§3830. Environmental conservation acreage reserve program

(a) Establishment

(1) In general

During the 1996 through 2002 calendar years, the Secretary shall establish an environmental conservation acreage reserve program (referred to in this section as "ECARP") to be implemented through contracts and the acquisition of easements to assist owners and operators of farms and ranches to conserve and enhance soil, water, and related natural resources, including grazing land, wetland, and wildlife habitat.

(2) Means

The Secretary shall carry out the ECARP by-

(A) providing for the long-term protection of environmentally sensitive land; and

(B) providing technical and financial assistance to farmers and ranchers to-

(i) improve the management and operation of the farms and ranches; and

(ii) reconcile productivity and profitability with protection and enhancement of the environment.

(3) Programs

The ECARP shall consist of-

(A) the conservation reserve program established under subpart B;

(B) the wetlands reserve program established under subpart C; and

(C) the environmental quality incentives program established under part IV of this subchapter.

(b) Administration

(1) In general

In carrying out the ECARP, the Secretary shall enter into contracts with owners and operators and acquire interests in land through easements from owners, as provided in this part and part IV of this subchapter.

(2) Prior enrollments

Acreage enrolled in the conservation reserve or wetlands reserve program prior to April 4, 1996, shall be considered to be placed into the ECARP.

(c) Conservation priority areas

(1) Designation

The Secretary may designate watersheds, multistate areas, or regions of special environmental sensitivity as conservation priority areas that are eligible for enhanced assistance under this part and part IV of this subchapter.

(2) Assistance

The Secretary may designate areas as conservation priority areas to assist, to the maximum extent practicable, agricultural producers within the conservation priority areas to comply with nonpoint source pollution requirements under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.) and other Federal and State environmental laws and to meet other conservation needs.

(3) Producers

The Secretary may provide technical assistance, cost-share payments, and incentive payments to producers in a conservation priority area under this part and part IV of this subchapter based on-

(A) the significance of the soil, water, wildlife habitat, and related natural resource problems in a watershed, multistate area, or region; and

(B) the structural practices or land management practices that best address the problems, and that maximize environmental benefits for each dollar expended, as determined by the Secretary.

(Pub. L. 99–198, title XII, §1230, as added Pub. L. 101–624, title XIV, §1431(2), Nov. 28, 1990, 104 Stat. 3576 ; amended Pub. L. 103–66, title I, §1402(a), Aug. 10, 1993, 107 Stat. 332 ; Pub. L. 104–127, title III, §331, Apr. 4, 1996, 110 Stat. 992 .)

References in Text

The Federal Water Pollution Control Act, referred to in subsec. (c)(2), is act June 30, 1948, ch. 758, as amended generally by Pub. L. 92–500, §2, Oct. 18, 1972, 86 Stat. 816 , which is classified generally to chapter 26 (§1251 et seq.) of Title 33, Navigation and Navigable Waters. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 1251 of Title 33 and Tables.

Amendments

1996-Pub. L. 104–127 amended section generally. Prior to amendment, section consisted of subsecs. (a) to (c) requiring Secretary to establish and implement an Environmental Conservation Acreage Reserve Program during 1991 through 1995 calendar years.

1993-Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 103–66 struck out before period at end "to place in the Environmental Conservation Acreage Reserve Program during the 1986 through 1995 calendar years a total of not less than 40,000,000 nor more than 45,000,000 acres".

Conservation Assistance

Pub. L. 106–224, title II, §211, June 20, 2000, 114 Stat. 406 , provided that:

"(a) Farmland Protection.-For the purposes described in section 388 of the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 (16 U.S.C. 3830 note; Public Law 104–127), the Secretary shall use $10,000,000 of funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation to make payments to-

"(1) any agency of any State or local government, or federally recognized Indian tribe, including farmland protection boards and land resource councils established under State law; and

"(2) any organization that-

"(A) is organized for, and at all times since the formation of the organization has been operated principally for, one or more of the conservation purposes specified in clause (i), (ii), or (iii) of section 170(h)(4)(A) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 [26 U.S.C. 170(h)(4)(A)(i)–(iii)];

"(B) is an organization described in section 501(c)(3) of that Code [26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3)] that is exempt from taxation under section 501(a) of that Code;

"(C) is described in section 509(a)(2) of that Code [26 U.S.C. 509(a)(2)]; or

"(D) is described in section 509(a)(3) of that Code and is controlled by an organization described in section 509(a)(2) of that Code.

"(b) Soil and Water Conservation Assistance.-

"(1) Establishment.-The Secretary shall use $40,000,000 of funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation to provide financial assistance to farmers and ranchers to-

"(A) address threats to soil, water, and related natural resources, including grazing land, wetland, and wildlife habitat;

"(B) comply with Federal and State environmental laws; and

"(C) make beneficial, cost-effective changes to cropping systems, grazing management, manure, nutrient, pest, or irrigation management, land uses, or other measures needed to conserve and improve soil, water, and related natural resources.

"(2) Type of assistance.-Assistance under this subsection may be made in the form of cost share payments or incentive payments, as determined by the Secretary.

"(3) Areas.-The Secretary shall provide assistance under this subsection to areas that are not designated under section 1230(c) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3830(c))."

Farmland Protection Program

Section 388 of Pub. L. 104–127 provided that:

"(a) In General.-The Secretary of Agriculture shall establish and carry out a farmland protection program under which the Secretary shall purchase conservation easements or other interests in not less than 170,000, nor more than 340,000, acres of land with prime, unique, or other productive soil that is subject to a pending offer from a State or local government for the purpose of protecting topsoil by limiting nonagricultural uses of the land.

"(b) Conservation Plan.-Any highly erodible cropland for which a conservation easement or other interest is purchased under this section shall be subject to the requirements of a conservation plan that requires, at the option of the Secretary, the conversion of the cropland to less intensive uses.

"(c) Funding.-The Secretary shall use not more than $35,000,000 of the funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation to carry out this section."

Section Referred to in Other Sections

This section is referred to in section 3839aa–3 of this title.