§5403 Environmental Quality Policy Statement

Summary

The Council must create an Environmental Quality Policy Statement that sets goals to deal with farming’s effects on the environment. The statement must be based on a review of USDA programs, including staff and funding levels used to find, prevent, and fix environmental problems from agriculture. The review must describe agency roles, say how they coordinate, recommend ways to avoid overlapping work, and suggest new monitoring, research, education, and technical-help actions. The statement must be updated at least every 5 years. The Director, with the Council’s approval, must make a plan to put the policy into action. The plan must assess each agency’s work to reduce harmful effects of agricultural policies and list new department and agency initiatives. The plan must be updated at least every 5 years. By January 31, 1992, and every year after, the Council (through the Director) must send a public report to Congress, other Federal and State agencies, and the public on progress, a review of last year’s Department actions, coordination steps taken, and any recommendations the Secretary finds appropriate. No more than $2,000,000 may be appropriated each year to carry out this chapter.