2-5109.

Contractual agreement; terms; payments; renewal.

(1) Upon approval of an application by the district and the department, the district shall enter into a contractual agreement with the applicant for the land included in the buffer strip. The agreement shall include a provision that the applicant shall maintain the buffer strip in accordance with the approved plan during the term of the rental agreement. The agreement may also include a provision that the applicant shall not apply specified fertilizers on buffered fields between designated dates. Failure to maintain the buffer strip in accordance with the plan shall be cause for all future payments under the agreement to be forfeited and shall be cause for the recovery by the department of any payments previously made. Upon submission of a copy of the agreement to the department, it shall authorize the State Treasurer to transfer funds to the district from the Buffer Strip Incentive Fund in an amount equal to the total amount of funds due for the agreement in that district that year. Such transfer shall be made as soon as funds are available.

(2) If the applicant does not receive reimbursement from any other source for the land included in the buffer strip, the district shall pay the applicant annually an amount not to exceed two hundred fifty dollars per acre or fraction thereof included in the buffer strip.

(3) If the applicant receives reimbursement from any other source for the land included in the buffer strip, the district shall pay the applicant annually an amount not to exceed two hundred fifty dollars per acre included in the buffer strip, minus the amount of the other reimbursement.

(4) The actual amount of any payment made to an applicant under subsection (2) or (3) of this section shall be determined by the district using the sliding scale provided in rules and regulations adopted and promulgated pursuant to section 2-5111. Such amount shall be included as part of the application submitted to the department.

(5) Contractual agreements pursuant to this section shall be for a minimum term of five years and a maximum term of ten years.

(6) Following the expiration of any contractual agreement pursuant to this section, the applicant may apply to renew the agreement. Any application for renewal of an agreement shall be made in accordance with sections 2-5107 to 2-5109 and shall be considered with any new applications.