The council shall:

1. (1) give priority to applications that protect and maintain the agricultural or timber productivity of lands that are susceptible to development, including subdivision and fragmentation; and

2. (2) adopt a scoring process to be used in evaluating applications that considers the following:

   1. (A) maintenance of landscape and watershed integrity to conserve water and natural resources;
   2. (B) protection of habitats for native plant and animal species, including habitats for endangered, threatened, rare, or sensitive species;
   3. (C) potential for leveraging state money allocated to the program with additional public or private money;
   4. (D) proximity of the subject property to other protected lands;
   5. (E) the term of the proposed easement, whether perpetual or for a term of 30 years;
   6. (F) the land's agricultural or timber productivity; and

   7. (G) a resource management plan agreed to by both parties and approved by the council.

      Transferred, redesignated and amended from Natural Resources Code, Subchapter B, Chapter 183 by Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 401 (H.B. 1925), Sec. 1, eff. June 10, 2015.

      Acts 2025, 89th Leg., R.S., Ch. 124 (H.B. 2018), Sec. 3, eff. September 1, 2025.