1. (a) The Agricultural Environmental Management Program is created in the Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets to provide the farms of Vermont with State financial assistance to alternatively manage their farmstead, cropland, and pasture in a manner that will address identified water quality concerns that, traditionally, would have been wholly or partially addressed through federal, State, and landowner investments in BMP infrastructure, in agronomic practices, or both. The Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets may approve one or more of the following practices for participation in the Program:

   1. (1) conservation easements;
   2. (2) land acquisition;
   3. (3) farm structure decommissioning;
   4. (4) site reclamation; or
   5. (5) issue a grant as an in-lieu payment not to exceed $200,000.00 as an alternative to the best management practice program implementation to otherwise address the same conservation issues for an equivalent or longer term.

2. (b) The Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets shall use funds available to the Agency and eligible for use for water quality programs or projects to provide financial assistance to Vermont farmers, provided that the Agency may use capital funds to provide financial assistance for practices approved under subdivisions (a)(1)-(4) of this section if the practice is:

   1. (1) performed in conjunction with a term agreement of not less than 15 years in duration or a permanent easement protecting the investment; and
   2. (2) abating a water quality resource concern on a farm.
3. (c) The Agency may use capital funds to provide financial assistance for a practice approved under subdivision (a)(5) of this section only upon the approval of the State Treasurer.

(Added 2019, No. 64, § 14.)