Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 95.djvu/1357

 PUBLIC LAW 97-98—DEC. 22, 1981

95 STAT. 1331

previously entered into as the Secretary may determine to be desirable to carry out the purposes of the program or facilitate the practical administration thereof or to accomplish equitable treatment with respect to similar conservation or other programs administered by the Secretary. (g) The Secretary may also enter into contracts with lemdowners or operators for the purpose of maintaining any conservation practice or measure established under this subtitle or other conservation practice or measure which has been adequately established, and to provide necessary assistance to retain the practice or measure on the land. The provisions and administration of such contracts shall be in accordance with the requirements set forth in subsections (b) through (f) of this section. PROGRAM TO BE DIRECTED AT SPECIFIC PROBLEMS

SEC. 1504. (a) The program established under this subtitle shall be 16 USC 3413. directed toward identifying and correcting such erosion-related or water management-related problems as may exist within each designated special area. Assistance under this subtitle may be provided to any geographic area of the United States only if such area is first designated by the Secretary as having severe and chronic erosionrelated or water management-related problems. (b) In designating a geographic area as a special area under this subtitle, the Secretary shall review national resources inventory data, river basin plans, special studies, and other resource information; consider tons of soil loss prevented, acres protected, and volume of water conserved; and evaluate the degree and t } ^ of interagency cooperation, the degree of local acceptance of the planned target activity, and the significant favorable and adverse impacts of the targeted activity. The Secretary shall prepare and publish a report Report. setting forth an assessment of the problems, objectives, and priorities in such area, and a schedule for the implementation of the program under this subtitle. The report shall also indicate how the program with respect to such area takes into consideration ongoing programs of Federal, State, and local agencies, including soil conservation districts, relating to soil and water conservation, pollution abatement, or the improvement or protection of forest land. The Secretary shall, to the extent practicable, assure that all Department of Agriculture conservation programs operating in a designated special area complement the conservation objectives outlined for such area. CONTRACT LIMITATIONS

SEC. 1505. Special areas may be designated pursuant to section 1504 16 USC 3414. of this subtitle at any time within the period beginning on the date of enactment of this subtitle and ending on September 30, 1991. Contracts authorized by subsections (b) and (g) of section 1503 of this subtitle may be entered into at any time within ten years after the designation of the special area to which they relate and may not exceed ten years in duration. The total dollar amount of such contracts that may be entered into in any one fiscal year shall not exceed such amounts as may be provided for in advance in appropriations Acts.

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