil and

water resource management program by $2,960,900 from the general fund in fiscal

year 2020-21. The bill provides that, in fiscal year 2020-21, DATCP may not make

a grant for county conservation staffing unless the county receiving the grant agrees

to maintain the number of its conservation staff at or above the average number of

such positions during the two fiscal years preceding August 1, 2020. The bill also

provides that county conservation staff funded through this program may promote,

and assist people in enrolling in, the conservation reserve enhancement program,

which is a joint federal and state program that pays farmers to remove from

production land that is environmentally sensitive and that poses a high priority

conservation concern and to plant resource conserving plant species on that land.