SB 840

In the 2009-11 biennial budget act, the agricultural conservation easement purchase program was created for the purchase of agricultural conservation easements, from willing landowners, by the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection in conjunction with political subdivisions and nonprofit conservation organizations. An agricultural conservation easement (easement) is an interest in land that preserves the land for agricultural use while the ownership of the land itself remains with the landowner. Under the program as it was created in the act, DATCP was required to solicit applications to the program at least once annually and was provided $12,000,000 in general fund supported borrowing for the purchase of the easements. Since the program was first created, the requirement that DATCP solicit applications to the program at least once annually was repealed, DATCP’s authority for $12,000,000 in general fund supported borrowing for the purchase of the easements was repealed, and a new provision required the Department of Natural Resources to provide to DATCP funds from the Warren Knowles-Gaylord Nelson stewardship program for the purchase of the easements. This bill undoes those changes, reinstating DATCP’s requirement to solicit applications to the program at least once annually, providing DATCP authority for $25,000,000 in general fund supported borrowing for the purchase of easements, and removing the requirement that DNR provide DATCP funds from the Warren Knowles-Gaylord Nelson stewardship program for the purchase of the easements.