Title 16ConservationRelease 119-73

§3871e Administration

Title 16 › Chapter CHAPTER 58— - ERODIBLE LAND AND WETLAND CONSERVATION AND RESERVE PROGRAM › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER VIII— - REGIONAL CONSERVATION PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM › § 3871e

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary must make public information about projects picked through the program’s competitive process. By December 31, 2019, and every two years after that, the Secretary must send a report to the House Committee on Agriculture and the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. The report must summarize progress toward the projects’ conservation goals and other results; list the kinds and numbers of partners and producers involved; give the number of producers who got assistance; show total funding from federal and non-federal sources; explain how program funds are being run, including oversight steps, how participant appeals are handled, and how payment-eligibility is tracked; and, for projects in designated critical conservation areas, describe each priority resource concern, the conservation goals and outcomes, which partnerships address them, and how well they are being met. The Secretary cannot give program help to a producer unless, for that program year, the producer agrees to follow the conservation rules in subchapter II and the wetland protection rules in subchapter III. The Secretary and partners must, as much as possible, reach out to beginning, veteran, socially disadvantaged, and limited-resource farmers and ranchers to encourage their participation. The Secretary must also issue rules to run the program.

Full Legal Text

Title 16, §3871e

Conservation — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)In addition to the criteria used in evaluating applications as described in section 3871b(e)(2) of this title, the Secretary shall make publicly available information on projects selected through the competitive process described in section 3871b(e)(1) of this title.
(b)Not later than December 31, 2019, and every two years thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report on the status of projects funded under the program, including—
(1)a summary of—
(A)the progress made towards achieving the conservation benefits defined for the projects; and
(B)any other related outcomes of the projects;
(2)the number and types of eligible partners and producers participating in the partnership agreements selected;
(3)the number of producers receiving assistance;
(4)total funding committed to projects, including from Federal and non-Federal resources;
(5)a description of how the funds under section 3871c(d) of this title are being administered, including—
(A)any oversight mechanisms that the Secretary has implemented;
(B)the process through which the Secretary is resolving appeals by program participants; and
(C)the means by which the Secretary is tracking adherence to any applicable provisions for payment eligibility; and
(6)in the case of a project within a critical conservation area under section 3871f of this title, the status of each priority resource concern for each designated critical conservation area, including—
(A)the priority resource concerns for which each critical conservation area is designated;
(B)conservation goals and outcomes sufficient to demonstrate that progress is being made to address the priority resource concerns;
(C)the partnership agreements selected to address each conservation goal and outcome; and
(D)the extent to which each conservation goal and outcome is being addressed by the partnership agreements.
(c)The Secretary may not provide assistance under the program to a producer unless the producer agrees, during the program year for which the assistance is provided—
(1)to comply with applicable conservation requirements under subchapter II; and
(2)to comply with applicable wetland protection requirements under subchapter III.
(d)To the maximum extent practicable, in carrying out the program, the Secretary and eligible partners shall conduct outreach to beginning farmers and ranchers, veteran farmers and ranchers, socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers, and limited resource farmers and ranchers to encourage participation by those producers in a project subject to a partnership agreement or funding agreement under 3871c(d) 11 So in original. Probably should be preceded by “section”. of this title.
(e)The Secretary shall issue regulations to carry out the program.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2018—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 115–334, § 2706(1), which directed amendment of subsec. (a) by substituting “3871b(e)” for “3871b(d)” wherever appearing, was executed by substituting “3871(e)(2)” for “3871b(d)(2)” and “3871(e)(1)” for “3871b(d)(1)”. Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 115–334, § 2706(2)(A), substituted “
December 31, 2019” for “
December 31, 2014” in introductory provisions. Subsec. (b)(1) to (3). Pub. L. 115–334, § 2706(2)(B), (C), added par. (1) and redesignated former pars. (1) and (2) as (2) and (3), respectively. Former par. (3) redesignated (4). Subsec. (b)(4). Pub. L. 115–334, § 2706(2)(B), (D), redesignated par. (3) as (4) and struck out “and” at end. Former par. (4) redesignated (5). Subsec. (b)(5). Pub. L. 115–334, § 2706(2)(B), (E), redesignated par. (4) as (5) and substituted “3871c(d)” for “3871c(b)(2)” in introductory provisions and “; and” for period at end. Subsec. (b)(6). Pub. L. 115–334, § 2706(2)(F), added par. (6). Subsecs. (c) to (e). Pub. L. 115–334, § 2706(3), added subsecs. (c) to (e).

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

16 U.S.C. § 3871e

Title 16Conservation

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73