16 U.S.C. § 3839aa–24: Duties of the Secretary

§3839aa–24 Duties of the Secretary

Title 16 › CHAPTER 58 — ERODIBLE LAND AND WETLAND CONSERVATION AND RESERVE PROGRAM › SUBCHAPTER IV — AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION PROGRAM › Part IV — Environmental Quality Incentives Program and Conservation Stewardship Program › subpart b — conservation stewardship program › § 3839aa–24

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary must run the conservation stewardship program so eligible producers can sign up year-round, with at least one ranking period in the first quarter of each fiscal year. The Secretary must pick at least 5 priority resource concerns for each watershed or suitable region and set science-based stewardship thresholds for each one. Money to States is given mainly by each State’s share of eligible land, but the Secretary also looks at how big the conservation needs are, how well the program will help, and other equity factors. Producers get yearly payments for adding or keeping up conservation activities. Payment amounts are set by the Secretary and, as much as possible, reflect the producer’s costs and lost income, the expected benefits, how well the activities address the priority concerns, existing stewardship level, and how well practices are used across the whole operation. Payments do not cover animal waste storage/treatment for animal feeding operations or activities that cost the producer nothing. Payments should be spread over the contract and paid as soon as practical after October 1 for the prior fiscal year. Cover crop payments must be at least 125 percent of the normal annual payment. The Secretary must also give extra payments for resource-conserving crop rotations or advanced grazing management; those extras must be at least 150 percent of the normal annual payment. The law limits total payments to any person or business to $200,000 for contracts during fiscal years 2019 through 2023, except for Indian tribes. The program must include outreach for specialty crop and organic farmers and a clear way to start organic certification while under contract. Funds for helping organic production and transition must be allocated to States for fiscal years 2019 through 2031 based on numbers of certified and transitioning operations and acres. The Secretary must write rules to make limits fair, coordinate this program with the environmental quality incentives program when possible, manage the program to improve soil health, and send Congress an annual report on payment rates and whether expensive payments can be reduced. Defined terms (one line each): advanced grazing management — a mix of grazing practices that improve soil, drought resilience, wildlife habitat, fire risk, invasive plant control, and water quality; management-intensive rotational grazing — moving animals through multiple pastures to boost forage, manure distribution, carbon storage, cover, erosion protection, and water quality; resource-conserving crop rotation — a rotation that includes at least one conservation crop and reduces erosion, improves soil and pests, and can reduce irrigation; comprehensive conservation plan — a plan that meets or exceeds the stewardship thresholds for the chosen priority concerns.

Title 16, §3839aa–24

Conservation, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)In general

To achieve the conservation goals of a contract under the conservation stewardship program, the Secretary shall—

(1)make the program available to eligible producers on a continuous enrollment basis with 1 or more ranking periods, 1 of which shall occur in the first quarter of each fiscal year;

(2)identify not less than 5 priority resource concerns in a particular watershed or other appropriate region or area within a State; and

(3)establish a science-based stewardship threshold for each priority resource concern identified under paragraph (2).

(b)Allocation to States

The Secretary shall allocate funding to States for enrollment, based—

(1)primarily on each State’s proportion of eligible land to the total acreage of eligible land in all States; and

(2)also on consideration of—

(A)the extent and magnitude of the conservation needs associated with agricultural production in each State;

(B)the degree to which implementation of the program in the State is, or will be, effective in helping producers address those needs; and

(C)other considerations to achieve equitable geographic distribution of funds, as determined by the Secretary.

(c)Conservation stewardship payments

(1)Availability of payments

The Secretary shall provide annual payments under the program to compensate the producer for— (A)

(B)improving, maintaining, and managing conservation activities in place at the agricultural operation of the producer at the time the contract offer is accepted by the Secretary.

(2)Payment amount

The amount of the annual payment shall be determined by the Secretary and based, to the maximum extent practicable, on the following factors:

(A)Costs incurred by the producer associated with planning, design, materials, installation, labor, management, maintenance, or training.

(B)Income forgone by the producer.

(C)Expected conservation benefits.

(D)The extent to which priority resource concerns will be addressed through the installation and adoption of conservation activities on the agricultural operation.

(E)The level of stewardship in place at the time of application and maintained over the term of the contract.

(F)The degree to which the conservation activities will be integrated across the entire agricultural operation for all applicable priority resource concerns over the term of the contract.

