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Title 16 — ConservationRelease 119-73not60

§3471 Payments for Land Removed From Production for Conservation Purposes; Authorization of Appropriations

Title 16 › Chapter 54— RESOURCE CONSERVATION › Subchapter VI— MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS › § 3471

Last updated Apr 5, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary of Agriculture can make contracts to pay owners or operators of cropland in counties where the soil normally freezes at least four inches each year. Payments go to people who take land out of crop production for up to one year to install lasting conservation work that involves digging. Payment per farm may not exceed the number of acres removed multiplied by 50 percent of the usual annual rent for similar land in the county. Local soil and water conservation district board approval is required. In any year, assistance may not cover more than one-half of 1 percent of a county’s cropland. Money may be appropriated as needed and remain available until spent.

Full Legal Text

Title 16, §3471

Conservation — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Secretary of Agriculture may enter into contracts to provide financial assistance in the form of payments to owners and operators of cropland located in counties where the soil normally freezes to a depth of at least four inches annually who remove such land from agricultural production for a period not to exceed one year for the purpose of installing enduring conservation measures which involve excavation of the soil. The payments under such contracts shall be in such amounts as determined by the Secretary to be necessary to effectuate the purposes of this subchapter but shall not exceed an amount equal to the number of acres of cropland removed from agricultural production for such purpose multiplied by 50 per centum of the typical annual rent, as determined by the Secretary, paid for similar land in the county. Financial assistance may not be provided under this section with respect to any conservation measure without the approval of the soil and water conservation district board for the district in which the land is located, and may not, in the aggregate, be provided in any year with respect to more than one-half of 1 per centum of the cropland in any county.
(b)There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this section, such sums to remain available until expended.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

This subchapter, referred to in subsec. (a), was in the original “this subtitle”, meaning subtitle J (§§ 1550–1554) of title XV of Pub. L. 97–98, Dec. 22, 1981, 95 Stat. 1344, which enacted this subchapter and section 2273 of Title 7, Agriculture, and amended section 1236 of Title 30, Mineral Lands and Mining. For complete classification of subtitle J to the Code, see Tables.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

16 U.S.C. § 3471

Title 16 — Conservation

Last Updated

Apr 5, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60