New Hampshire § 432-19 - Section 432:19 Agricultural Lands Preservation Committee; Members, Appointment, Term.

§ 432-19. Section 432:19 Agricultural Lands Preservation Committee; Members, Appointment, Term.

I. There is hereby established an agricultural lands preservation committee which shall function within the department of agriculture, markets, and food. II. The committee shall consist of 9 voting members and 2 nonvoting members, to be appointed as follows: (a) The commissioner of the department of agriculture, markets, and food who shall be chairman; (b) The commissioner of the department of natural and cultural resources, or his designee; (c) The director of the division of planning and community development, or his designee; (d) The secretary of the agricultural advisory board; (e) 4 members, 3 of whom are owners and operators of farms in the state, who shall be appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the council for 3 years. Of the initial appointees, one shall hold office for one year, one for 2 years and one for 3 years; (f) One member from the New Hampshire Land Trust Coalition, appointed by the governor; (g) The dean of the college of life sciences and agriculture of the university system of New Hampshire, or his designee, who shall serve as a nonvoting member; and (h) The New Hampshire state conservationist of the United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service, or his designee, who shall serve as a nonvoting member. III. Members of the committee who are not state employees shall be paid $25 a day, each, for such time as they are actually engaged in the work of the committee. All members shall be paid their actual expenses incurred as a result of such work and shall be paid mileage at the same rate as state employees. IV. A majority of the voting members of the committee shall constitute a quorum.