WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/AG/N/USA/70 
8 June 2009 
 (09-2710) 
Committee on Agriculture Original:   English 
 
 
 
NOTIFICATION  
 
 
The following submission, dated 2 June 2009, is being circulated at the request of the 
Delegation of the United States .  The notification concerns new or modified domestic support 
measures exempt from reduction ( Table DS:2 ). 
  G/AG/N/USA/70 
Page 2  
 
  Table DS:2 
DOMESTIC SUPPORT: United States  
Notification under Article 18:3 of the Agreement:  
New or modified domestic support measures exempt from reduction  
 
(1) Full title of measure:  Chesapeake Bay Watershed Program 
 (2) Domestic legislation reference:  The Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008, P.L. 110-
246, 22 May 2008. 
 
(3) Detailed description of measure with  reference to criteria, i.e. those in:  Provisions are 
consistent with criteria in Annex 2, paragraph 12.   
  The program assists producers in implementing activities to improve water quality and 
quantity, and restore, enhance and preserve soil,  air, and related resources in the Chesapeake 
Bay Watershed. Initiative funding is available to eligible agricultura l producers within the 
Chesapeake Bay Watershed to assist with voluntary implementation of beneficial 
conservation practices. This new initiative stre ngthens coordination a nd cooperation between 
the U.S. Department of Agriculture and th e Environmental Protection Agency to help 
agricultural producers improve the environm ent in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. The 
initiative will be delivered through the Environm ental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and 
all EQIP requirements and policies will apply.  See also G/AG/N/USA/59. 
 
(4) Cost of measure :   The legislation mandates $188 million in funding through the Commodity 
Credit Corporation for fiscal years (FY) 2009-12:  $23 million in FY2009; $43 million in 
FY2010; $72 million in FY2011; and $50 million in FY2012. 
 (5) Date of entry into effect:  The Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008, P.L. 110-246, 
effective on 22 May 2008.  A notice of funding availability was published on 
22 January 2009, for the FY2009 signup.  Interi m final regulations for EQIP, including the 
Chesapeake Bay Watershed Program, were p ublished in the Federal Register on 
12 March 2009.   
 (6) Period of application:   Fiscal years (October – September) 2009 – 2012.  
 
(7) Products to principally benefit (if any individual product(s)):  None. 
  G/AG/N/USA/70 
 Page 3 
 
 
  Table DS:2 
DOMESTIC SUPPORT: United States  
Notification under Article 18:3 of the Agreement:  
New or modified domestic support measures exempt from reduction  
 
(1) Full title of measure:  Agricultural Water Enhancemen t Program (formerly Ground and 
Surface Water Conservation Program) 
 (2) Domestic legislation reference:  The Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008, P.L. 110-
246, 22 May 2008. 
 
(3) Detailed description of measure with  reference to criteria, i.e. those in:  Provisions are 
consistent with criteria in Annex 2, paragraph 12.   
  The Agricultural Water Enhancement Program (A WEP) is a voluntary conservation initiative 
that provides financial and technical assistan ce to agricultural producers to implement 
agricultural water enhancement activities on ag ricultural land for the purposes of conserving 
surface and ground water and improving water quality .  As part of the Environmental Quality 
Incentives Program (EQIP), AWEP operates throug h contracts with producers to plan and 
implement conservation practices in project are as established through pa rtnership agreements.  
 
 Under AWEP, the Natural Resources Conservati on Service (NRCS) enters into partnership 
agreements with eligible entities that want to promote ground and surface water conservation 
or improve water quality on agricultural lands.  The initiative will be delivered through the 
EQIP and all EQIP requirements and policies will apply.  See also G/AG/N/USA/59. 
 
(4) Cost of measure :   The legislation mandates $280 million in Commodity Credit Corporation 
funding for fiscal years (FY) 2009-12:  $73 million for fiscal years 2009 and 2010; $74 
million for FY2011; and $60 million for FY2012 and each year thereafter. 
 
(5) Date of entry into effect:  The Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008, P.L. 110-246, 
effective on 22 May 2008.  Interim final regul ations for EQIP, including the Agricultural 
Water Enhancement Program, we re published in the Federal Register on 12 March 2009.   
(6) Period of application:   Fiscal years (October – September) 2009 – 2012.  
 
(7) Products to principally benefit (if any individual product(s)):  None. 
  
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