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Title 16 — ConservationRelease 119-73not60

§2004 Continuing Appraisal of Soil, Water, and Related Resources

Title 16 › Chapter 40— SOIL AND WATER RESOURCES CONSERVATION › § 2004

Last updated Apr 5, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary must carry out an ongoing review of the Nation’s soil, water, and related resources. The review must collect data on things like the amount and quality of soil and water (including fish and wildlife habitat), how those resources can meet current and future needs, changes from past uses (including farming), relevant laws, programs, rights, ownerships and trends, the costs and benefits of different conservation and irrigation options, and conservation plans, practices, outcomes, and costs under programs the Secretary runs. The review must use data from the Department of Agriculture and other federal, state, tribal, and local agencies, and the Secretary must build a system that combines these data to judge resource quality, possible uses, and areas of concern. The work must be done with conservation districts, state and tribal soil and water agencies, citizen groups, and local agencies to ensure public participation. The Secretary must also ask for and consider suggestions to improve the review. Comprehensive reviews were to be completed by December 31, 2010; December 31, 2015; and December 31, 2022, and the Secretary may do extra interim reviews as needed.

Full Legal Text

Title 16, §2004

Conservation — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)In recognition of the importance of and need for obtaining and maintaining information on the current status of soil, water, and related resources, the Secretary is authorized and directed to carry out a continuing appraisal of the soil, water, and related resources of the Nation. The appraisal shall include, but not be limited to—
(1)data on the quality and quantity of soil, water, and related resources, including fish and wildlife habitats;
(2)data on the capability and limitations of those resources for meeting current and projected demands on the resource base;
(3)data on the changes that have occurred in the status and condition of those resources resulting from various past uses, including the impact of farming technologies, techniques, and practices;
(4)data on current Federal, State, and tribal laws, policies, programs, rights, regulations, ownerships, and their trends and other considerations relating to the use, development, and conservation of soil, water, and related resources;
(5)data on the costs and benefits of alternative soil and water conservation practices;
(6)data on alternative irrigation techniques regarding their costs, benefits, and impact on soil and water conservation, crop production, and environmental factors; and
(7)data on conservation plans, conservation practices planned or implemented, environmental outcomes, economic costs, and related matters under conservation programs administered by the Secretary.
(b)The appraisal shall utilize data collected under this chapter and pertinent data and information collected by the Department of Agriculture and other Federal, State, tribal, and local agencies and organizations. The Secretary shall establish an integrated system capable of using combinations of resource data to determine the quality and capabilities for alternative uses of the resource base and to identify areas of local, State, tribal, and National concerns and related roles pertaining to soil and water conservation, resource use and development, and environmental improvement.
(c)The appraisal shall be made in cooperation with conservation districts, State and tribal soil and water conservation agencies, and other appropriate citizen groups, and local, tribal, and State agencies under such procedures as the Secretary may prescribe to insure public participation.
(d)In conducting the appraisal described in subsection (a), the Secretary shall concurrently solicit and evaluate recommendations for improving the appraisal, including the content, scope, process, participation in, and other elements of the appraisal, as determined by the Secretary.
(e)The Secretary shall conduct comprehensive appraisals under this section, to be completed by December 31, 2010, December 31, 2015, and December 31, 2022. The Secretary may make such additional interim appraisals as the Secretary considers appropriate.

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

2018—Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 115–334 substituted “
December 31, 2015, and
December 31, 2022” for “and
December 31, 2015”. 2014—Subsec. (a)(4). Pub. L. 113–79, § 2508(b)(1), substituted “, State, and tribal” for “and State”. Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 113–79, § 2508(b)(2), inserted “, tribal” after “State” in two places. Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 113–79, § 2508(b)(3), substituted “State and tribal soil” for “State soil” and “local, tribal,” for “local”. 2008—Subsec. (a)(7). Pub. L. 110–246, § 2804(b)(1), added par. (7). Subsecs. (d), (e). Pub. L. 110–246, § 2804(b)(2)–(4), added subsec. (d), redesignated former subsec. (d) as (e), and substituted “The Secretary shall conduct comprehensive appraisals under this section, to be completed by
December 31, 2010, and
December 31, 2015.” for “The Secretary shall conduct four comprehensive appraisals under this section, to be completed by
December 31, 1979,
December 31, 1986,
December 31, 1995, and
December 31, 2005, respectively.” 1985—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 99–198 amended subsec. (d) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (d) read as follows: “The appraisal shall be completed by
December 31, 1979, and at each five-year interval thereafter during the period this chapter is in effect.”

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.

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 2002 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

16 U.S.C. § 2004

Title 16 — Conservation

Last Updated

Apr 5, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60