Bill Summary: A08082

• Establishes an eight-year review period for all agricultural districts and eliminates the option for twelve or twenty-year review periods.

• Removes the requirement for county planning boards to review proposed agricultural districts; the county agricultural and farmland protection board now leads the review process after consultation with the planning board.

• Creates the agricultural data statement requirement for development applications within 500 feet of farm operations in agricultural districts, requiring applicants to notify affected farm owners and municipal boards to evaluate project impacts.

• Increases penalties for failing to notify assessors of agricultural land conversions from a maximum of $500 to $1,000, and increases the minimum payment amount from $100 to $500.

• Expands tax exemption eligibility for agricultural structures to include permanent and impermanent structures like trellises and pergolas used for raising and production of agricultural and horticultural commodities.