211 
•HR 2642 EAH1S 
own terms and conditions for agricultural land 
easements so long as the Secretary determines 
such terms and conditions— 
‘‘(i) are consistent with the purposes of 
the program; 
‘‘(ii) permit effective enforcement of the 
conservation purposes of such easements; 
‘‘(iii) include a right of enforcement 
for the Secretary, that may be used only if 
the terms of the easement are not enforced 
by the holder of the easement; 
‘‘(iv) subject the land in which an in-
terest is purchased to an agricultural land 
easement plan that— 
‘‘(I) describes the activities which 
promote the long-term viability of the 
land to meet the purposes for which the 
easement was acquired; 
‘‘(II) requires the management of 
grasslands according to a grasslands 
management plan; and 
‘‘(III) includes a conservation 
plan, where appropriate, and requires, 
at the option of the Secretary, the con-
212 
•HR 2642 EAH1S 
version of highly erodible cropland to 
less intensive uses; and 
‘‘(v) include a limit on the impervious 
surfaces to be allowed that is consistent with 
the agricultural activities to be conducted. 
‘‘(D) 
SUBSTITUTION
OF
QUALIFIED 
PROJECTS.—An agreement shall allow, upon mu-
tual agreement of the parties, substitution of 
qualified projects that are identified at the time 
of the proposed substitution. 
‘‘(E) EFFECT OF VIOLATION.—If a violation 
occurs of a term or condition of an agreement 
under this subsection— 
‘‘(i) the Secretary may terminate the 
agreement; and 
‘‘(ii) the Secretary may require the eli-
gible entity to refund all or part of any 
payments received by the entity under the 
program, with interest on the payments as 
determined appropriate by the Secretary. 
‘‘(5) CERTIFICATION OF ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.— 
‘‘(A) CERTIFICATION
PROCESS.—The Sec-
retary shall establish a process under which the 
Secretary may—
213 
•HR 2642 EAH1S 
‘‘(i) directly certify eligible entities 
that meet established criteria; 
‘‘(ii) enter into long-term agreements 
with certified eligible entities; and 
‘‘(iii) accept proposals for cost-share 
assistance for the purchase of agricultural 
land easements throughout the duration of 
such agreements. 
‘‘(B) CERTIFICATION
CRITERIA.—In order 
to be certified, an eligible entity shall dem-
onstrate to the Secretary that the entity will 
maintain, at a minimum, for the duration of the 
agreement— 
‘‘(i) a plan for administering ease-
ments that is consistent with the purpose of 
this subtitle; 
‘‘(ii) the capacity and resources to 
monitor and enforce agricultural land ease-
ments; and 
‘‘(iii) policies and procedures to en-
sure— 
‘‘(I) the long-term integrity of ag-
ricultural land easements on eligible 
land;
214 
•HR 2642 EAH1S 
‘‘(II) timely completion of acqui-
sitions of such easements; and 
‘‘(III) timely and complete eval-
uation and reporting to the Secretary 
on the use of funds provided under the 
program. 
‘‘(C) REVIEW AND REVISION.— 
‘‘(i) REVIEW.—The Secretary shall 
conduct a review of eligible entities certified 
under subparagraph (A) every three years 
to ensure that such entities are meeting the 
criteria established under subparagraph 
(B). 
‘‘(ii) REVOCATION.—If the Secretary 
finds that the certified eligible entity no 
longer meets the criteria established under 
subparagraph (B), the Secretary may— 
‘‘(I) allow the certified eligible en-
tity a specified period of time, at a 
minimum 180 days, in which to take 
such actions as may be necessary to 
meet the criteria; and 
‘‘(II) revoke the certification of the 
eligible entity, if, after the specified pe-
215 
•HR 2642 EAH1S 
riod of time, the certified eligible entity 
does not meet such criteria. 
‘‘(c) METHOD OF ENROLLMENT.—The Secretary shall 
enroll eligible land under this section through the use of— 
‘‘(1) permanent easements; or 
‘‘(2) easements for the maximum duration al-
lowed under applicable State laws. 
