Districts shall be eligible for reimbursement by the State to the extent of 50 percent of the amount expended by the district, up to $60,000 per district in any fiscal year, for the employment of conservation field technicians or district managers and the purchase of supplies and equipment related to these positions, for the purpose of supervising or providing technical assistance for the establishment and implementation of soil and water conservation practices in accordance with programs undertaken by the district pursuant to the provisions of section 11-a(1)(a) of the New York State Soil and Water Conservation Districts Law. For the purposes of this section, the soil and water conservation district of New York City shall be considered the equivalent of five districts.