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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>345356</law_id><section_number>10.1-104.3</section_number><catch_line>Clean Water Farm Award Program</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2026/" slug="2026" current="TRUE" last_updated="2026-08-02">2026</edition><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="38" identifier="10.1">Conservation</unit><unit label="subtitle" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="I">Activities Administered by the Department of Conservation and Recreation</unit><unit label="chapter" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="1">General Provisions</unit><unit label="article" level="4" order_by="1" identifier="1">Department of Conservation and Recreation</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>The <span class="dictionary">Director</span> 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 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 nutrient management plans. The <span class="dictionary">Director</span> 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. Recognition under this program shall not be a requirement under any other state program.</p></section></text><history>1998, c. 93; 2009, c. 349.</history><metadata><court_decisions></court_decisions></metadata></law>
