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Title 16 — ConservationRelease 119-73

§1003 Assistance to local organizations

Title 16 › Chapter CHAPTER 18— - WATERSHED PROTECTION AND FLOOD PREVENTION › § 1003

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary can help local groups plan and carry out improvement projects if they apply and the State agency in charge (or the Governor if there is no State agency) does not disapprove within 45 days. The Secretary may do surveys and engineering plans, make cost estimates, decide how costs are split, work with other Federal agencies, and provide financial or other help. For land-treatment work, Federal help cannot be larger than the rate for similar national programs. The Secretary can sign agreements with landowners, operators, or occupants based on conservation plans made with and approved by the local soil and water conservation district. Agreements can last up to 10 years and cover changes in crops and land use, installation of conservation practices, and projects to protect soil, water, woods, wildlife, energy, recreation, and water quality, including watershed plans tied to eleven watershed improvement programs from the Act of December 22, 1944. Applications for help with plans must be written to the soil and water conservation district, which will review the proposed agreement. The Secretary will share costs when appropriate and in the public interest but not above the rate for similar national programs, may modify or end agreements by mutual consent, and may include terms about preserving or surrendering cropland history. The Secretary may waive a watershed plan if it is unnecessary or duplicative and the work meets the requirements of section 1004.

Full Legal Text

Title 16, §1003

Conservation — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)In order to assist local organizations in preparing and carrying out plans for works of improvement, the Secretary is authorized, upon application of local organizations if such application has been submitted to, and not disapproved within 45 days by, the State agency having supervisory responsibility over programs provided for in this chapter, or by the Governor if there is no State agency having such responsibility—
(1)to conduct such investigations and surveys as may be necessary to prepare plans for works of improvement;
(2)to prepare plans and estimates required for adequate engineering evaluation;
(3)to make allocations of costs to the various purposes to show the basis of such allocations and to determine whether benefits exceed costs;
(4)to cooperate and enter into agreements with and to furnish financial and other assistance to local organizations: Provided, That, for the land-treatment measures, the Federal assistance shall not exceed the rate of assistance for similar practices under existing national programs;
(5)to obtain the cooperation and assistance of other Federal agencies in carrying out the purposes of this section;
(6)to enter into agreements with landowners, operators, and occupiers, individually or collectively, based on conservation plans of such landowners, operators, and occupiers which are developed in cooperation with and approved by the soil and water conservation district in which the land described in the agreement is situated, to be carried out on such land during a period of not to exceed ten years, providing for changes in cropping systems and land uses and for the installation of soil and water conservation practices and measures needed to conserve and develop the soil, water, woodland, wildlife, energy, and recreation resources of and enhance the water quality of lands within the area included in plans for works of improvement, as provided for in such plans, including watershed or subwatershed work plans in connection with the eleven watershed improvement programs authorized by section 13 of the Act of December 22, 1944 (58 Stat. 887), as amended and supplemented. Applications for assistance in developing such conservation plans shall be made in writing to the soil and water conservation district involved, and the proposed agreement shall be reviewed by such district. In return for such agreements by landowners, operators, and occupiers the Secretary shall agree to share the costs of carrying out those practices and measures set forth in the agreement for which he determines that cost sharing is appropriate and in the public interest. The portion of such costs, including labor, to be shared shall be that part which the Secretary determines is appropriate and in the public interest for the carrying out of the practices and measures set forth in the agreement, except that the Federal assistance shall not exceed the rate of assistance for similar practices and measures under existing national programs. The Secretary may terminate any agreement with a landowner, operator, or occupier by mutual agreement if the Secretary determines that such termination would be in the public interest, and may agree to such modifications of agreements, previously entered into hereunder, as he deems desirable to carry out the purposes of this paragraph or to facilitate the practical administration of the agreements provided for herein. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary, to the extent he deems it desirable to carry out the purposes of this paragraph, may provide in any agreement hereunder for (1) preservation for a period not to exceed the period covered by the agreement and an equal period thereafter of the cropland, crop acreage, and allotment history applicable to land covered by the agreement for the purpose of any Federal program under which such history is used as a basis for an allotment or other limitation on the production of any crop; or (2) surrender of any such history and allotments.
(b)The Secretary may waive the watershed plan for works of improvement if the Secretary determines that—
(1)the watershed plan is unnecessary or duplicative; and
(2)the works of improvement are otherwise consistent with applicable requirements under section 1004 of this title.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

section 13 of the Act of December 22, 1944 (58 Stat. 887), as amended and supplemented, referred to in par. (6), is section 13 of act Dec. 22, 1944, ch. 665, 58 Stat. 887, which was not classified to the Code.

Amendments

2018—Pub. L. 115–334 inserted section catchline, designated existing provisions as subsec. (a), inserted heading, and added subsec. (b). 1990—Par. (6). Pub. L. 101–624 inserted “and enhance the water quality of” after “recreation resources of”. 1981—Par. (6). Pub. L. 97–98 inserted reference to energy in the enumeration of the various aspects of lands to be conserved and developed within areas included under plans for works of improvement. 1972—Par. (6). Pub. L. 92–419 added par. (6). 1956—Pars. (2) to (6). Act Aug. 7, 1956, substituted in par. (2) provisions authorizing the Secretary to prepare plans and estimates required for adequate engineering evaluation for provisions which authorized the Secretary to make studies for physical and economic soundness of plans for works of improvement, added par. (3), and redesignated former pars. (3) and (4) as (4) and (5), respectively.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1981 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 97–98 effective Dec. 22, 1981, see section 1801 of Pub. L. 97–98, set out as an

Effective Date

note under section 4301 of Title 7, Agriculture. Extension of Benefits to Projects Authorized Before Aug. 7, 1956Amendment by act Aug. 7, 1956, as applicable to all works of improvement and plans for such works under the provisions of this chapter, see Extension of Benefits note set out under section 1001 of this title.

Executive Documents

Transfer of Functions

For transfer of certain

Enforcement

functions of Secretary or other official in Department of Agriculture under this chapter to Federal Inspector, Office of Federal Inspector for Alaska Natural Gas Transportation System, and subsequent transfer to Secretary of Energy, then to Federal Coordinator for Alaska Natural Gas Transportation Projects, see note set out under section 1002 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

16 U.S.C. § 1003

Title 16 — Conservation

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73