Section 44-10-45 - Administration of programIn administering the program, the department shall, under the direction and advice of the council:
(1) Give priority to project proposals that protect agricultural lands susceptible to development, subdivision, and fragmentation;(2) Adopt a scoring process for evaluating project proposals and prioritizing projects based on the extent that the project will:(A) Protect farmland in active or planned cultivation;(B) Prevent development or fragmentation that would result in farmland loss;(C) Support transition of affordable farmland to next-generation farmers;(D) Leverage local, federal, or private funding, taking into account whether such funding includes a match requirement;(E) Support conservation priorities, including, but not limited to, protection of habitat, water quality, watershed conservation, climate resiliency, local conservation plans, and public viewshed;(F) Preserve or enhance soil quality; and(G) Create or further enhance compatibility with existing military installations; and(3) Ensure that, per its terms, any agricultural conservation easement to be acquired through the project: (A) Is of perpetual duration;(B) May not be assigned to or enforced by a third party without the express written consent of the landowner; and(C) Aligns with existing federal and local programs to maximize potential for matching funds.Added by 2023 Ga. Laws 13,§ 1, eff. 7/1/2023.