I
103D CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 3894
To extend the conservation reserve program for 10 years and the wetlands
reserve program for 5 years to protect vulnerable soil and water resources
by facilitating the transition of our Nation’s most environmentally sen-
sitive land to conservation uses by enabling farmers to meet conservation
compliance requirements through the early withdrawal, modification, re-
enrollment, or enrollment of lands in the conservation reserve; to best
achieve such conservation purposes with sharply limited resources by
permitting the Secretary of Agriculture to negotiate reduced annual rent-
al payments in exchange for granting farmers increased flexibility to
withdraw, enroll, or re-enroll parts of land parcels in the conservation
reserve program and for permitting limited uses on lands enrolled in
the conservation reserve; to permit the transfer of crop bases among
owners upon the expiration of enrollment; and to authorize the establish-
ment of demonstration projects.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FEBRUARY 24, 1994
Mr. BEREUTER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Agriculture
A BILL
To extend the conservation reserve program for 10 years
and the wetlands reserve program for 5 years to protect
vulnerable soil and water resources by facilitating the
transition of our Nation’s most environmentally sensitive
land to conservation uses by enabling farmers to meet
conservation compliance requirements through the early
withdrawal, modification, re-enrollment, or enrollment of
lands in the conservation reserve; to best achieve such
conservation purposes with sharply limited resources by
permitting the Secretary of Agriculture to negotiate re-
duced annual rental payments in exchange for granting
farmers increased flexibility to withdraw, enroll, or re-
enroll parts of land parcels in the conservation reserve
program and for permitting limited uses on lands en-
rolled in the conservation reserve, to permit the transfer
of crop bases among owners upon the expiration of en-
rollment; and to authorize the establishment of dem-
onstration projects.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. EXTENSION OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVA-
TION ACREAGE RESERVE PROGRAM.
(a) IN GENERAL.—The following provisions of the
Food Security Act of 1985 are each amended by striking
‘‘1995’’ and inserting ‘‘2005’’:
(1) Section 1230(a) (16 U.S.C. 3830(a)).
(2) Section 1231(a) (16 U.S.C. 3831(a)).
(3) Section 1231(b)(3) (16 U.S.C. 3831(b)(3)).
(4) The first sentence of section 1231(d) (16
U.S.C. 3831(d)).
(5) Section 1232(c) (16 U.S.C. 3832(c)).
(6) 
Section 
1238B(a)(1) 
(16 
U.S.C.
3838b(a)(1)).
(7) 
Section 
1238B(a)(2) 
(16 
U.S.C.
3838b(a)(2)).
(8) 
Section 
1238B(a)(11) 
(16 
U.S.C.
3838b(a)(2)).
(9) Section 1239(a) (16 U.S.C. 3839(a)).
(b) 
WETLANDS
RESERVE
PROGRAM.—Section
1237(c) of such Act (16 U.S.C. 3837(c)) is amended by
striking ‘‘2000’’ and inserting ‘‘2005’’.
SEC. 2. AUTHORITY TO MODIFY OR EXTEND CONTRACTS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter B of chapter 1 of sub-
title D of title XII of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16
U.S.C. 3831–3836) is amended by inserting after section
1235A the following:
‘‘SEC. 1235B. CONVERSION OF LAND SUBJECT TO CON-
TRACT TO OTHER USES.
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Prior to or upon the expiration
of a contract entered into under this subchapter with re-
spect to environmentally sensitive land (as defined by the
State technical committee established under section 1261
in the State in which the land is located, or until such
committee is formed, the State technical working group),
the Secretary shall extend the duration of the contract,
or modify the terms of the contract, in accordance with
this section. The Secretary shall place a priority on ex-
tending or modifying under this section contracts entered
into under this subchapter in such a way as to enable own-
ers and operators to comply with the applicable plan re-
ferred to in section 1232(a)(1).
