N.Y. AGM Law § 323

§ 323. State agricultural and farmland protection program. The\ncommissioner shall initiate and maintain a state agricultural and\nfarmland protection program to provide financial and technical\nassistance, within funds available, to counties, municipalities, soil\nand water conservation districts, and not-for-profit conservation\norganizations for their agricultural and farmland protection efforts.\nActivities to be conducted by the commissioner shall include, but not be\nlimited to:\n 1. developing guidelines for the creation by counties and\nmunicipalities of agricultural and farmland protection plans;\n 2. providing technical assistance to county agricultural and farmland\nprotection boards, as established in article twenty-five-AA of this\nchapter, and municipalities;\n 3. administering state assistance payments to county agricultural and\nfarmland protection boards, municipalities and soil and water\nconservation districts;\n 4. disseminating information to county and municipal governments, soil\nand water conservation districts, owners of agricultural lands and other\nagricultural interests about the state agricultural and farmland\nprotection program established pursuant to this article;\n 5. administering state assistance payments to not-for-profit\nconservation organizations; and\n 6. reporting biennially to the governor and the legislature regarding\nthe activities of the commissioner, the types of technical assistance\nrendered to county agricultural and farmland protection boards,\nmunicipalities, soil and water conservation districts and not-for-profit\nconservation organizations, and the need to protect the state's\nagricultural economy and land resources.\n