During each of the 2002 through 2014 fiscal years, the Secretary shall provide payments to producers that enter into contracts with the Secretary under the program.
A contract under the program may apply to the performance of one or more practices.
A contract under the program shall have a term that—
(A) at a minimum, is equal to the period beginning on the date on which the contract is entered into and ending on the date that is one year after the date on which all practices under the contract have been implemented; but
(B) not to exceed 10 years.
If the Secretary determines that the environmental values of two or more applications for payments are comparable, the Secretary shall not assign a higher priority to the application only because it would present the least cost to the program.
Payments are provided to a producer to implement one or more practices under the program.
A payment to a producer for performing a practice may not exceed, as determined by the Secretary—
(A) 75 percent of the costs associated with planning, design, materials, equipment, installation, labor, management, maintenance, or training;
(B) 100 percent of income foregone by the producer; or
(C) in the case of a practice consisting of elements covered under subparagraphs (A) and (B)—
(i) 75 percent of the costs incurred for those elements covered under subparagraph (A); and
(ii) 100 percent of income foregone for those elements covered under subparagraph (B).
In determining the amount and rate of payments under paragraph (2)(B), the Secretary may accord great significance to a practice that, as determined by the Secretary, promotes—
(A) residue management;
(B) nutrient management;
(C) air quality management;
(D) invasive species management;
(E) pollinator habitat;
(F) animal carcass management technology; or
(G) pest management.
Notwithstanding paragraph (2), in the case of a producer that is a limited resource, socially disadvantaged farmer or rancher or a beginning farmer or rancher, the Secretary shall increase the amount that would otherwise be provided to a producer under this subsection—
(i) to not more than 90 percent of the costs associated with planning, design, materials, equipment, installation, labor, management, maintenance, or training; and
(ii) to not less than 25 percent above the otherwise applicable rate.
Not more than 30 percent of the amount determined under subparagraph (A) may be provided in advance for the purpose of purchasing materials or contracting.
Except as provided in paragraph (6), any payments received by a producer from a State or private organization or person for the implementation of one or more practices on eligible land of the producer shall be in addition to the payments provided to the producer under this subsection.
A producer shall not be eligible for payments for practices on eligible land under the program if the producer receives payments or other benefits for the same practice on the same land under another program under this subchapter.
The Secretary may modify or terminate a contract entered into with a producer under the program if—
(A) the producer agrees to the modification or termination; and
(B) the Secretary determines that the modification or termination is in the public interest.
The Secretary may terminate a contract under the program if the Secretary determines that the producer violated the contract.
For each of fiscal years 2002 through 2012, 60 percent of the funds made available for payments under the program shall be targeted at practices relating to livestock production.
The Secretary may enter into alternative funding arrangements with federally recognized Native American Indian Tribes and Alaska Native Corporations (including their affiliated membership organizations) if the Secretary determines that the goals and objectives of the program will be met by such arrangements, and that statutory limitations regarding contracts with individual producers will not be exceeded by any Tribal or Native Corporation member.
The Secretary may provide payments under this subsection to a producer for a water conservation or irrigation practice.
In providing payments to a producer for a water conservation or irrigation practice, the Secretary shall give priority to applications in which—
(A) consistent with the law of the State in which the eligible land of the producer is located, there is a reduction in water use in the operation of the producer; or
(B) the producer agrees not to use any associated water savings to bring new land, other than incidental land needed for efficient operations, under irrigated production, unless the producer is participating in a watershed-wide project that will effectively conserve water, as determined by the Secretary.
The Secretary shall provide payments under this subsection for conservation practices, on some or all of the operations of a producer, related—
(A) to organic production; and
(B) to the transition to organic production.
As a condition for receiving payments under this subsection, a producer shall agree—
(A) to develop and carry out an organic system plan; or
(B) to develop and implement conservation practices for certified organic production that are consistent with an organic system plan and the purposes of this part.
Payments under this subsection to a person or legal entity, directly or indirectly, may not exceed, in the aggregate, $20,000 per year or $80,000 during any 6-year period. In applying these limitations, the Secretary shall not take into account payments received for technical assistance.
Payments may not be made under this subsection to cover the costs associated with organic certification that are eligible for cost-share payments under section 6523 of title 7.
The Secretary may cancel or otherwise nullify a contract to provide payments under this subsection if the Secretary determines that the producer—
(A) is not pursuing organic certification; or
(B) is not in compliance with the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 6501 et seq).
(Pub. L. 99–198, title XII, §1240B, as added Pub. L. 107–171, title II, §2301, May 13, 2002, 116 Stat. 254; amended Pub. L. 108–447, div. A, title VII, §794(a), Dec. 8, 2004, 118 Stat. 2852; Pub. L. 109–171, title I, §1203(a), Feb. 8, 2006, 120 Stat. 6; Pub. L. 110–234, title II, §2503, May 22, 2008, 122 Stat. 1059; Pub. L. 110–246, §4(a), title II, §2503, June 18, 2008, 122 Stat. 1664, 1787; Pub. L. 112–55, div. A, title VII, §716(c), Nov. 18, 2011, 125 Stat. 582.)
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Last modified: October 26, 2015