Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 110 Part 1.djvu/1027

 PUBLIC LAW 104-127—APR. 4, 1996 110 STAT. 1003 if the owner or producer meets the conditions established under section (e). "(c) PURPOSES. — The purposes of the conservation farm option pilot programs shall includti— "(1) conservation of soil, water, and related resources; "(2) water quality protection or improvement; "(3) wetland restoration, protection, and creation; "(4) wildlife habitat development and protection; or "(5) other similar conservation purposes. " (d) CONSERVATION FARM PLAN. — "(1) IN GENERAL. —To be eligible to enter into a conservation farm option contract, an owner or producer must prepare and submit to the Secretary, for approval, a conservation farm plan that shall become a part of the conservation farm option contract. "(2) REQUIREMENTS. — A conservation farm plan shall— "(A) describe the resource-conserving crop rotations, and all other conservation practices, to be implemented and maintained on the acreage that is subject to contract during the contract period; "(B) contain a schedule for the implementation and maintenance of the practices described in the conservation farm plan; "(C) comply with highly erodible land and wetland conservation requirements of this title; and "(D) contain such other terms as the Secretary may require. " (e) CONTRACTS.— "(1) IN GENERAL.—On approval of a conservation farm plan, the Secretary may enter into a contract with the owner or producer that specifies the acres being enrolled and the practices being adopted. "(2) DURATION OF CONTRACT.— The contract shall be for a period of 10 years. The contract may be renewed for a period of not to exceed 5 years on mutual agreement of the Secretary and the owner or producer. "(3) CONSIDERATION.— In exchange for payments under this subsection, the owner or producer shall not participate in and shall forgo payments under— "(A) the conservation reserve program established under subchapter B of chapter 1; "(B) the wetlands reserve program established under subchapter C of chapter 1; and "(C) the environmental quality incentives program established under chapter 4. " (4) OWNER OR PRODUCER RESPONSIBILITIES UNDER THE AGREEMENT.— Under the terms of the contract entered into under this section, an owner or producer shall agree to— "(A) actively comply with the terms and conditions of the approved conservation farm plan; "(B) keep such records as the Secretary may reasonably Records. require for purposes of evaluation of the implementation of the conservation farm plan; and "(C) not engage in any activity that would defeat the purposes of the conservation farm option pilot program. "(5) PAYMENTS. —The Secretary shall offer an owner or producer annual payments under the contract that are equiva-

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