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Title 16 — ConservationRelease 119-73

§6574 Financial assistance

Title 16 › Chapter CHAPTER 84— - HEALTHY FOREST RESTORATION › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER V— - HEALTHY FORESTS RESERVE PROGRAM › § 6574

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Pays landowners who enroll forest land in the Healthy Forests Reserve Program for the value they give up and for conservation work. For a permanent easement, the Agriculture Secretary must pay at least 75% and up to 100% of the drop in the land’s market value because of the easement, plus either the actual or an average cost of approved conservation practices (as the Secretary decides). For a 30-year easement, the Secretary may pay up to 75% of the drop in market value and up to 75% of the actual or average costs. For a 10-year cost-share agreement, the Secretary may pay up to 50% of actual or average costs. The Secretary may use non-Federal funds to make these payments.

Full Legal Text

Title 16, §6574

Conservation — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)In the case of land enrolled in the healthy forests reserve program using a permanent easement (or an easement described in section 6572(f)(1)(C)(ii) 11 So in original. Probably should be “6572(e)(1)(C)(ii)”. of this title), the Secretary of Agriculture shall pay the owner of the land an amount equal to not less than 75 percent, nor more than 100 percent, of (as determined by the Secretary)—
(1)the fair market value of the enrolled land during the period the land is subject to the easement, less the fair market value of the land encumbered by the easement; and
(2)the actual costs of the approved conservation practices or the average cost of approved practices carried out on the land during the period in which the land is subject to the easement.
(b)In the case of land enrolled in the healthy forests reserve program using a 30-year easement, the Secretary of Agriculture shall pay the owner of the land an amount equal to not more than (as determined by the Secretary)—
(1)75 percent of the fair market value of the land, less the fair market value of the land encumbered by the easement; and
(2)75 percent of the actual costs of the approved conservation practices or 75 percent of the average cost of approved practices.
(c)In the case of land enrolled in the healthy forests reserve program using a 10-year cost-share agreement, the Secretary of Agriculture shall pay the owner of the land an amount equal to not more than (as determined by the Secretary)—
(1)fifty percent of the actual costs of the approved conservation practices; or
(2)fifty percent of the average cost of approved practices.
(d)The Secretary of Agriculture may accept and use contributions of non-Federal funds to make payments under this section.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Codification Pub. L. 110–234 and Pub. L. 110–246 made identical

Amendments

to this section. The

Amendments

by Pub. L. 110–234 were repealed by section 4(a) of Pub. L. 110–246.

Amendments

2008—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 110–246, § 8205(b), substituted “Permanent easements” for “Easements of not more than 99 years” in heading and “a permanent easement (or an easement described in section 6572(f)(1)(C)(ii) of this title)” for “an easement of not more than 99 years described in section 6572(f)(1)(C) of this title” in introductory provisions.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2008 AmendmentAmendment of this section and repeal of Pub. L. 110–234 by Pub. L. 110–246 effective May 22, 2008, the date of enactment of Pub. L. 110–234, see section 4 of Pub. L. 110–246, set out as an

Effective Date

note under section 8701 of Title 7, Agriculture.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

16 U.S.C. § 6574

Title 16 — Conservation

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73