3.2-201 - Powers and duties of Office of Farmland Preservation. - Virginia Statutes

§ 3.2-201. Powers and duties of Office of Farmland Preservation.

A. The Office of Farmland Preservation shall have the following powers andduties:

1. To develop, in cooperation with the Department of Business Assistance, theVirginia Farm Bureau Federation, the American Farmland Trust, the VirginiaLand Conservation Foundation, the Virginia Outdoors Foundation, the VirginiaAssociation of Counties, and the Virginia Cooperative Extension: (i) modelpolicies and practices that may be used as a guide to establish localpurchase of development rights programs; (ii) criteria for the certificationof local purchase of development rights programs as eligible to receivegrants, loans or other funds from public sources; and (iii) methods andsources of revenue for allocating funds to localities to purchaseagricultural conservation easements;

2. To create programs to educate the public about the importance of farmlandpreservation to the quality of life in the Commonwealth;

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

4. To provide technical, professional, and other assistance to localgovernments interested in developing additional farmland preservationpolicies and programs. Such policies and programs shall include (i) use valueassessment and taxation pursuant to §§ 58.1-3230 and 58.1-3231; (ii) transferof development rights pursuant to Article 7.1 (§ 15.2-2316.1 et seq.) ofChapter 22 of Title 15.2; (iii) agricultural and forestal districts pursuantto Chapter 43 (§ 15.2-4300 et seq.) of Title 15.2; and (iv) establishment oflocal lease of development rights; and

5. To administer the Virginia Farm Link program established pursuant to §3.2-202.

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

(2001, c. 521, § 3.1-18.10; 2008, cc. 530, 860; 2009, c. 389.)