Sec 45-483. Designation of protected farmland; notice; revocation of designation; irrigation water duty; assured water supply credit for extinguishment of irrigation grandfathered right prohibited

A. A person who owns land within an active management area that is legally entitled to be irrigated with groundwater pursuant to an irrigation grandfathered right may apply to the director for designation of the land as protected farmland. On receipt of an application, the director shall grant the application and designate the land identified in the application as protected farmland if the director determines that the land is subject to an agricultural easement established pursuant to title 3, chapter 18, article 1, or a conservation easement that prohibits the development of the land for nonagricultural uses pursuant to the federal farmland protection program established by Public Law 104-127; 110 Stat. 888.

B. A person who owns land that has been designated by the director as protected farmland pursuant to subsection A of this section shall notify the director in writing if the agricultural or conservation easement in the land terminates. The notice shall be given within thirty days after the termination of the easement and shall specify the reason for the termination.

C. After the director designates land as protected farmland pursuant to subsection A of this section, the director shall revoke the designation if either of the following apply:

1. The agricultural or conservation easement in the land has terminated. If the director revokes a designation of protected farmland under this paragraph, the director shall determine at that time whether the agricultural or conservation easement terminated because a partial or full condemnation of the land made farming impracticable. The director shall give written notice of the revocation and of the director's determination of whether the easement terminated because a partial or full condemnation of the land made farming impracticable to the owner at the owner's last address on file with the department.

2. The owner of the land has requested the director to revoke the designation and the agricultural or conservation easement in the land has not terminated.

D. Notwithstanding any other law, if the director designates land as protected farmland pursuant to subsection A of this section, the irrigation water duty for the land shall be the irrigation water duty in effect for the land under the applicable management plan when the application for designation was filed, including any subsequent adjustments to that water duty as a result of an application for administrative review filed with the director pursuant to section 45-575, subsection A. If the director revokes the designation of protected farmland pursuant to subsection C of this section, the irrigation water duty for the land shall be the irrigation water duty established for the land in the applicable management plan pursuant to section 45-566, 45-567 or 45-568.

E. Notwithstanding any other law or rule, the director shall not establish or grant an assured water supply credit for the extinguishment of an irrigation grandfathered right under the rules adopted by the director pursuant to section 45-576, subsection H if the land to which the irrigation grandfathered right is appurtenant was previously designated by the director as protected farmland pursuant to subsection A of this section. This subsection shall not apply to land that was designated by the director as protected farmland if the director revoked the designation pursuant to subsection C, paragraph 1 of this section and the director determined at that time that the agricultural or conservation easement in the land was terminated because a partial or full condemnation of the land made farming impracticable.

F. Section 45-114, subsections A and B govern administrative proceedings, rehearing or review and judicial review of final decisions of the director under this section.