I
107TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1321
To amend the conservation provisions of the Food Security Act of 1985
to establish a voluntary, incentive-based conservation security program.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH 29, 2001
Mr. THUNE (for himself, Mr. HINCHEY, Ms. KAPTUR, Mr. COOKSEY, Mr.
WYNN, and Mr. BOSWELL) introduced the following bill; which was re-
ferred to the Committee on Agriculture
A BILL
To amend the conservation provisions of the Food Security
Act of 1985 to establish a voluntary, incentive-based
conservation security program.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Conservation Security
Act’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds the following:
(1) In addition to producing food and fiber, ag-
ricultural producers can contribute to the public
good by providing improved soil productivity, clean
air and water, wildlife habitat, landscape and rec-
reational amenities, and other natural resources and
environmental benefits.
(2) Agricultural producers in the United States
have a long history of embracing environmentally
friendly conservation practices and desire to con-
tinue those practices and engage in new and addi-
tional conservation practices.
(3) Agricultural producers that engage in con-
servation practices—
(A) may not receive economic rewards for
implementing such conservation practices;
(B) should be encouraged to engage in
good stewardship; and
(C) should be rewarded for doing so.
(4) Despite significant progress in recent years,
significant environmental challenges on agricultural
land remain.
(5) Since the 1930’s, when agricultural con-
servation became a national priority, Federal re-
sources for conservation assistance have declined
over 50 percent, when adjusted for inflation.
(6) Existing conservation programs do not pro-
vide opportunities for all interested agricultural pro-
ducers to participate.
(7) A voluntary, incentive-based conservation
program open to all agricultural producers that
qualify and desire to participate would—
(A) encourage greater improvement of nat-
ural resources and the environment;
(B) address the economic implications of
conservation practices in a manner consistent
with international obligations of the United
States; and
(C) enable United States farmers and
ranchers to produce food for a growing world
population.
(8) Total farm conservation planning can help
producers increase profitability, enhance resource
protection, and improve quality of life.
(9) On-farm practices may help deter invasive
species that jeopardize native species or impair agri-
cultural land of the United States.
(10) A conservation program that meets the cri-
teria described in paragraph (7) would help achieve
a better balance between Federal payments sup-
porting conservation on land used for agricultural
production and Federal payments for the purpose of
retiring agricultural land from production.
SEC. 3. CONSERVATION SECURITY PROGRAM.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subtitle D of title XII of the Food
Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3830 et seq.) is amended
by adding at the end the following:
‘‘CHAPTER 6—CONSERVATION SECURITY
PROGRAM
‘‘SEC. 1240P. DEFINITIONS.
‘‘In this chapter:
‘‘(1) CONSERVATION
PRACTICE.—The term
‘conservation practice’ means a land-based farming
technique that—
‘‘(A) requires planning, implementation,
management, and maintenance; and
‘‘(B) promotes one or more of the purposes
described in section 1240Q(a).
‘‘(2) CONSERVATION
SECURITY
CONTRACT.—
The term ‘conservation security contract’ means a
contract described in section 1240Q(e).
‘‘(3) CONSERVATION
SECURITY
PLAN.—The
term ‘conservation security plan’ means a plan de-
scribed in section 1240Q(c).
‘‘(4) CONSERVATION SECURITY PROGRAM.—The
term ‘conservation security program’ means the pro-
gram established under section 1240Q(a).
‘‘(5) NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT.—The term ‘nu-
trient management’ means management of the quan-
tity, source, placement, form, and timing of the land
application of nutrients and other additions to soil—
‘‘(A) to achieve or maintain adequate soil
fertility for agricultural production; and
‘‘(B) to minimize the potential for loss of
environmental quality, including soil, water, and
air quality impairment.
‘‘(6) RESOURCE-CONSERVING CROP.—The term
‘resource-conserving crop’ means—
‘‘(A) a perennial grass;
‘‘(B) a legume grown for use as forage or
green manure;
‘‘(C) a legume-grass mixture;
‘‘(D) a small grain grown in combination
with a grass or legume, whether interseeded or
planted in succession; and
‘‘(E) such other plantings, including trees,
as the Secretary considers appropriate for a
particular area.
‘‘(5) soil, plant, or animal health and well-
being;
‘‘(6) diversity of flora and fauna;
‘‘(7) on-farm conservation and regeneration of
biological resources, including plant and animal
germplasm;
‘‘(8) wetland restoration, conservation, and en-
hancement;
‘‘(9) wildlife habitat restoration, conservation,
and enhancement;
‘‘(10) reduction of greenhouse gas emissions
and enhancement of carbon sequestration;
‘‘(11) protection of human health and safety;
‘‘(12) environmentally sound management of
invasive species; or
‘‘(13) any similar conservation purpose (as de-
termined by the Secretary).
‘‘(b) ELIGIBILITY.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—To be eligible to participate
in the conservation security program (other than to
receive technical assistance under subsection (h)(6)
for the development of conservation security con-
tracts), an owner or operator shall—
‘‘(A) develop and submit to the Secretary,
and obtain the approval of the Secretary of, a
conservation security plan that meets the re-
quirements of subsection (c); and
‘‘(B) enter into a conservation security
contract with the Secretary to carry out the
conservation security plan.