‘‘(d) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—The Secretary may 
provide technical assistance, if requested, to assist in— 
‘‘(1) compliance with the terms and conditions of 
easements; and 
‘‘(2) implementation of an agricultural land 
easement plan. 
‘‘SEC. 1265C. WETLAND EASEMENTS. 
‘‘(a) AVAILABILITY OF ASSISTANCE.—The Secretary 
shall provide assistance to owners of eligible land to restore, 
protect, and enhance wetlands through— 
‘‘(1) wetland easements and related wetland ease-
ment plans; and 
‘‘(2) technical assistance. 
‘‘(b) EASEMENTS.— 
‘‘(1) METHOD OF ENROLLMENT.—The Secretary 
shall enroll eligible land under this section through 
the use of— 
‘‘(A) 30-year easements;
216 
•HR 2642 EAH1S 
‘‘(B) permanent easements; 
‘‘(C) easements for the maximum duration 
allowed under applicable State laws; or 
‘‘(D) as an option for Indian tribes only, 
30-year contracts (which shall be considered to be 
30-year easements for the purposes of this sub-
title). 
‘‘(2) LIMITATIONS.— 
‘‘(A) INELIGIBLE
LAND.—The Secretary 
may not acquire easements on— 
‘‘(i) land established to trees under the 
conservation reserve program, except in 
cases where the Secretary determines it 
would further the purposes of the program; 
and 
‘‘(ii) farmed wetlands or converted wet-
lands where the conversion was not com-
menced prior to December 23, 1985. 
‘‘(B) CHANGES
IN
OWNERSHIP.—No wet-
land easement shall be created on land that has 
changed ownership during the preceding 24- 
month period unless— 
‘‘(i) the new ownership was acquired 
by will or succession as a result of the death 
of the previous owner;
217 
•HR 2642 EAH1S 
‘‘(ii)(I) the ownership change occurred 
because of foreclosure on the land; and 
‘‘(II) immediately before the fore-
closure, the owner of the land exercises a 
right of redemption from the mortgage hold-
er in accordance with State law; or 
‘‘(iii) the Secretary determines that the 
land was acquired under circumstances that 
give adequate assurances that such land was 
not acquired for the purposes of placing it 
in the program. 
‘‘(3) EVALUATION AND RANKING OF OFFERS.— 
‘‘(A) CRITERIA.—The Secretary shall estab-
lish evaluation and ranking criteria to maximize 
the benefit of Federal investment under the pro-
gram. 
‘‘(B) CONSIDERATIONS.—When evaluating 
offers from landowners, the Secretary may con-
sider— 
‘‘(i) the conservation benefits of obtain-
ing a wetland easement, including the po-
tential environmental benefits if the land 
was removed from agricultural production;
218 
•HR 2642 EAH1S 
‘‘(ii) the cost-effectiveness of each wet-
land easement, so as to maximize the envi-
ronmental benefits per dollar expended; 
‘‘(iii) whether the landowner or an-
other person is offering to contribute finan-
cially to the cost of the wetland easement to 
leverage Federal funds; and 
‘‘(iv) such other factors as the Sec-
retary determines are necessary to carry out 
the purposes of the program. 
‘‘(C) PRIORITY.—The Secretary shall place 
priority on acquiring wetland easements based 
on the value of the wetland easement for pro-
tecting and enhancing habitat for migratory 
birds and other wildlife. 
‘‘(4) AGREEMENT.—To be eligible to place eligi-
ble land into the program through a wetland ease-
ment, the owner of such land shall enter into an 
agreement with the Secretary to— 
‘‘(A) grant an easement on such land to the 
Secretary; 
‘‘(B) authorize the implementation of a wet-
land easement plan developed for the eligible 
land under subsection (f);
219 
•HR 2642 EAH1S 
‘‘(C) create and record an appropriate deed 
restriction in accordance with applicable State 
law to reflect the easement agreed to; 
‘‘(D) provide a written statement of consent 
to such easement signed by those holding a secu-
rity interest in the land; 
‘‘(E) comply with the terms and conditions 
of the easement and any related agreements; and 
‘‘(F) permanently retire any existing base 
history for the land on which the easement has 
been obtained. 
