10.1-104.3 - Clean Water Farm Award Program. - Virginia Statutes

§ 10.1-104.3. Clean Water Farm Award Program.

The Director shall establish the Clean Water Farm Award Program to recognizefarms in the Commonwealth which utilize practices designed to protect waterquality and soil resources. A farm shall be eligible for recognition uponapplication from the farmer or the local soil and water conservationdistrict, if the district concurs that the farmer is implementingconservation practices that effectively address agricultural nonpoint sourcepollutants. Such practices may include vegetative riparian buffers, covercrops, conservation tillage, livestock exclusion from waterways, and nutrientmanagement plans. The Director may establish guidelines for limiting thequantity of annual recipients, receiving and ranking applications, ensuringgeographical representation of awards from the major watersheds of theCommonwealth including the Chesapeake Bay watershed, providing local farmrecognition through the local soil and water conservation districts, andproviding special statewide recognition to select farms. Recognition underthis program shall not be a requirement under any other state program.

(1998, c. 93; 2009, c. 349.)