View all text of Subpartb [§ 3831 - § 3835a]
§ 3831c. Pilot programs
(a) CLEAR 30
(1) In general
(A) Enrollment
(B) Inclusion of acreage limitation
(2) Expired conservation contract election
(A) Definition of covered contractIn this paragraph, the term “covered contract” means a contract entered into under this subpart that—
(i) expires on or after December 20, 2018; and
(ii) covers land enrolled in the conservation reserve program under the clean lakes, estuaries, and rivers priority described in section 3831(d)(3) of this title (or the predecessor practices that constitute the priority, as determined by the Secretary).
(B) ElectionOn the expiration of a covered contract, an owner or operator party to the covered contract shall elect—
(i) not to reenroll the land under the contract;
(ii) to offer to reenroll the land under the contract if the land remains eligible under the terms in effect as of the date of expiration; or
(iii) not to reenroll the land under the contract and to enroll that land through a CLEAR 30 contract under this subsection.
(3) Eligible land
(4) Term
(5) AgreementsTo be eligible to enroll land in the conservation reserve program through a CLEAR 30 contract, the owner of the land shall enter into an agreement with the Secretary—
(A) to implement a conservation reserve plan developed for the land;
(B) to comply with the terms and conditions of the contract and any related agreements; and
(C) to temporarily suspend the base history for the land covered by the contract.
(6) Terms and conditions of CLEAR 30 contracts
(A) In generalA CLEAR 30 contract shall include terms and conditions that—
(i) permit—(I) repairs, improvements, and inspections on the land that are necessary to maintain existing public drainage systems; and(II) owners to control public access on the land while identifying access routes to be used for restoration activities and management and contract monitoring;
(ii) prohibit—(I) the alteration of wildlife habitat and other natural features of the land, unless specifically authorized by the Secretary as part of the conservation reserve plan;(II) the spraying of the land with chemicals or the mowing of the land, except where the spraying or mowing is authorized by the Secretary or is necessary—(aa) to comply with Federal or State noxious weed control laws;(bb) to comply with a Federal or State emergency pest treatment program; or(cc) to meet habitat needs of specific wildlife species;(III) any activity to be carried out on the land of the owner or successor that is immediately adjacent to, and functionally related to, the land that is subject to the contract if the activity will alter, degrade, or otherwise diminish the functional value of the land; and(IV) the adoption of any other practice that would tend to defeat the purposes of the conservation reserve program, as determined by the Secretary; and
(iii) include any additional provision that the Secretary determines is appropriate to carry out this section or facilitate the practical administration of this section.
(B) Violation
(C) Compatible usesLand subject to a CLEAR 30 contract may be used for compatible economic uses, including hunting and fishing, managed timber harvest, or periodic haying or grazing, if the use—
(i) is specifically permitted by the conservation reserve plan developed for the land; and
(ii) is consistent with the long-term protection and enhancement of the conservation resources for which the contract was established.
(7) Compensation
(A) Amount of payments
(B) Form of payment
(C) Timing
(D) Payments to othersThe Secretary shall make a payment, in accordance with regulations prescribed by the Secretary, in a manner as the Secretary determines is fair and reasonable under the circumstances, if an owner who is entitled to a payment under this section—
(i) dies;
(ii) becomes incompetent;
(iii) is succeeded by another person or entity who renders or completes the required performance; or
(iv) is otherwise unable to receive the payment.
(8) Technical assistance
(A) In general
(B) Contracts or agreements
(9) Administration
(A) Conservation reserve plan
(B) Delegation of contract administration
(i) Federal, State, or local government agencies
(ii) Conservation organizations
(b) Soil health and income protection pilot program
(1) Definition of eligible landIn this subsection:
(A) In generalThe term “eligible land” means cropland that—
(i) is selected by the owner or operator of the land for proposed enrollment in the pilot program under this subsection; and
(ii) as determined by the Secretary—(I) is located within 1 or more States that are part of the prairie pothole region, as selected by the Secretary based on consultation with State Committees of the Farm Service Agency and State technical committees established under section 3861(a) of this title from that region;(II) had a cropping history or was considered to be planted during each of the 3 crop years preceding enrollment; and(III) is verified to be less-productive land, as compared to other land on the applicable farm.
(B) Exclusion
(2) Establishment
(A) In general
(B) Deadline for participation
(3) Contracts
(A) RequirementsA contract described in paragraph (2) shall—
(i) be entered into by the Secretary, the owner of the eligible land, and (if applicable) the operator of the eligible land; and
(ii) provide that, during the term of the contract—(I) the lowest practicable cost perennial conserving use cover crop for the eligible land, as determined by the applicable State conservationist after considering the advice of the applicable State technical committee, shall be planted on the eligible land;(II) except as provided in subparagraph (E), the owner or operator of the eligible land shall pay the cost of planting the conserving use cover crop under subclause (I);(III) subject to subparagraph (F), the eligible land may be harvested for seed, hayed, or grazed outside the primary nesting season established for the applicable county;(IV) the eligible land may be eligible for a walk-in access program of the applicable State, if any; and(V) a nonprofit wildlife organization may provide to the owner or operator of the eligible land a payment in exchange for an agreement by the owner or operator not to harvest the conserving use cover.
(B) Payments
(C) Limitation on enrolled land
(D) Term
(i) In general
(ii) Early termination(I) Secretary(II) Owners and operators
(E) Beginning, limited resource, socially disadvantaged, or veteran farmers and ranchersWith respect to a beginning, limited resource, socially disadvantaged, or veteran farmer or rancher, as determined by the Secretary—
(i) a contract described in paragraph (2) shall provide that, during the term of the contract, of the actual cost of establishment of the conserving use cover crop under subparagraph (A)(ii)(I)—(I) using the funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation, the Secretary shall pay 50 percent; and(II) the beginning, limited resource, socially disadvantaged, or veteran farmer or rancher shall pay 50 percent; and
(ii) the annual rental rate for a payment under a contract described in paragraph (2) shall be equal to 75 percent of the average rental rate for the applicable county under section 3834(d) of this title, as determined by the Secretary.
(F) Harvesting, haying, and grazing outside applicable periodThe harvesting for seed, haying, or grazing of eligible land under subparagraph (A)(ii)(III) outside of the primary nesting season established for the applicable county shall be subject to the conditions that—
(i) with respect to eligible land that is so hayed or grazed, adequate stubble height shall be maintained to protect the soil on the eligible land, as determined by the applicable State conservationist after considering the advice of the applicable State technical committee; and
(ii) with respect to eligible land that is so harvested for seed—(I) the eligible land shall not be eligible to be insured or reinsured under the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1501 et seq.); and(II) the rental payment otherwise applicable to the eligible land under this subsection shall be reduced by 25 percent.
(4) Acreage limitation
(5) ReportThe Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate an annual report describing the eligible land enrolled in the pilot program under this subsection, including—
(A) the estimated conservation value of the land; and
(B) estimated savings from reduced commodity payments, crop insurance indemnities, and crop insurance premium subsidies.
(Pub. L. 99–198, title XII, § 1231C, as added Pub. L. 115–334, title II, § 2204, Dec. 20, 2018, 132 Stat. 4538.)