The Director of Agriculture may run a grant program for certain counties and must receive and decide grant applications.
(1) From funds available in the Livestock Growth Act Cash Fund, the Director of Agriculture may administer a grant program to assist counties designated by the director as livestock friendly counties pursuant to section 54-2802 in livestock development planning and associated public infrastructure improvements. The director shall receive applications submitted by county boards or county planning authorities for assistance under this section and award grants for any of the following eligible purposes: (a) Strategic planning to accommodate and encourage investment in livestock production, including one or more of the following activities: (i) Reviewing zoning and land-use regulations; (ii) Evaluating workforce availability, educational, institutional, public infrastructure, marketing, transportation, commercial service, natural resource, and agricultural assets, and needs of the county and surrounding areas to support livestock development; (iii) Identifying livestock development goals and opportunities for the county; (iv) Identifying and evaluating a location or locations suitable for placement of livestock production facilities; and (v) Developing a marketing strategy to promote and attract investment in new or expanded livestock production and related livestock service and marketing businesses within the county; and (b) Improvements to public infrastructure to accommodate one or more livestock development projects, including modifications to roads and bridges, drainage, and sewer and water systems. An application for a grant under this subdivision shall identify specific infrastructure improvements relating to a project for the establishment, expansion, or relocation of livestock production to which the grant funds would be applied and shall include a copy of the county conditional use permit issued for the livestock operation if required by county zoning regulations. (2) A grant award under subdivision (1)(a) of this section shall not exceed fifteen thousand dollars. A grant award under subdivision (1)(b) of this section shall not exceed one-half of the unobligated balance of the Livestock Growth Act Cash Fund or two hundred thousand dollars, whichever is less. History: Laws 2015, LB175, § 3.