Title 16 — ConservationRelease 119-73not60
§2005 Soil and Water Conservation Program
Title 16 › Chapter 40— SOIL AND WATER RESOURCES CONSERVATION › § 2005
Summary
The Secretary of Agriculture must create a national soil and water conservation program with help from conservation districts, states, tribes, national groups, agencies, and the public. The program will guide USDA work that helps landowners and land users on private, tribal, and other non-Federal land. It must be based on the soil and water appraisal under section 2004 and must consider short- and long-term needs and the roles of Federal, State, tribal, and local governments. The program must analyze the Nation’s soil and water problems, review current authorities and programs, judge how well existing programs are working, compare and recommend conservation methods (including using organic wastes like manure, food and crop leftovers, industrial and municipal biosolids, and wood residues), assess needed inputs, weigh costs and benefits of practices, and study irrigation options. The Secretary must stress demonstration, innovation, and monitoring, ask for public recommendations to improve the program, and finish the initial program by December 31, 2011 and December 31, 2016, with an update by December 31, 2023.
Full Legal Text
Title 16, §2005
Conservation — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)The Secretary is hereby authorized and directed to develop in cooperation with and participation by the public through conservation districts, State, tribal, and national organizations and agencies, and other appropriate means, a national soil and water conservation program (hereinafter called the “program”) to be used as a guide in carrying out the activities of the Secretary which assist landowners and land users, at their request, in furthering soil and water conservation on the private, tribal, and non-Federal lands of the Nation. The program shall set forth direction for future soil and water conservation efforts of the United States Department of Agriculture based on the current soil, water, and related resource appraisal developed in accordance with section 2004 of this title, taking into consideration both the long- and short-term needs of the Nation, the landowners, and the land users, and the roles and responsibilities of Federal, State, tribal, and local governments in such conservation efforts. The program shall also include but not be limited to—
(1)analysis of the Nation’s soil, water, and related resource problems;
(2)analysis of existing Federal, State, tribal, and local government authorities and adjustments needed;
(3)an evaluation of the effectiveness of the soil and water conservation ongoing programs and the overall progress being achieved by Federal, State, tribal, and local programs and the landowners and land users in meeting the soil and water conservation objectives of this chapter;
(4)identification and evaluation of alternative methods for the conservation, protection, environmental improvement, and enhancement of soil and water resources, in the context of alternative time frames, and a recommendation of the preferred alternatives and the extent to which they are being implemented;
(5)investigation and analysis of the practicability, desirability, and feasibility of collecting organic waste materials, including manure, crop and food wastes, industrial organic waste, municipal sewage sludge, logging and wood-manufacturing residues, and any other organic refuse, composting, or similarly treating such materials, transporting and placing such materials onto the land to improve soil tilth and fertility. The analysis shall include the projected cost of such collection, transportation, and placement in accordance with sound locally approved soil and water conservation practices;
(6)analysis of the Federal and non-Federal inputs required to implement the program;
(7)analysis of costs and benefits of alternative soil and water conservation practices; and
(8)investigation and analysis of alternative irrigation techniques regarding their costs, benefits, and impact on soil and water conservation, crop production, and environmental factors.
(b)In evaluating existing conservation programs, the Secretary shall emphasize demonstration, innovation, and monitoring of specific program components in order to encourage further development and adoption of practices and performance-based standards.
(c)In developing a national soil and water conservation program under subsection (a), the Secretary shall solicit and evaluate recommendations for improving the program, including the content, scope, process, participation in, and other elements of the program, as determined by the Secretary.
(d)The initial program shall be completed not later than December 31, 2011, and December 31, 2016, and a program update shall be completed by December 31, 2023.
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. (d). Pub. L. 115–334 substituted “
December 31, 2016, and a program update shall be completed by
December 31, 2023” for “
December 31, 2016, respectively”. 2014—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 113–79 inserted “, tribal,” after “conservation districts, State” and “, tribal,” after “private” in introductory provisions, and “, tribal” after “Federal, State” wherever appearing. 2008—Subsecs. (b) to (d). Pub. L. 110–246, § 2804(c), added subsecs. (b) and (c), redesignated former subsec. (b) as (d), and substituted “
December 31, 2011, and
December 31, 2016” for “
December 31, 1979, and program updates shall be completed by
December 31, 1987,
December 31, 1997, and
December 31, 2007”. 1994—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 103–354 in first sentence of introductory provisions substituted “Secretary” for “Soil Conservation Service” before “which assist”. 1985—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 99–198 amended subsec. (b) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (b) read as follows: “The program plan shall be completed not later than
December 31, 1979, and be updated 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. § 2005
Title 16 — Conservation
Last Updated
Apr 5, 2026
Release point: 119-73not60