(G)Such other factors as are determined appropriate by the Secretary.

(3)Exclusions

A payment to a producer under this subsection shall not be provided for— (A)

(B)conservation activities for which there is no cost incurred or income forgone to the producer.

(4)Delivery of payments

In making payments under this subsection, the Secretary shall, to the extent practicable—

(A)prorate conservation performance over the term of the contract so as to accommodate, to the extent practicable, producers earning equal annual payments in each fiscal year; and

(B)make such payments as soon as practicable after October 1 of each fiscal year for activities carried out in the previous fiscal year.

(5)Payment for cover crop activities

The amount of a payment under this subsection for cover crop activities shall be not less than 125 percent of the annual payment amount determined by the Secretary under paragraph (2).

(d)Supplemental payments for resource-conserving crop rotations and advanced grazing management

(1)Definitions

In this subsection: (A) Advanced grazing management

(B)Management-intensive rotational grazing

The term “management-intensive rotational grazing” means a strategic, adaptively managed multipasture grazing system in which animals are regularly and systematically moved to fresh pasture in a manner that—

(i)maximizes the quantity and quality of forage growth;

(ii)improves manure distribution and nutrient cycling;

(iii)increases carbon sequestration from greater forage harvest;

(iv)improves the quality and quantity of cover for wildlife;

(v)provides permanent cover to protect the soil from erosion; and

(vi)improves water quality.

(C)Resource-conserving crop rotation

The term “resource-conserving crop rotation” means a crop rotation that—

(i)includes at least 1 resource-conserving crop (as defined by the Secretary);

(ii)reduces erosion;

(iii)improves soil fertility and tilth;

(iv)interrupts pest cycles;

(v)builds soil organic matter; and

(vi)in applicable areas, reduces depletion of soil moisture or otherwise reduces the need for irrigation.

(2)Availability of payments

The Secretary shall provide additional payments to producers that, in participating in the program, agree to adopt or improve, manage, and maintain— (A)

(B)advanced grazing management.

(3)Eligibility

To be eligible to receive a payment described in paragraph (2), a producer shall agree to adopt or improve, manage, and maintain resource-conserving crop rotations or advanced grazing management for the term of the contract.

(4)Amount of payment

An additional payment provided under paragraph (2) shall be not less than 150 percent of the annual payment amount determined by the Secretary under subsection (c)(2).

(e)Payment for comprehensive conservation plan

(1)Definition of comprehensive conservation plan

In this subsection, the term “comprehensive conservation plan” means a conservation plan that meets or exceeds the stewardship threshold for each priority resource concern identified by the Secretary under subsection (a)(2).

(2)Payment for comprehensive conservation plan

The Secretary shall provide a 1-time payment to a producer that develops a comprehensive conservation plan.

(3)Amount of payment

The Secretary shall determine the amount of payment under paragraph (2) based on—

(A)the number of priority resource concerns addressed in the comprehensive conservation plan; and

(B)the number of types of land uses included in the comprehensive conservation plan.

(f)Payment limitations

A person or legal entity may not receive, directly or indirectly, payments under the program that, in the aggregate, exceed $200,000 under all contracts entered into during fiscal years 2019 through 2023, excluding funding arrangements with Indian tribes, regardless of the number of contracts entered into under the program by the person or legal entity.

(g)Specialty crop and organic producers

The Secretary shall ensure that outreach and technical assistance are available, and program specifications are appropriate to enable specialty crop and organic producers to participate in the program.

(h)Organic certification

(1)Coordination

The Secretary shall establish a transparent means by which producers may initiate organic certification under the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 6501 et seq.) while participating in a contract under the program.

(2)Allocation

(A)In general

Using funds made available for the program for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2031, the Secretary shall allocate funding to States to support organic production and transition to organic production through paragraph (1).

(B)Determination

The Secretary shall determine the allocation to a State under subparagraph (A) based on—

(i)the number of certified and transitioning organic operations within the State; and

(ii)the number of acres of certified and transitioning organic production within the State.

(i)Regulations

The Secretary shall promulgate regulations that—

(1)prescribe such other rules as the Secretary determines to be necessary to ensure a fair and reasonable application of the limitations established under subsection (f); and

(2)otherwise enable the Secretary to carry out the program.

(j)Streamlining and coordination

To the maximum extent feasible, the Secretary shall provide for streamlined and coordinated procedures for the program and the environmental quality incentives program under subpart A, including applications, contracting, conservation planning, conservation practices, and related administrative procedures.

