PRIOR PRINTER'S NOS. 2241, 3294 PRINTER'S NO. 3471
No. 1860 Session of 1993
INTRODUCED BY MILLER, ROHRER, HERSHEY, TRUE, BAKER, KREBS,
GORDNER, LAUB, FICHTER, NAILOR, ARGALL, FAIRCHILD, HENNESSEY,
FARGO, BUNT, SEMMEL, STERN, SANTONI, GEIST, NICKOL, GERLACH,
EGOLF, HASAY, BARLEY, NYCE, STEELMAN, GODSHALL, SCHEETZ,
McCALL, CLYMER, PLATTS, E. Z. TAYLOR, HESS, PITTS, BROWN,
TRELLO, MARSICO, ARMSTRONG, VANCE, PETTIT AND STEIL,
JUNE 22, 1993
AS RE-REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS, HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, APRIL 11, 1994
AN ACT
1 Reenacting the proceeds disposition provision of the act of June
2 18, 1982 (P.L.549, No.159), entitled "An act providing for
3 the administration of certain Commonwealth farmland within
4 the Department of Agriculture," and providing for an
5 agricultural land conservation assistance grant program.
6 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
7 hereby enacts as follows:
8 Section 1. Section 7.1 of the act of June 18, 1982 (P.L.549,
9 No.159), entitled "An act providing for the administration of
10 certain Commonwealth farmland within the Department of
11 Agriculture," added May 13, 1988 (P.L.398, No.64), is reenacted
12 and amended to read:
13 Section 7.1. Proceeds from the sale of land, equipment or
14 facilities.
15 (a) Proceeds from the sale of all land, or portions of land,
16 equipment or facilities, transferred to the Department of
1 Agriculture under this act and subsequently disposed of by the
2 Commonwealth under Article XXIV-A of the act of April 9, 1929
3 (P.L.177, No.175), known as The Administrative Code of 1929,
4 shall, notwithstanding section 623 of The Administrative Code of
5 1929 or any other provision of the law to the contrary, be
6 credited to the Agricultural Conservation Easement Purchase
7 Fund.
8 (b) Proceeds from the sale of all land, or portions of land,
9 equipment or facilities at the Woodville State Farm, Collier
10 Township, Allegheny County, and transferred to the Department of
11 Agriculture under this act and subsequently disposed of by the
12 Commonwealth under Article XXIV-A of The Administrative Code of
13 1929 shall, notwithstanding any other provision of the law to
14 the contrary, be credited to the Farm Products Show Fund.
15 (c) Section 623 of The Administrative Code of 1929, relating
16 to disposition of Commonwealth assets, shall not apply to
17 section 7.1(a) of this act insofar as it is inconsistent with
18 this section.
19 Section 2. The act is amended by adding a section to read:
20 Section 7.3. Agricultural land conservation assistance grant
21 program.
22 (a) The department, in consultation with the State
23 Agricultural Land Preservation Board, is hereby authorized to
24 use UP TO $750,000 OF THE funds deposited into the Agricultural <--
25 Conservation Easement Purchase Fund under section 7.1(a) to make
26 grants to counties for the following purposes:
27 (1) To cover costs incurred by a county in creating a
28 spatial mapping database. Such database shall contain county
29 topographic data, property boundaries, soil boundaries, soil
30 capability classes and soil productivity ratings.for lands in <--
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1 the county under agricultural conservation easement
2 restrictions.
3 (2) To cover costs incurred by a county in establishing <--
4 an agricultural conservation easement purchase program. Such
5 grants may be used to train staff, contract with consultants
6 and pay other administrative expenses related to promoting
7 and implementing agricultural conservation easement purchase
8 programs.
9 (3) To assist counties in the development and
10 implementation of agricultural zoning ordinances, including
11 model ordinances for possible adoption by municipalities.
12 (b) Grants made pursuant to subsection (a) shall be in the
13 following amounts:
14 (1) An amount not to exceed the lesser of $5,000 or 50%
15 of the cost incurred by a county in the development of a
16 spatial mapping database.
17 (2) An amount not to exceed the lesser of $20,000 or 50%
18 of the cost incurred by a county in the development and
19 implementation of agricultural zoning ordinances or in the
20 establishment of an agricultural land preservation program.
21 (c) On or before January 1 of each year, a A county may <--
22 submit an application for a grant under this section to the
23 department in such form and manner and containing such
24 documentation as the department, in consultation with the State
25 board, shall prescribe.
26 (d) The department, in consultation with the State board,
27 shall establish eligibility criteria for awarding grants for the
28 purposes enumerated herein. NO COUNTY SHALL BE ELIGIBLE FOR MORE <--
29 THAN AN ACCUMULATIVE TOTAL OF $25,000 IN GRANTS PURSUANT TO THIS
30 SECTION.
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1 (e) The department shall administer the provisions of this
2 act and is authorized, in consultation with the State board, to
3 adopt and promulgate regulations for the administration and
4 enforcement of the provisions of this act.
5 (f) The authority of the department to make grants under
6 this section shall expire on December 31, 1999.
7 Section 3. The reenactment of and the amendment to section
8 7.1 shall be retroactive to August 14, 1991.
9 Section 4. This act shall take effect immediately.
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