‘‘(2) INELIGIBLE LAND.—Land enrolled in the
conservation reserve program under subchapter B of
chapter I shall not be eligible for enrollment in the
conservation security program except for land en-
rolled in partial field conservation practice enroll-
ment options.
‘‘(c) CONSERVATION SECURITY PLANS.—
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—A conservation security
plan shall—
‘‘(A) identify the resources and designated
land to be conserved under the conservation se-
curity plan;
‘‘(B) describe the tier of conservation prac-
tices, and the particular conservation practices
to be implemented, maintained, or improved, in
accordance with subsection (d) on the land that
will be enrolled in the conservation security pro-
gram covered by the conservation security con-
tract for the specified term;
‘‘(C) contain a schedule for the implemen-
tation, maintenance, or improvement of the con-
servation practices described in the conservation
security plan during the term of the conserva-
tion security contract;
‘‘(D) meet the requirements of the highly
erodible land and wetland conservation require-
ments of subtitles B and C; and
‘‘(E) contain such other terms as the Sec-
retary determines to be appropriate.
‘‘(2) COMPREHENSIVE
PLANNING.—The Sec-
retary shall encourage owners and operators that
enter into conservation security contracts—
‘‘(A) to undertake a comprehensive exam-
ination of the opportunities for conserving nat-
ural resources and improving the profitability,
environmental health, and quality of life in rela-
tion to their entire agricultural operations;
‘‘(B) to develop a long-term strategy for
implementing, monitoring, and evaluating con-
servation practices and environmental results in
the entire agricultural operation;
‘‘(C) to participate in other Federal con-
servation programs; and
‘‘(D) to maintain the agricultural integrity
of the land.
‘‘(3) STATE AND LOCAL CONSERVATION PRIOR-
ITIES.—To the maximum extent practicable and in
a manner consistent with the conservation security
program, each conservation security plan shall ad-
dress the conservation priorities of the State and lo-
cality in which the agricultural operation is located
(as determined by the State conservationist in con-
sultation with the State technical committee estab-
lished under subtitle G and the local working groups
of the State technical committee).
‘‘(d) CONSERVATION PRACTICES.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—
‘‘(A) ESTABLISHMENT
OF
TIERS.—The
Secretary shall establish 3 tiers of conservation
practices that are eligible for payment under a
conservation security contract.
‘‘(B) CONSERVATION
PRACTICE
STAND-
ARDS.—To the maximum extent practicable, the
Secretary shall establish guidance standards for
implementation of eligible conservation prac-
tices that shall include measurable goals for en-
hancing and preventing degradation of re-
sources.
‘‘(2) SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC USES.—With re-
spect to land enrolled in the conservation security
program, including land use adjustment activities
specified under Tier II, the Secretary shall permit
economic uses of the land that—
‘‘(A) maintain the agricultural nature of
land;
‘‘(B) achieve the natural resource and en-
vironmental benefits of the plan; and
‘‘(C) are approved as part of the conserva-
tion security plan.
‘‘(3) ON-FARM
RESEARCH
AND
DEMONSTRA-
TION.—With respect to land enrolled in the con-
servation security program that will be maintained
using a Tier II or Tier III conservation practice es-
tablished under paragraph (5), the Secretary may
approve a conservation security plan that includes
on-farm research and demonstration activities, in-
cluding innovative approaches to—
‘‘(A) total farm planning;
‘‘(B) total resource management;
‘‘(C) integrated farming systems;
‘‘(D) germplasm conservation and regen-
eration;
‘‘(E) carbon sequestration;
‘‘(F) agro-ecological restoration and wild-
life habitat restoration;
‘‘(G) agro-forestry;
‘‘(H) invasive species control; or
‘‘(I) farm and environmental results moni-
toring and evaluation.
‘‘(4) USE OF HANDBOOK AND GUIDES.—
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—In determining eligible
conservation practices under the conservation
security program, the Secretary shall use the
National Handbook of Conservation Practices
and the field office technical guides of the Nat-
ural Resources Conservation Service.
‘‘(B) ADJUSTMENTS.—After providing no-
tice and an opportunity for public participation,
the Secretary shall make such adjustments to
the National Handbook of Conservation Prac-
tices as are necessary to carry out this chapter.
‘‘(C) PILOT TESTING.—
‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—Under any of the
three tiers of conservation practices estab-
lished under paragraph (5), the Secretary
may approve requests by an owner or oper-
ator for pilot testing of new technologies
and innovative conservation practices and
systems.
‘‘(ii) INCORPORATION
INTO
STAND-
ARDS.—After evaluation by the Secretary
and provision of notice and an opportunity
for public participation, the Secretary may
incorporate new technologies and innova-
tive conservation practices and systems
into the standards for implementation of
conservation practices established under
paragraph (1)(B).
