Section 4.1-01-25 - Regional livestock development and planning program - Grants1. The commissioner shall administer a grant program to assist counties and regional planning councils, as defined in chapter 54-40.1, for livestock development planning. A county or a regional planning council may submit an application for assistance under this section to the commissioner.2. The commissioner shall award grants to counties and regional planning councils for purposes of coordinating strategic planning and accommodating and encouraging investment in livestock production. Grants shall be awarded for the following activities: a. Identification of suitable locations for rural economic development, including animal feeding operations, agricultural processing and storage facilities, and other agricultural-related development. The following factors must be considered when identifying suitable locations for rural economic development:(1) Local zoning and land use regulations;(2) State permitting requirements; and(3) Availability of infrastructure and natural resources necessary to accommodate rural economic development projects.b. Review and updating of township zoning and land use regulations.3. Grants awarded under this section may not exceed: a. Up to twelve thousand dollars for every county included in an application for activities described in subdivision a of subsection 2.b. Up to five hundred dollars for every township included in an application for activities described in subdivision b of subsection 2.4. Any information created, collected, or maintained by the commissioner which identifies individual parcels of land for rural economic development is confidential and not subject to the open records requirements of section 44-04-18.Added by S.L. 2023 , ch. 76( HB 1437 ), § 1, eff. 7/1/2023.