ANNUAL REPORT OF THE COUNSEL 

 John J. McColgan, Counsel 



This year marked the most significant milestone in Massachusetts 

 agriculture within the last 100 years » With the passage of the Agricultural 

 Preservation Restriction Act, Massachusetts has embarked on a very positive 

 program to save its prime farmland. This program will be administered by 

 the Department » 



Another responsibility will be the administration of the Pesticide 

 Board, which was transferred from the Department of Environmental Quality 

 Engineering, 



The following Acts of this fiscal year have direct influence on the 

 Department of Food and Agriculture. 



Chapter 641, An Act relating to the composition of the Reclamation 

 Boardo (Approved October 14, 1977) 



Chapter 694, An Act allowing the sale of imitation frozen desserts 

 and frozen desserts made with milk fat substitutes. (Approved October 31, 

 1977) 



Chapter 780, Ar. Act providing for the acquisition of Agricultural 

 Preservation Restrictions by the Commonwealth. (Approved December 1, 1977) 



There was included in the Act a five million dollar bond issue for 

 a pilot program to purchase development rights from owners of prime 

 agricultural lands. This is to be administered within the Department, 



Chapter 793, An Act relative to the control and eradication 

 of brucellosis in bovine animals. (Approved December 3, 1977) 



Because of the incidence of brucellosis in some cattle herds in 

 the Commonwealth, this act allowed for increasing the compensation paid 

 to owners of cattle destroyed because of infection by, or exposure to 

 brucellosis. 



Chapter 857, An Act regulating the dealing in and transportation 

 of equine animals. (Approved December 23, 1977) 



This Act added regulatory responsibilities and licensing 



