HB1925: Clean Water Farm Award Program; identifies type of agricultural best management practices.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That 10.1-104.3 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:

10.1-104.3. Clean Water Farm Award Program.

The Director shall establish the Clean Water Farm Award Program to recognize farms in the Commonwealth which utilize practices designed to protect water quality and soil resources. A farm shall be eligible for recognition upon application from the farmer or the local soil and water conservation district, if the district concurs that the farmer is fully implementing conservation practices that effectively address agricultural nonpoint source pollutants. Such practices may include vegetative riparian buffers, cover crops, conservation tillage, livestock exclusion from waterways, and a nutrient management plan plans. The Director may establish guidelines for limiting the quantity of annual recipients, receiving and ranking applications, ensuring geographical representation of awards from the major watersheds of the Commonwealth including the Chesapeake Bay watershed, providing local farm recognition through the local soil and water conservation districts, and providing special statewide recognition to select farms, to be known as the Bay-Friendly Farm Awards, within the Chesapeake Bay watershed, and as the Clean Water Farm Awards in all other areas of the Commonwealth. The Department shall report to the General Assembly annually by December 1, the names, addresses and location of signs posted at recipient farms. Recognition under this program shall not be a requirement under any other state program.