Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 95.djvu/1259

 PUBLIC LAW 97-98—DEC. 22, 1981

95 STAT. 1233

ing the acceptability of contract offers, the Secretary shall take into consideration the extent of the diversion to be undertaken by the producers and the productivity of the acreage diverted. The Secretary shall limit the total acreage to be diverted under agreements in any county or local community so as not to affect adversely the economy of the county or local community. "(6) Any reduced acreage, set-aside acreage, and additional diverted acreage may be devoted to wildlife food plots or wildlife habitat in conformity with standards established by the Secretary in consultation with wildlife agencies. The Secretary may pay an appropriate share of the cost of practices designed to carry out the purposes of the foregoing sentence. The Secretary may provide for an additional payment on such acreage in an amount determined by the Secretary to be appropriate in relation to the benefit to the general public if the producer agrees to permit, without other compensation, access to all or such portion of the farm, as the Secretary may prescribe, by the general public, for hunting, trapping, fishing, and hiking, subject to applicable State and Federal regulations. "(7) An operator of a farm desiring to participate in the program conducted under this subsection shall execute an agreement with the Secretary providing for such participation not later than such date as the Secretary may prescribe. The Secretary may, by mutual agreement with the producers on the farm, terminate or modify any such agreement if the Secretary determines such action necessary because of an emergency created by drought or other disaster or to prevent or alleviate a shortage in the supply of agricultural commodities. "(f) If the failure of a producer to comply fully with the terms and conditions of the program conducted under this section precludes the making of loans, purchases, and payments, the Secretary may, nevertheless, make such loans, purchases, and payments in such amounts as the Secretary determines to be equitable in relation to the seriousness of the failure. The Secretary may authorize the county and State committees established under section 8(b) of the Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act to waive or modify dead- 16 USC 590h. lines and other program requirements in cases in which lateness or failure to meet such other requirements does not affect adversely the operation of the program. "(g) The Secretary may issue such regulations as the Secretary determines necessary to carry out the provisions of this section. "(h) The Secretary shall carry out the program authorized by this section through the Commodity Credit Corporation. "(i) The provisions of section 8(g) of the Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act (relating to assignment of payments) shall apply to payments under this section. "(j) The Secretary shall provide for the sharing of payments made under this section for any farm among the producers on the farm on a fair and equitable basis. "(k) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, compliance on a farm with the terms and conditions of any other commodity program may not be required as a condition of eligibility for loans, purchsises, or pa5nnents under this section if an acreage limitation program is established under subsection (e)(2) of this section, but may be required if a set-aside program is established under subsection (e)(3) of this section.".

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