HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 107 Offered January 11, 2006 Prefiled January 10, 2006 Requesting the Department of Conservation and Recreation to study an Urban Best Management Practices Cost-Share and Tax Credit program. Report. ---------- Patrons-- Bulova, Eisenberg and Wittman ---------- Referred to Committee on Rules ----------

WHEREAS, the Commonwealth currently has an Agricultural Best Management Practices Cost-Share and Tax Credit program; and

WHEREAS, the program has proven to be successful in encouraging the voluntary, on-the-ground implementation of agricultural conservation measures; and

WHEREAS, such measures have helped the Commonwealth meet the nutrient and sediment reduction goals of the Chesapeake Bay Agreement Tributary Strategies; and

WHEREAS, the same principles that apply to agricultural land uses are also applicable to urban land uses; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the Department of Conservation and Recreation be requested to study an Urban Best Management Practices Cost-Share and Tax Credit program. As part of the study, consideration should be given to whether such a program would be beneficial to water quality improvement and economically feasible for the Commonwealth.

In conducting the study, the Department of Conservation and Recreation shall examine (i) similar programs and their effectiveness in other states, focusing on states surrounding the Commonwealth; (ii) the costs versus the benefits of such a program; (iii) whether and to what extent such a program will further the nutrient and sediment reduction goals of the Chesapeake Bay Agreement; (iv) options for the structure for implementing such a program; and (v) any other methods for achieving the same goals.

Technical assistance shall be provided to the Department of Conservation and Recreation by the House and Senate Clerk's offices. All agencies of the Commonwealth shall provide assistance to the Department of Conservation and Recreation for this study, upon request. The Department of Conservation and Recreation shall work directly with the Department of Taxation in determining the revenue benefits and the tax expenditures resulting from the implementation of such a program.

The Department of Conservation and Recreation shall complete its meetings for the first year by November 30, 2006, and for the second year by November 30, 2007, and the Director of the Department of Conservation and Recreation shall submit to the Division of Legislative Automated Systems an executive summary of the findings and recommendations no later than the first day of the next Regular Session of the General Assembly for each year. Each executive summary shall state whether the Department of Conservation and Recreation intends to submit to the General Assembly and the Governor a report of its findings and recommendations for publication as a House or Senate document. The executive summaries and reports shall be submitted as provided in the procedures of the Division of Legislative Automated Systems for the processing of legislative documents and reports and no later than the first day of the next Regular Session of the General Assembly shall be posted on the General Assembly's website.