Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 110 Part 1.djvu/1005

 PUBLIC LAW 104-127—APR. 4, 1996 110 STAT. 981 "(B) describes the conservation system applicable to the highly erodible cropland and describes the decisions of the person with respect to location, land use, tillage systems, and conservation treatment measures and schedule; and "(C) is approved by the local soil conservation district, in consultation with the local committees established under section 8(b)(5) of the Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act (16 U.S.C. 590h(b)(5)) and the Secretary, or by the Secretary. "(3) CONSERVATION SYSTEM.— The term 'conservation system' means a combination of 1 or more conservation measures or management practices that— "(A) are based on local resource conditions, available conservation technology, and the standards and guidelines contained in the Natural Resources Conservation Service field office technical guides; and "(B) are designed to achieve, in a cost effective and technically practicable manner, a substantial reduction in soil erosion or a substantial improvement in soil conditions on a field or group of fields containing highly erodible cropland when compared to the level of erosion or soil conditions that existed before the application of the conservation measures and management practices.". (b) FIELD. —Section 1201(a) of the Food Security Act of 1985 16 USC 3801. is amended by striking paragraph (7) (as redesignated by subsection (a)(1)) and inserting the following: "(7) FIELD. —The term 'field' means a part of a farm that is separated from the balance of the farm by permanent boundaries such as fences, roads, permanent waterways, or other similar features. At the option of the owner or operator of the farm, croplines may also be used to delineate a field if farming practices make it probable that the croplines are not subject to change. Any highly erodible land on which an agricultural commodity is produced after December 23, 1985, and that is not exempt under section 1212, shall be considered as part of the field in which the land was included on December 23, 1985, unless the owner and Secretary agree to modification of the boundaries of the field to carry out this title.". (c) HIGHLY ERODIBLE LAND.— Section 1201(a)(9) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (as redesignated by subsection (a)(1)) is amended by adding at the end the following: "(C) EQUATIONS. —Not later than 60 days after the Federal Register, date of enactment of this subparagraph, the Secretary shall publication. publish in the Federal Register the universal soil loss equation and wind erosion equation used by the Department of Agriculture as of that date. The Secretary may not change the equations after that date except following notice and comment in a manner consistent with section 553 of title 5, United States Code.". (d) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— Section 1212 of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3812) is amended— (1) in the first sentence of subsection (a)(2), by striking "that documents" and all that follows through "by the Secretary";

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