EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
amendment.
*hb0876*
HOUSE BILL 876
M1 2lr2139
By: Delegate Stein
Introduced and read first time: February 7, 2022
Assigned to: Environment and Transportation
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
House action: Adopted
Read second time: March 11, 2022
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Maryland Forestry Education Fund – Establishment 2
FOR the purpose of establishing the Maryland Forestry Education Fund as a special, 3
nonlapsing fund to expand and enhance the Maryland Forestry Foundation’s 4
capacity to provide certain education and resources to forest landowners, the ability 5
of district forestry boards and the knowledge of local governments to achieve healthy 6
and sustainable forests, and the ability of businesses to test innovative best 7
management practices in forestry; requiring interest earnings of the Fund to be 8
credited to the Fund; and generally relating to the Maryland Forestry Education 9
Fund. 10
BY adding to 11
Article – Natural Resources 12
Section 5–2001 to be under the new subtitle “Subtitle 20. Maryland Forestry 13
Education Fund” 14
Annotated Code of Maryland 15
(2018 Replacement Volume and 2021 Supplement) 16
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 17
Article – State Finance and Procurement 18
Section 6–226(a)(2)(i) 19
Annotated Code of Maryland 20
(2021 Replacement Volume) 21
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 22 2 HOUSE BILL 876
Article – State Finance and Procurement 1
Section 6–226(a)(2)(ii)144. and 145. 2
Annotated Code of Maryland 3
(2021 Replacement Volume) 4
BY adding to 5
Article – State Finance and Procurement 6
Section 6–226(a)(2)(ii)146. 7
Annotated Code of Maryland 8
(2021 Replacement Volume) 9
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 10
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 11
Article – Natural Resources 12
SUBTITLE 20. MARYLAND FORESTRY EDUCATION FUND. 13
5–2001. 14
(A) IN THIS SECTION , “FUND” MEANS THE MARYLAND FORESTRY 15
EDUCATION FUND. 16
(B) THERE IS A MARYLAND FORESTRY EDUCATION FUND. 17
(C) THE PURPOSE OF THE FUND IS TO EXPAND AND ENHANCE: 18
(1) THE MARYLAND FORESTRY FOUNDATION’S CAPACITY TO 19
PROVIDE EDUCATION AN D RESOURCES THAT SUP PORT MARYLAND’S FOREST 20
LANDOWNERS ; 21
(2) THE ABILITY OF DISTRI CT FORESTRY BOARDS A ND THE 22
KNOWLEDGE OF LOCAL G OVERNMENTS IN MARYLAND TO ACHIEVE : 23
(I) ENVIRONMENTAL , ECONOMIC, AND SOCIAL 24
SUSTAINABILITY OF FO REST HEALTH; AND 25
(II) THE SUSTAINABLE MANAG EMENT OF FOREST RESO URCES; 26
AND 27
(3) THE ABILITY OF BUSINE SSES TO TEST INNOVAT IVE BEST 28
MANAGEMENT PRACTICES IN FORESTRY. 29
(D) THE MARYLAND FORESTRY FOUNDATION SHALL ADMI NISTER THE 30
FUND. 31 HOUSE BILL 876 3
(E) (1) THE FUND IS A SPECIAL , NONLAPSING FUND THAT IS NOT 1
SUBJECT TO § 7–302 OF THE STATE FINANCE AND PROCUREMENT ARTICLE. 2
(2) THE STATE TREASURER SHALL HOLD THE FUND SEPARATELY, 3
AND THE COMPTROLLER SHALL ACC OUNT FOR THE FUND. 4
(F) THE FUND CONSISTS OF : 5
(1) MONEY APPROPRIATED IN THE STATE BUDGET TO THE FUND; 6
(2) INTEREST EARNINGS ; AND 7
(3) ANY OTHER MONEY FROM ANY OTHER SOURCE ACC EPTED FOR 8
THE BENEFIT OF THE FUND. 9
(G) THE FUND MAY BE USED ONLY FOR: 10
(1) PROVIDING TRAINING AN D EDUCATION TO FORES T 11
