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Title 16, ConservationRelease 119-110

§3861 Establishment of State Technical Committees

Title 16 › CHAPTER 58 — ERODIBLE LAND AND WETLAND CONSERVATION AND RESERVE PROGRAM › SUBCHAPTER VI — STATE TECHNICAL COMMITTEES › § 3861

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary must set up a technical committee in every State to help with the technical and implementation parts of the conservation programs. The Secretary must also keep and update rules that make how these State committees work the same across States and update the technical standards they use when making conservation guidance. Each State committee must include farmers and other experts in soil, water, wetlands, and wildlife. It must have people from key federal agencies (Natural Resources Conservation Service, Farm Service Agency, Forest Service, National Institute of Food and Agriculture); State agencies (fish and wildlife, State forester, water resources, State agriculture, and the State soil and water conservation districts); farmers who represent the State’s crops and livestock; owners of nonindustrial private forest land; 501(c)(3) conservation nonprofits with proven experience working with farmers; agribusiness; and the State Cooperative Extension service and land‑grant university.

Full Legal Text

Title 16, §3861

Conservation, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Establishment
The Secretary shall establish a technical committee in each State to assist the Secretary in the considerations relating to implementation and technical aspects of the conservation programs under this chapter.
(b)Standards
The Secretary shall review and update as necessary—
(1)standard operating procedures to standardize the operations of State technical committees; and
(2)standards to be used by State technical committees in the development of technical guidelines for the implementation of the conservation provisions of this chapter.
(c)Composition
Each State technical committee shall be composed of agricultural producers and other professionals that represent a variety of disciplines in the soil, water, wetland, and wildlife sciences. The technical committee for a State shall include representatives from among the following:
(1)The Natural Resources Conservation Service.
(2)The Farm Service Agency.
(3)The Forest Service.
(4)The National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
(5)The State fish and wildlife agency.
(6)The State forester or equivalent State official.
(7)The State water resources agency.
(8)The State department of agriculture.
(9)The State association of soil and water conservation districts.
(10)Agricultural producers representing the variety of crops and livestock or poultry raised within the State.
(11)Owners of nonindustrial private forest land.
(12)Nonprofit organizations within the meaning of section 501(c)(3) of title 26 with demonstrable conservation expertise and experience working with agriculture producers in the State.
(13)Agribusiness.
(14)The State Cooperative Extension Service and land grant university in the State.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

This chapter, referred to in subsecs. (a) and (b)(2), was in the original “this title”, meaning title XII of Pub. L. 99–198, which enacted this chapter and former section 2005a of this title and amended section 590g, 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2009 of this title, section 4207 and 4209 of Title 7, Agriculture, and provisions set out as a note under section 1981 of Title 7. 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. (b)(2). Pub. L. 115–334, § 2822(a), struck out “under section 3862(b) of this title” after “technical guidelines”. Subsec. (c)(14). Pub. L. 115–334, § 2822(b), added par. (14). 2014—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 113–79, in introductory provisions, substituted “The Secretary shall review and update as necessary” for “Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008, the Secretary shall develop”. 2008—Pub. L. 110–246, § 2711, which directed the general amendment of section 1261 of the “Farm Security Act of 1985”, was executed by making the amendment to this section, which is section 1261 of the Food Security Act of 1985, to reflect the probable intent of Congress. Prior to amendment, section related to the establishment in each State of a technical committee to assist the Secretary in the technical considerations relating to implementation of conservation provisions under this chapter, composition of each such committee, and development of standards to be used in the development of guidelines under former section 3862(b) of this title. Subsec. (c)(4). Pub. L. 110–246, § 7511(c)(38), which directed amendment of par. (4) by substituting “National Institute of Food and Agriculture” for “Extension Service”, could not be executed because “Extension Service” did not appear subsequent to amendment by Pub. L. 110–246, § 2711. See above. 1996—Subsec. (c)(9) to (12). Pub. L. 104–127 added pars. (9) to (12).

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, except as otherwise provided, see section 4 of Pub. L. 110–246, set out as an

Effective Date

note under section 8701 of Title 7, Agriculture. Amendment by section 7511(c)(38) of Pub. L. 110–246 effective Oct. 1, 2009, see section 7511(c) of Pub. L. 110–246, set out as a note under section 1522 of Title 7, Agriculture.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

16 U.S.C. § 3861

Title 16, Conservation

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110