In administering the program, the department shall, under the direction and advice of the council:

(1) Give priority to project proposals that protect agricultural lands susceptible to development, subdivision, and fragmentation;

(2) Adopt a scoring process for evaluating project proposals and prioritizing projects based on the extent that the project will:

(A) Protect farmland in active or planned cultivation;

(B) Prevent development or fragmentation that would result in farmland loss;

(C) Support transition of affordable farmland to next-generation farmers;

(D) Leverage local, federal, or private funding, taking into account whether such funding includes a match requirement;

(E) Support conservation priorities, including, but not limited to, protection of habitat, water quality, watershed conservation, climate resiliency, local conservation plans, and public viewshed;

(F) Preserve or enhance soil quality; and

(G) Create or further enhance compatibility with existing military installations; and

(3) Ensure that, per its terms, any agricultural conservation easement to be acquired through the project:

(A) Is of perpetual duration;

(B) May not be assigned to or enforced by a third party without the express written consent of the landowner; and

(C) Aligns with existing federal and local programs to maximize potential for matching funds.