‘‘(5) TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF EASEMENT.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—A wetland easement 
shall include terms and conditions that— 
‘‘(i) permit— 
‘‘(I) repairs, improvements, and 
inspections on the land that are nec-
essary to maintain existing public 
drainage systems; and 
‘‘(II) owners to control public ac-
cess on the easement areas while iden-
tifying access routes to be used for res-
toration activities and management 
and easement monitoring; 
‘‘(ii) prohibit—
220 
•HR 2642 EAH1S 
‘‘(I) the alteration of wildlife 
habitat and other natural features of 
such land, unless specifically author-
ized by the Secretary; 
‘‘(II) the spraying of such land 
with chemicals or the mowing of such 
land, except where such spraying or 
mowing is authorized by the Secretary 
or is necessary— 
‘‘(aa) to comply with Federal 
or State noxious weed control 
laws; 
‘‘(bb) to comply with a Fed-
eral or State emergency pest treat-
ment program; or 
‘‘(cc) to meet habitat needs of 
specific wildlife species; 
‘‘(III) any activities to be carried 
out on the owner’s or successor’s land 
that is immediately adjacent to, and 
functionally related to, the land that is 
subject to the easement if such activi-
ties will alter, degrade, or otherwise di-
minish the functional value of the eli-
gible land; and
221 
•HR 2642 EAH1S 
‘‘(IV) the adoption of any other 
practice that would tend to defeat the 
purposes of the program, as determined 
by the Secretary; 
‘‘(iii) provide for the efficient and ef-
fective establishment of wildlife functions 
and values; and 
‘‘(iv) include such additional provi-
sions as the Secretary determines are desir-
able to carry out the program or facilitate 
the practical administration thereof. 
‘‘(B) VIOLATION.—On the violation of the 
terms or conditions of a wetland easement, the 
wetland easement shall remain in force and the 
Secretary may require the owner to refund all or 
part of any payments received by the owner 
under the program, together with interest thereon 
as determined appropriate by the Secretary. 
‘‘(C) COMPATIBLE USES.—Land subject to a 
wetland easement may be used for compatible 
economic uses, including such activities as hunt-
ing and fishing, managed timber harvest, or 
periodic haying or grazing, if such use is specifi-
cally permitted by the wetland easement plan de-
veloped for the land under subsection (f) and is
222 
•HR 2642 EAH1S 
consistent with the long-term protection and en-
hancement of the wetland resources for which the 
easement was established. 
‘‘(D) RESERVATION OF GRAZING RIGHTS.— 
The Secretary may include in the terms and con-
ditions of a wetland easement a provision under 
which the owner reserves grazing rights if— 
‘‘(i) the Secretary determines that the 
reservation and use of the grazing rights— 
‘‘(I) is compatible with the land 
subject to the easement; 
‘‘(II) is consistent with the histor-
ical natural uses of the land and the 
long-term protection and enhancement 
goals for which the easement was estab-
lished; and 
‘‘(III) complies with the wetland 
easement plan developed for the land 
under subsection (f); and 
‘‘(ii) the agreement provides for a com-
mensurate reduction in the easement pay-
ment to account for the grazing value, as 
determined by the Secretary. 
‘‘(6) COMPENSATION.— 
‘‘(A) DETERMINATION.—
223 
•HR 2642 EAH1S 
‘‘(i) 
PERMANENT
EASEMENTS.—The 
Secretary shall pay as compensation for a 
permanent 
wetland 
easement 
acquired 
under the program an amount necessary to 
encourage enrollment in the program, based 
on the lowest of— 
‘‘(I) the fair market value of the 
land, as determined by the Secretary, 
using the Uniform Standards of Pro-
fessional Appraisal Practice or an 
area-wide market analysis or survey; 
‘‘(II) the amount corresponding to 
a geographical cap, as determined by 
the Secretary in regulations; or 
‘‘(III) the offer made by the land-
owner. 
‘‘(ii) 
30-YEAR
EASEMENTS.—Com-
pensation for a 30-year wetland easement 
shall be not less than 50 percent, but not 
more than 75 percent, of the compensation 
that would be paid for a permanent wet-
land easement. 
