Title 16ConservationRelease 119-73

§3865 Establishment and purposes

Title 16 › Chapter CHAPTER 58— - ERODIBLE LAND AND WETLAND CONSERVATION AND RESERVE PROGRAM › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER VII— - AGRICULTURAL CONSERVATION EASEMENT PROGRAM › § 3865

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary must create an agricultural conservation easement program to protect eligible land and resources using easements or other land interests. The program combines the goals of the wetlands, grassland, and farmland protection programs as of the day before February 7, 2014, and aims to restore wetlands, keep land for farming, and protect grazing and conservation values.

Full Legal Text

Title 16, §3865

Conservation — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Secretary shall establish an agricultural conservation easement program for the conservation of eligible land and natural resources through easements or other interests in land.
(b)The purposes of the program are to—
(1)combine the purposes and coordinate the functions of the wetlands reserve program established under section 3837 11 See References in Text note below. of this title, the grassland reserve program established under section 3838n 1 of this title, and the farmland protection program established under section 3838i 1 of this title, as such sections were in effect on the day before February 7, 2014;
(2)restore, protect, and enhance wetlands on eligible land;
(3)protect the agricultural use and future viability, and related conservation values, of eligible land by limiting nonagricultural uses of that land that negatively affect the agricultural uses and conservation values; and
(4)protect grazing uses and related conservation values by restoring or conserving eligible land.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

section 3837, 3838n, and 3838i of this title, referred to in subsec. (b)(1), were repealed by Pub. L. 113–79, title II, §§ 2703(a), 2704(a), 2705(a), Feb. 7, 2014, 128 Stat. 767, 768.

Amendments

2018—Subsec. (b)(3). Pub. L. 115–334, § 2601(1), inserted “that negatively affect the agricultural uses and conservation values” after “uses of that land”. Subsec. (b)(4). Pub. L. 115–334, § 2601(2), substituted “restoring or conserving” for “restoring and conserving”.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

16 U.S.C. § 3865

Title 16Conservation

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73