Unless otherwise provided by law, any funds appropriated by the State or any federal agency to the State Natural Resources Conservation Council for allocation to districts organized under the provisions of this chapter shall be available for the administrative and other expenses of the districts. The Council shall allocate such money among the districts already organized or likely to be organized during a biennial fiscal period in such manner and in such amounts as shall be fair, reasonable, and in the public interest; due consideration being given to the total acreage of land within each district, to the greater relative expense of carrying on operations within the particular districts because of such factors as unusual topography, unusual conservation measures needed as approved in the district work plan, special difficulty of carrying on operations, the volume of work to be done, and the special importance of instituting conservation operations immediately. The Council may also allocate funds to unions for administrative and other expenses. In making allocations of monies, the Council shall reserve an amount estimated by it to be adequate to enable it to make subsequent allocations in accordance with the provisions of this chapter, from time to time, among unions and districts that may be organized after the initial allocations are made, but within the ensuing biennial fiscal period. Subject to the requirements of 32 V.S.A. § 5 regarding approval of the acceptance of any sum of money, the Council is authorized to accept contributions in the furtherance of the work contemplated by this chapter including grants in aid from any agency of the federal government, from government or private institutions and sources and make agreements with such federal agency as to the terms and conditions of the use of such grants in aid. (Amended 1959, No. 329 (Adj. Sess.), § 11(c), eff. March 1, 1961; 1967, No. 303 (Adj. Sess.), § 5, eff. March 22, 1968; 1995, No. 163 (Adj. Sess.), § 3, eff. May 15, 1996.)