Funding of farmland protection programs

(a) County funds. -- (1) Creation of county funds. -- Once having created a county farmland protection program, a county commission may authorize the county farmland protection board to create and maintain a farmland protection fund and hire staff as it considers appropriate. (2) Sources. -- A county farmland protection fund is comprised of: (A) Any moneys not specifically limited to other uses and dedicated to the fund by a county commission; (B) Any moneys collected pursuant to section twenty-one of this article; (C) Any money made available to the fund by grants or transfers from governmental or private sources; and (D) Any money realized by investments, interest, dividends or distributions. (b) State fund. -– (1) Created and continued. -- The West Virginia farmland protection fund is created for the purposes specified in this article. (2) Sources. -- The West Virginia farmland protection fund is comprised of: (A) Any money made available to the fund by general or special fund appropriations; (B) Any money made available to the fund by grants or transfers from governmental or private sources; (C) Any money realized by investments, interest, dividends or distributions; and (D) Any money appropriated by the Legislature for the West Virginia farmland protection fund. (3) Disbursements. -- The treasurer may not disburse any money from the fund other than: (A) For costs associated with the staffing, administration, and technical and legal duties of the authority; (B) For reasonable expenses incurred by the members of the board of trustees of the authority in the performance of official duties; and (C) For consideration in the purchase of farmland conservation and preservation easements. (4) Money remaining at end of fiscal year. -- Any money remaining in the fund at the end of a fiscal year shall not revert to the General Revenue Fund of the state, but shall remain in the West Virginia farmland protection fund to be used for the purposes specified in this article. (5) Budget. -- The estimated budget of the authority for the next fiscal year shall be included with the budget of the West Virginia Department of Agriculture. (6) Audit. -- The fund shall be audited annually.