Subd. 1. Establishment and administration.

An agricultural land preservation and conservation awareness program is created. The commissioner shall administer the program as provided in this section. The purposes of the program are to promote and increase public awareness of:

1. (1) the need for agricultural land preservation and conservation and the consequences of resource degradation;
2. (2) the physical, environmental, and social factors that affect agricultural land use; and

3. (3) the availability and effectiveness of agricultural land preservation and conservation approaches and technologies.

   The commissioner shall administer the program in order to develop a working partnership between the state and local governments.

Subd. 2. Survey.

The commissioner shall survey awareness of agricultural land preservation and conservation problems, technologies, and available technical and financial resources. The survey must include:

1. (1) an assessment of related efforts of the United States department of agriculture, the board of water and soil resources, the Minnesota association of soil and water conservation districts, and other related public and private organizations;
2. (2) an assessment of programs in other states; and
3. (3) an assessment of attitudes among a variety of target audiences in Minnesota that are involved in or affected by land use decisions.

Subd. 3. Public participation.

The commissioner shall ensure the participation of a cross section of the public in developing and promoting programs under this chapter. The commissioner shall actively solicit public involvement in reviewing proposed agricultural land preservation plans and proposed official controls. The commissioner shall assist the public in obtaining information concerning the status of county proposals and the agricultural land preservation and conservation assistance program. The department may form a citizen advisory board to assist it in assessing needs, determining the feasibility of different approaches, and securing applications for assistance and resources in local situations.