(a) If a county is certified by the Department of Planning under § 5-408
of the State Finance and Procurement Article as having established an
effective county agricultural land preservation program, and if there
are moneys remaining in the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation
Fund at the end of the fiscal year, the county may apply to the
Foundation for an amount equal to the difference between:
(1) The aggregate amount allotted on behalf of the county under general
allotted purchases of easements as provided in § 2-508(b) of this
subtitle for the fiscal year in which easement purchases are made; and
(2) The amount committed by the Foundation on behalf of the county under
general allotted purchases of easements as provided in § 2-508(b) of
this subtitle for the fiscal year in which easement purchases are made.
(b) The distribution under this section shall be made within 60 days of the
end of each fiscal year.
(c) If the moneys remaining in the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation
Fund at the end of the fiscal year are insufficient to distribute the
total amount applied for under subsection (a) of this section, the
maximum amount that may be distributed to any certified county is:
(1) The total sum available divided by the number of counties applying for
additional funds under this section; less
(2) The amount committed by the Foundation on behalf of the county under
general allotted purchases of easements as provided in § 2-508(b) of
this subtitle for the fiscal year in which easement purchases are made.
(d) A county may use the additional funds distributed under this section
only for an approved agricultural land preservation program for the
purposes stated under § 2-512 of this subtitle, including use for
bond annuity funds, collateralizing loans, or matching funds.
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