‘‘(B) FORM
OF
PAYMENT.—Compensation 
for a wetland easement shall be provided by the
224 
•HR 2642 EAH1S 
Secretary in the form of a cash payment, in an 
amount determined under subparagraph (A). 
‘‘(C) PAYMENT SCHEDULE.— 
‘‘(i) EASEMENTS
VALUED
AT
$500,000 
OR LESS.—For wetland easements valued at 
$500,000 or less, the Secretary may provide 
easement payments in not more than 10 an-
nual payments. 
‘‘(ii) EASEMENTS
VALUED
AT
MORE 
THAN $500,000.—For wetland easements val-
ued at more than $500,000, the Secretary 
may provide easement payments in at least 
5, but not more than 10 annual payments, 
except that, if the Secretary determines it 
would further the purposes of the program, 
the Secretary may make a lump-sum pay-
ment for such an easement. 
‘‘(c) EASEMENT RESTORATION.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall provide 
financial assistance to owners of eligible land to carry 
out the establishment of conservation measures and 
practices and protect wetland functions and values, 
including necessary maintenance activities, as set 
forth in a wetland easement plan developed for the el-
igible land under subsection (f).
225 
•HR 2642 EAH1S 
‘‘(2) PAYMENTS.—The Secretary shall— 
‘‘(A) in the case of a permanent wetland 
easement, pay an amount that is not less than 
75 percent, but not more than 100 percent, of the 
eligible costs, as determined by the Secretary; 
and 
‘‘(B) in the case of a 30-year wetland ease-
ment, pay an amount that is not less than 50 
percent, but not more than 75 percent, of the eli-
gible costs, as determined by the Secretary. 
‘‘(d) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall assist 
owners in complying with the terms and conditions 
of wetland easements. 
‘‘(2) CONTRACTS
OR
AGREEMENTS.—The Sec-
retary may enter into 1 or more contracts with pri-
vate entities or agreements with a State, non-govern-
mental organization, or Indian tribe to carry out nec-
essary restoration, enhancement, or maintenance of a 
wetland easement if the Secretary determines that the 
contract or agreement will advance the purposes of 
the program. 
‘‘(e) WETLAND ENHANCEMENT OPTION.—The Sec-
retary may enter into 1 or more agreements with a State 
(including a political subdivision or agency of a State),
226 
•HR 2642 EAH1S 
nongovernmental organization, or Indian tribe to carry out 
a special wetland enhancement option that the Secretary 
determines would advance the purposes of program. 
‘‘(f) ADMINISTRATION.— 
‘‘(1) WETLAND EASEMENT PLAN.—The Secretary 
shall develop a wetland easement plan for eligible 
lands subject to a wetland easement, which shall in-
clude practices and activities necessary to restore, 
protect, enhance, and maintain the enrolled lands. 
‘‘(2) DELEGATION
OF
EASEMENT
ADMINISTRA-
TION.—The Secretary may delegate— 
‘‘(A) any of the easement management, 
monitoring, and enforcement responsibilities of 
the Secretary to other Federal or State agencies 
that have the appropriate authority, expertise, 
and resources necessary to carry out such dele-
gated responsibilities; and 
‘‘(B) any of the easement management re-
sponsibilities of the Secretary to other conserva-
tion organizations if the Secretary determines 
the organization has the appropriate expertise 
and resources. 
‘‘(3) PAYMENTS.—
227 
•HR 2642 EAH1S 
‘‘(A) TIMING OF PAYMENTS.—The Secretary 
shall provide payment for obligations incurred 
by the Secretary under this section— 
‘‘(i) with respect to any easement res-
toration obligation under subsection (c), as 
soon as possible after the obligation is in-
curred; and 
‘‘(ii) with respect to any annual ease-
ment payment obligation incurred by the 
Secretary, as soon as possible after October 
1 of each calendar year. 
‘‘(B) PAYMENTS TO OTHERS.—If an owner 
who is entitled to a payment under this section 
dies, becomes incompetent, is otherwise unable to 
receive such payment, or is succeeded by another 
person or entity who renders or completes the re-
quired performance, the Secretary shall make 
such payment, in accordance with regulations 
prescribed by the Secretary and without regard 
to any other provision of law, in such manner 
as the Secretary determines is fair and reason-
able in light of all of the circumstances.