(k)Soil health

To the maximum extent feasible, the Secretary shall manage the program to enhance soil health.

(l)Annual report

Each fiscal year, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report describing the payment rates for conservation activities offered to producers under the program and an analysis of whether payment rates can be reduced for the most expensive conservation activities.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The Organic Foods Production Act of 1990, referred to in subsec. (h)(1), is title XXI of Pub. L. 101–624, Nov. 28, 1990, 104 Stat. 3935, which is classified generally to chapter 94 (§ 6501 et seq.) of Title 7, Agriculture. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 6501 of Title 7 and Tables. Codification Section was formerly classified to section 3838g of this title prior to renumbering by Pub. L. 115–334. Pub. L. 110–234 and Pub. L. 110–246 enacted identical sections. Pub. L. 110–234 was repealed by section 4(a) of Pub. L. 110–246.

Amendments

2022—Subsec. (h)(2)(A). Pub. L. 117–169 substituted “2031” for “2023”. 2018—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 115–334, § 2308(d)(1), substituted “allocate funding” for “allocate acres” in introductory provisions. Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 115–334, § 2308(d)(2), (3), redesignated subsec. (d) as (c) and struck out former subsec. (c). Prior to amendment, text of subsec. (c) read as follows: “During the period beginning on

February 7, 2014, and ending on

September 30, 2022, the Secretary shall, to the maximum extent practicable— “(1) enroll in the program an additional 10,000,000 acres for each fiscal year; and “(2) manage the program to achieve a national average rate of $18 per acre, which shall include the costs of all financial assistance, technical assistance, and any other expenses associated with enrollment or participation in the program.” Subsec. (c)(5). Pub. L. 115–334, § 2308(d)(4), added par. (5). Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 115–334, § 2308(d)(3), (5)(A), redesignated subsec. (e) as (d) and inserted “and advanced grazing management” after “crop rotations” in heading. Former subsec. (d) redesignated (c). Subsec. (d)(1). Pub. L. 115–334, § 2308(d)(5)(D), inserted par. designation, heading, and introductory provisions, added subpars. (A) and (B), designated existing provisions of par. (1) as subpar. (C), and, in subpar. (C), substituted “The term” for “In this subsection, the term”, redesignated former subpars. (A) to (D) and (E) of par. (1) as cls. (i) to (iv) and (vi), respectively, realigned margins, and added cl. (v). Pub. L. 115–334, § 2308(d)(5)(C), redesignated par. (4) as (1). Former par. (1) redesignated (2). Subsec. (d)(2). Pub. L. 115–334, § 2308(d)(5)(C), (E), redesignated par. (1) as (2), substituted “agree to adopt or improve, manage, and maintain—” for “agree to adopt or improve resource-conserving crop rotations to achieve beneficial crop rotations as appropriate for the eligible land of the producers.”, and added subpars. (A) and (B). Pub. L. 115–334, § 2308(d)(5)(B), struck out par. (2). Text read as follows: “The Secretary shall determine whether a resource-conserving crop rotation is a beneficial crop rotation eligible for additional payments under paragraph (1) based on whether the resource-conserving crop rotation is designed to provide natural resource conservation and production benefits.” Subsec. (d)(3). Pub. L. 115–334, § 2308(d)(5)(F), substituted “paragraph (2)” for “paragraph (1)” and “agree to adopt or improve, manage, and maintain resource-conserving crop rotations or advanced grazing management for the term of the contract” for “agree to adopt and maintain beneficial resource-conserving crop rotations for the term of the contract”. Subsec. (d)(4). Pub. L. 115–334, § 2308(d)(5)(G), added par. (4). Former par. (4) redesignated (1). Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 115–334, § 2308(d)(6), added subsec. (e). Former subsec. (e) redesignated (d). Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 115–334, § 2308(d)(7), substituted “2019 through 2023” for “2014 through 2018”. Subsec. (h). Pub. L. 115–334, § 2308(d)(8), substituted “Organic certification” for “Coordination with organic certification” in subsec. heading, designated existing provisions as par. (1) and inserted par. heading, and added par. (2). Subsecs. (j) to (l). Pub. L. 115–334, § 2308(d)(9), added subsecs. (j) to (l). 2014—Pub. L. 113–79 amended section generally. Prior to amendment, section related to duties of the Secretary.