LANDOWNERS , DISTRICT FORESTRY BO ARDS, AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT S TO 12
ENSURE THE LANDOWNER S, BOARDS, AND GOVERNMENTS ARE WELL–INFORMED ON 13
ADVANCES AND DEVELOP MENTS IN: 14
(I) HEALTHY FOREST MANAGE MENT; 15
(II) ECOLOGICAL SERVICE MA RKETS; 16
(III) EMERGING FORESTRY THR EATS; 17
(IV) CLIMATE SCIENCE ; 18
(V) FOREST CONSERVATION ; 19
(VI) URBAN FORESTRY ; 20
(VII) SUSTAINABILITY SCIENC E; 21
(VIII) FORESTRY POLICY ; 22
(IX) FORESTRY PRACTICES ; AND 23
(X) RESOURCE OPTIONS THAT PROMOTE THE MULTIPLE 24
BENEFITS OF FOREST M ANAGEMENT ; 25
4 HOUSE BILL 876
(2) PROVIDING OUTREACH AN D ENGAGEMENT THAT BU ILDS LOCAL 1
CAPACITY AND INSTITU TIONALIZES SUSTAINAB ILITY EFFORTS WITHIN 2
COMMUNITIES AND THE DISTRICT FORESTRY BOARDS , INCLUDING: 3
(I) HOLDING A FOREST SUST AINABILITY CONFERENC E ONCE 4
EVERY 2 YEARS; 5
(II) IMPLEMENTING A PEER –TO–PEER LEARNING EXCHAN GE; 6
AND 7
(III) PROVIDING HEALTHY FOR EST PRESENTATIONS ; 8
(3) DEVELOPING AND EXPAND ING A HEALTHY FOREST EDUCATION 9
AND CONSERVATION PRO GRAM; 10
(4) IMPROVING THE OUTREAC H OF DISTRICT FOREST RY BOARDS BY 11
PROVIDING EDUCATION , RECOGNITION , STRATEGIES, AND ACTIONS THE BOAR DS 12
CAN IMPLEMENT ; 13
(5) PROVIDING SMALL GRANT S TO DISTRICT FORESTRY BO ARDS, 14
FOREST LANDOWNERS , LOCAL GOVERNMENTS , AND BUSINESSES TO TE ST 15
INNOVATIVE BEST MANA GEMENT PRACTICES IN FORESTRY; 16
(6) RECOGNIZING THE EFFOR TS FOREST LANDOWNERS AND LOCAL 17
GOVERNMENTS MAKE TOW ARD ACHIEVING HEALTH Y, SUSTAINABLE FORE ST 18
MANAGEMENT ; AND 19
(7) EXPENSES RELATED TO T HE ADMINISTRATION OF THE FUND. 20
(H) (1) THE STATE TREASURER SHALL INVES T THE MONEY OF THE FUND 21
IN THE SAME MANNER A S OTHER STATE MONEY MAY BE IN VESTED. 22
(2) ANY INTEREST EARNINGS OF THE FUND SHALL BE CREDIT ED TO 23
THE FUND. 24
(I) EXPENDITURES FROM THE FUND MAY BE MADE ONLY IN ACCORDANCE 25
WITH THE STATE BUDGET . 26
(J) MONEY EXPENDED FROM T HE FUND FOR THE OUTREACH , TRAINING, 27
EDUCATION, AND GRANTS UNDER SUB SECTION (G) OF THIS SECTION IS 28
SUPPLEMENTAL TO AND IS NOT INTENDED TO TAKE THE PLACE OF FUNDING THA T 29
OTHERWISE WOULD BE A PPROPRIATED FOR FORE STRY EDUCATION AND 30
OUTREACH. 31
HOUSE BILL 876 5
(K) FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024 AND EACH FISCAL YEAR THEREAFTER , THE 1
GOVERNOR SHALL INCLUD E IN THE ANNUAL BUDG ET BILL AN APPROPRIA TION OF 2
$750,000 $250,000 TO THE FUND. 3
Article – State Finance and Procurement 4
6–226. 5
(a) (2) (i) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, and unless 6
inconsistent with a federal law, grant agreement, or other federal requirement or with the 7
terms of a gift or settlement agreement, net interest on all State money allocated by the 8
State Treasurer under this section to special funds or accounts, and otherwise entitled to 9
receive interest earnings, as accounted for by the Comptroller, shall accrue to the General 10
Fund of the State. 11
(ii) The provisions of subparagraph (i) of this paragraph do not apply 12
to the following funds: 13
144. the Health Equity Resource Community Reserve Fund; 14
[and] 15
145. the Access to Counsel in Evictions Special Fund; AND 16
146. THE MARYLAND FORESTRY EDUCATION FUND. 17
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 18
1, 2022. 19
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.