228 
•HR 2642 EAH1S 
‘‘SEC. 1265D. ADMINISTRATION. 
‘‘(a) INELIGIBLE LAND.—The Secretary may not use 
program funds for the purposes of acquiring an easement 
on— 
‘‘(1) lands owned by an agency of the United 
States, other than land held in trust for Indian tribes; 
‘‘(2) lands owned in fee title by a State, includ-
ing an agency or a subdivision of a State, or a unit 
of local government; 
‘‘(3) land subject to an easement or deed restric-
tion which, as determined by the Secretary, provides 
similar protection as would be provided by enrollment 
in the program; or 
‘‘(4) lands where the purposes of the program 
would be undermined due to on-site or off-site condi-
tions, such as risk of hazardous substances, proposed 
or existing rights of way, infrastructure development, 
or adjacent land uses. 
‘‘(b) PRIORITY.—In evaluating applications under the 
program, the Secretary may give priority to land that is 
currently enrolled in the conservation reserve program in 
a contract that is set to expire within 1 year and— 
‘‘(1) in the case of an agricultural land ease-
ment, is grassland that would benefit from protection 
under a long-term easement; and
229 
•HR 2642 EAH1S 
‘‘(2) in the case of a wetland easement, is a wet-
land or related area with the highest functions and 
value and is likely to return to production after the 
land leaves the conservation reserve program. 
‘‘(c) SUBORDINATION, EXCHANGE, MODIFICATION, AND 
TERMINATION.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may subordi-
nate, exchange, modify, or terminate any interest in 
land, or portion of such interest, administered by the 
Secretary, either directly or on behalf of the Com-
modity Credit Corporation under the program if the 
Secretary determines that— 
‘‘(A) it is in the Federal Government’s in-
terest to subordinate, exchange, modify, or termi-
nate the interest in land; 
‘‘(B) the subordination, exchange, modifica-
tion, or termination action— 
‘‘(i) will address a compelling public 
need for which there is no practicable alter-
native; or 
‘‘(ii) such action will further the prac-
tical administration of the program; and 
‘‘(C) the subordination, exchange, modifica-
tion, or termination action will result in com-
230 
•HR 2642 EAH1S 
parable conservation value and equivalent or 
greater economic value to the United States. 
‘‘(2) CONSULTATION.—The Secretary shall work 
with the owner, and eligible entity if applicable, to 
address any subordination, exchange, modification, or 
termination of the interest, or portion of such interest, 
in land. 
‘‘(3) NOTICE.—At least 90 days before taking 
any termination action described in paragraph (1), 
the Secretary shall provide written notice of such ac-
tion to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of 
Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, 
Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate. 
‘‘(d) LAND ENROLLED IN CONSERVATION RESERVE 
PROGRAM.—The Secretary may terminate or modify a con-
tract entered into under section 1231(a) if eligible land that 
is subject to such contract is transferred into the program. 
‘‘(e) ALLOCATION
OF FUNDS
FOR AGRICULTURAL 
LAND EASEMENTS.—Of the funds made available under 
section 1241 to carry out the program for a fiscal year, 
the Secretary shall, to the extent practicable, use for agricul-
tural land easements— 
‘‘(1) no less than 40 percent in each of fiscal 
years 2014 through 2017; and
231 
•HR 2642 EAH1S 
‘‘(2) no less than 50 percent in fiscal year 
2018.’’. 
(b) COMPLIANCE WITH CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS.— 
Before an eligible entity or owner of eligible land may re-
ceive assistance under subtitle H of title XII of the Food 
Security Act of 1985, the eligible entity or person shall 
agree, during the crop year for which the assistance is pro-
vided and in exchange for the assistance— 
(1) to comply with applicable conservation re-
quirements under subtitle B of title XII of that Act 
(16 U.S.C. 3811 et seq.); and 
(2) to comply with applicable wetland protection 
requirements under subtitle C of title XII of that Act 
(16 U.S.C. 3821 et seq.). 