‘‘(b) OPTIONS FOR OWNERS AND OPERATORS.—The
Secretary shall permit an owner or operator who has en-
tered into a contract under this subchapter that is in effect
on the date of the enactment of this section—
‘‘(1) before the expiration of the contract, to re-
move land (including partial fields) from enrollment
in the conservation reserve established under this
subchapter if—
‘‘(A) the land is not highly erodible crop-
land;
‘‘(B) the Soil Conservation Service has
classified the land as class I, II, III(s), III(w),
or III(c), and the land is covered by a conserva-
tion plan approved by the local conservation
district (or, if the land is not within a conserva-
tion district, a plan approved by the Secretary)
that limits the soil erosion to such land to not
more than the soil loss tolerance level referred
to in section 1201(a)(7)(A)(ii); or
‘‘(C) the land is replaced by land of the
same owner that, according to the local con-
servation district or the Secretary, is more envi-
ronmentally sensitive;
‘‘(2) before the expiration of the contract, to re-
enroll in the reserve for not more than 10 years por-
tions of land enrolled in the reserve if—
‘‘(A) the land will remain planted to per-
manent cover and devoted to filter strips, field
borders, waterways, terraces, wildlife corridors,
well-head protection; buffer strips adjacent to
rivers, streams, lakes, wetlands, or any other
conservation purpose that the Secretary deems
appropriate; and
‘‘(B) future production on the re-enrolled
land will not contribute to erosion in excess of
the soil loss tolerance level referred to in section
1201(a)(7)(A)(ii);
‘‘(3) before the expiration of the contract, to
enter into negotiations with the Secretary to receive
reduced annual rental payments in exchange for per-
mission to allow limited uses (as defined by the
State technical committee established under section
1261 in the State in which the land is located, or
until such committee is formed, the State technical
working group) on enrolled land, including haying,
grazing, seed production, production of bio-mass,
timber, or such other uses as the Secretary may
deem appropriate;
‘‘(4) upon expiration of the contract, to retain
or transfer cropland bases, with respect to crops for
which there is a production adjustment program, to
other lands, as long as enrolled croplands remain in
permanent cover; or
‘‘(5) upon expiration of the contract, to offer
cropland bases, with respect to crops for which there
is a production adjustment program, on land subject
to the contract, for lease or sale to producers for use
on cropland in the county in which the land is lo-
cated or in an adjacent county, in exchange for
maintaining the land in permanent cover, as ap-
proved by the State technical committee, or until
such committee is formed, the State technical work-
ing group.
‘‘(c) LIMITATION
ON ANNUAL RENTAL PAYMENT
FOR RE-ENROLLED LAND OR LAND PERMITTED TO BE
DEVOTED TO LIMITED USES.—Annual rental payments
made under this subchapter with respect to land that is
the subject of an agreement entered into pursuant to para-
graph (2) or (3) of subsection (b) shall not exceed an
amount equal to 80 percent of the annual rental payment
made under this subchapter with respect to the land for
the 12-month period ending on the date the agreement
takes effect.’’.
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 1232(a)(7)
of such Act (16 U.S.C. 3832(a)(7)) is amended by insert-
ing ‘‘except to the extent authorized under section
1235B,’’ after ‘‘(7)’’.
SEC. 3. DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS.
(a) GRANT AUTHORITY.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Agriculture
may make grants to producers of agricultural com-
modities to retain land in the conservation reserve
established under subchapter B of chapter 1 of sub-
title D of title XII of the Food Security Act of 1985,
or to enroll land in the reserve, for the purpose of
enabling the owner of the land to grow grass or raise
legumes (or do both) on such land, in rotation, as
approved by the State technical committee estab-
lished under section 1261 of such Act in the State
in which the land is located or until such committee
is formed, the State technical working group.
(2) NUMBER
OF
SITES.—The Secretary may
not select more than 3 sites in each State with re-
spect to which grants are to be made under para-
graph (1).
(b) EVALUATION.—Not later than 3 years after the
first grant is made under subsection (a), the Secretary
shall evaluate the economic and environmental effects of
the uses to which grants under subsection (a) have been
put, and shall submit to the Congress a report that con-
tains the findings of the Secretary.
(c) LIMITATIONS
ON AUTHORIZATION
OF APPRO-
PRIATIONS.—For grants under subsection (a), there are
authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary not more
than $500,000 for each of fiscal years 1996, 1997, and
1998.
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