(c) CROSS REFERENCE; CALCULATION.—Section 1244 
of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3844) is 
amended— 
(1) in subsection (c)— 
(A) in paragraph (1)— 
(i) by inserting ‘‘and’’ at the end of 
subparagraph (A); 
(ii) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of 
subparagraph (B); and 
(iii) by striking subparagraph (C);
232 
•HR 2642 EAH1S 
(B) by redesignating paragraph (2) as 
paragraph (3); and 
(C) by inserting after paragraph (1) the fol-
lowing new paragraph: 
‘‘(2) the agricultural conservation easement pro-
gram established under subtitle H; and’’; and 
(2) in subsection (f)— 
(A) in paragraph (1)— 
(i) in subparagraph (A), by striking 
‘‘programs administered under subchapters 
B and C of chapter 1 of subtitle D’’ and in-
serting ‘‘conservation reserve program estab-
lished under subchapter B of chapter 1 of 
subtitle D and wetland easements under sec-
tion 1265C’’; and 
(ii) in subparagraph (B), by striking 
‘‘an easement acquired under subchapter C 
of chapter 1 of subtitle D’’ and inserting ‘‘a 
wetland easement under section 1265C’’; 
and 
(B) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(5) CALCULATION.—In calculating the percent-
ages described in paragraph (1), the Secretary shall 
include any acreage that was included in calculations
233 
•HR 2642 EAH1S 
of percentages made under such paragraph, as in ef-
fect on September 30, 2013, and that remains enrolled 
when the calculation is made after that date under 
paragraph (1).’’. 
(d) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by this 
section shall take effect on October 1, 2013. 
Subtitle E—Regional Conservation 
Partnership Program 
SEC. 2401. REGIONAL CONSERVATION PARTNERSHIP PRO-
GRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Title XII of the Food Security Act 
of 1985 is amended by inserting after subtitle H, as added 
by section 2301, the following new subtitle: 
‘‘Subtitle I—Regional Conservation 
Partnership Program 
‘‘SEC. 1271. ESTABLISHMENT AND PURPOSES. 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall establish 
a regional conservation partnership program to implement 
eligible activities on eligible land through— 
‘‘(1) partnership agreements with eligible part-
ners; and 
‘‘(2) contracts with producers. 
‘‘(b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of the program are as 
follows:
234 
•HR 2642 EAH1S 
‘‘(1) To use covered programs to accomplish pur-
poses and functions similar to those of the following 
programs, as in effect on September 30, 2013: 
‘‘(A) The agricultural water enhancement 
program established under section 1240I. 
‘‘(B) The Chesapeake Bay watershed pro-
gram established under section 1240Q. 
‘‘(C) The cooperative conservation partner-
ship initiative established under section 1243. 
‘‘(D) The Great Lakes basin program for 
soil erosion and sediment control established 
under section 1240P. 
‘‘(2) To further the conservation, restoration, and 
sustainable use of soil, water, wildlife, and related 
natural resources on eligible land on a regional or 
watershed scale. 
‘‘(3) To encourage eligible partners to cooperate 
with producers in— 
‘‘(A) meeting or avoiding the need for na-
tional, State, and local natural resource regu-
latory requirements related to production on eli-
gible land; and 
‘‘(B) implementing projects that will result 
in the carrying out of eligible activities that af-
fect multiple agricultural or nonindustrial pri-
235 
•HR 2642 EAH1S 
vate forest operations on a local, regional, State, 
or multistate basis. 
‘‘SEC. 1271A. DEFINITIONS. 
‘‘In this subtitle: 
‘‘(1) COVERED
PROGRAM.—The term ‘covered 
program’ means the following: 
‘‘(A) The agricultural conservation ease-
ment program. 
‘‘(B) The environmental quality incentives 
program. 
‘‘(C) The conservation stewardship pro-
gram. 
‘‘(D) The healthy forests reserve program es-
tablished under section 501 of the Healthy For-
ests Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6571). 
‘‘(2) ELIGIBLE ACTIVITY.—The term ‘eligible ac-
tivity’ means any of the following conservation activi-
ties: 
‘‘(A) Water quality or quantity conserva-
tion, restoration, or enhancement projects relat-
ing to surface water and groundwater resources, 
including— 
‘‘(i) the conversion of irrigated crop-
land to the production of less water-inten-
236 
•HR 2642 EAH1S 
sive agricultural commodities or dryland 
farming; or 
‘‘(ii) irrigation system improvement 
and irrigation efficiency enhancement. 
‘‘(B) Drought mitigation. 
‘‘(C) Flood prevention. 
‘‘(D) Water retention. 
‘‘(E) Air quality improvement. 
‘‘(F) Habitat conservation, restoration, and 
enhancement. 
‘‘(G) Erosion control and sediment reduc-
tion. 
‘‘(H) Other related activities that the Sec-
retary determines will help achieve conservation 
benefits. 
‘‘(3) ELIGIBLE LAND.—The term ‘eligible land’ 
means land on which agricultural commodities, live-
stock, or forest-related products are produced, includ-
ing— 
‘‘(A) cropland; 
‘‘(B) grassland; 
‘‘(C) rangeland; 
‘‘(D) pastureland; 
‘‘(E) nonindustrial private forest land; and
237 
•HR 2642 EAH1S 
‘‘(F) other land incidental to agricultural 
production (including wetlands and riparian 
buffers) on which significant natural resource 
issues could be addressed under the program. 
‘‘(4) ELIGIBLE
PARTNER.—The term ‘eligible 
partner’ means any of the following: 
‘‘(A) An agricultural or silvicultural pro-
ducer association or other group of producers. 
‘‘(B) A State or unit of local government. 
‘‘(C) An Indian tribe. 
‘‘(D) A farmer cooperative. 
‘‘(E) A water district, irrigation district, 
rural water district or association, or other orga-
nization with specific water delivery authority to 
producers on agricultural land. 
‘‘(F) An institution of higher education. 
‘‘(G) An organization or entity with an es-
tablished history of working cooperatively with 
producers on agricultural land, as determined by 
the Secretary, to address— 
‘‘(i) local conservation priorities re-
lated to agricultural production, wildlife 
habitat development, or nonindustrial pri-
vate forest land management; or
238 
•HR 2642 EAH1S 
‘‘(ii) critical watershed-scale soil ero-
sion, water quality, sediment reduction, or 
other natural resource issues. 
‘‘(5) 
PARTNERSHIP
AGREEMENT.—The 
term 
‘partnership agreement’ means an agreement entered 
into under section 1271B between the Secretary and 
an eligible partner. 
‘‘(6) PROGRAM.—The term ‘program’ means the 
regional conservation partnership program established 
by this subtitle. 
‘‘SEC. 1271B. REGIONAL CONSERVATION PARTNERSHIPS. 
‘‘(a) PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENTS AUTHORIZED.—The 
Secretary may enter into a partnership agreement with an 
eligible partner to implement a project that will assist pro-
ducers with installing and maintaining an eligible activity 
on eligible land. 
‘‘(b) LENGTH.—A partnership agreement shall be for 
a period not to exceed 5 years, except that the Secretary 
may extend the agreement one time for up to 12 months 
when an extension is necessary to meet the objectives of the 
program. 
‘‘(c) DUTIES OF PARTNERS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Under a partnership agree-
ment, the eligible partner shall—
239 
•HR 2642 EAH1S 
‘‘(A) define the scope of a project, includ-
ing— 
‘‘(i) the eligible activities to be imple-
mented; 
‘‘(ii) the potential agricultural or non-
industrial private forest land operations af-
fected; 
‘‘(iii) the local, State, multistate, or 
other geographic area covered; and 
‘‘(iv) the planning, outreach, imple-
mentation, and assessment to be conducted; 
‘‘(B) conduct outreach to producers for po-
tential participation in the project; 
‘‘(C) at the request of a producer, act on be-
half of a producer participating in the project in 
applying for assistance under section 1271C; 
‘‘(D) leverage financial or technical assist-
ance provided by the Secretary with additional 
funds to help achieve the project objectives; 
‘‘(E) conduct an assessment of the project’s 
effects; and 
‘‘(F) at the conclusion of the project, report 
to the Secretary on its results and funds lever-
aged.