‘‘(5) TIERS.—To carry out this subsection, the
Secretary shall establish the following three tiers of
conservation practices:
‘‘(A) TIER I.—
‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—A conservation se-
curity plan for land enrolled in the con-
servation security program that will be
maintained using Tier I conservation prac-
tices shall—
‘‘(I) address priority resource
concerns for the particular agricul-
tural operation;
‘‘(II) apply to the total agricul-
tural operation or to a particular unit
of the agricultural operation;
‘‘(III) cover both—
‘‘(aa) conservation practices
that are being implemented as of
the date on which the conserva-
tion security contract is entered
into; and
‘‘(bb) conservation practices
that 
are 
newly 
implemented
under the conservation security
contract; and
‘‘(IV) meet applicable standards
for implementation of conservation
practices established under paragraph
(1)(B).
‘‘(ii) CONSERVATION
PRACTICES.—
Tier I conservation practices shall consist
of, as appropriate for the agricultural oper-
ation of an owner or operator, one or more
of the following basic conservation activi-
ties:
‘‘(I) Soil conservation, quality,
and residue management.
‘‘(II) Nutrient management.
‘‘(III) Pest management.
‘‘(IV) Invasive species manage-
ment.
‘‘(V) Irrigation water conserva-
tion and water quality management.
‘‘(VI) 
Grazing, 
pasture, 
and
rangeland management.
‘‘(VII) Wildlife habitat manage-
ment, with special emphasis on spe-
cies identified by the natural heritage
program of the State.
‘‘(VIII) 
Plant 
and 
animal
germplasm conservation, evaluation,
and development.
‘‘(IX) Contour farming.
‘‘(X) Strip cropping.
‘‘(XI) Cover cropping.
‘‘(XII) Recordkeeping.
‘‘(XIII) Any other conservation
practice that the Secretary determines
to be appropriate and comparable to
other conservation practices described
in this clause.
‘‘(B) TIER II.—
‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—A conservation se-
curity plan for land enrolled in the con-
servation security program that will be
maintained using Tier II conservation
practices shall—
‘‘(I) address priority resource
concerns specified in the conservation
security plan covering the total agri-
cultural operation;
‘‘(II) cover both—
‘‘(aa) conservation practices
that are being implemented as of
the date on which the conserva-
tion security contract is entered
into; and
‘‘(bb) conservation practices
that 
are 
newly 
implemented
under the conservation security
contract; and
‘‘(III) meet applicable resource
management system criteria for the
priority resource concerns of the agri-
cultural operation.
‘‘(ii) CONSERVATION
PRACTICES.—
Tier II conservation practices shall consist
of, as appropriate for the agricultural oper-
ation of an owner or operator, Tier I con-
servation practices and one or more of the
following practices:
‘‘(I) Resource-conserving crop ro-
tations.
‘‘(II) Controlled, rotational graz-
ing.
‘‘(III) Conversion of portions of
cropland from a soil-depleting use to a
soil-conserving use, including produc-
tion of cover crops.
‘‘(IV) Partial field conservation
practices (including windbreaks, grass
waterways, shelter belts, filter strips,
riparian buffers, wetland buffers, con-
tour buffer strips, living snow fences,
crosswind trap strips, field borders,
grass terraces, wildlife corridors, and
critical area planting).
‘‘(V) Wildlife habitat protection
and restoration.
‘‘(VI) Prairie protection and res-
toration.
‘‘(VII) Wetland protection and
restoration.
‘‘(VIII) Any other conservation
practice involving modification of the
use of land that the Secretary deter-
mines to be appropriate and com-
parable to other conservation practices
described in this clause.
‘‘(C) TIER III.—
‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—A conservation se-
curity plan for land enrolled in the con-
servation security program that will be
maintained using Tier III conservation
practices shall—
‘‘(I) address all resource concerns
of the total agricultural operation;
‘‘(II) cover both—
‘‘(aa) conservation practices
that are being implemented as of
the date on which the conserva-
tion security contract is entered
into; and
‘‘(bb) conservation practices
that 
are 
newly 
implemented
under the conservation security
contract; and
‘‘(III) meet applicable resource
management system criteria.
‘‘(ii) CONSERVATION
PRACTICES.—
Tier III conservation practices shall consist
of, as appropriate for the agricultural oper-
ation of an owner or operator—
‘‘(I) appropriate Tier I and Tier
II conservation practices; and
‘‘(II) development, implementa-
tion, and maintenance of a conserva-
tion security plan that, over the term
of 
the 
conservation 
security
contract—
‘‘(aa) integrates a full com-
plement of conservation practices
to foster environmental enhance-
ment and the long-term sustain-
ability of the natural resource
base of an agricultural operation;
and
‘‘(bb) improves profitability
and quality of life associated with
the agricultural operation.
‘‘(e) CONSERVATION SECURITY CONTRACTS.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—On approval of a conserva-
tion security plan of an owner or operator, the Sec-
retary shall enter into a conservation security con-
tract with the owner or operator to enroll the land
covered by the conservation security plan in the con-
servation security program.
‘‘(2) TERM.—Subject to paragraphs (3) and
(4)—
‘‘(A) a conservation security contract for
land enrolled in the conservation security pro-
gram that will be maintained using one or more
Tier I conservation practices shall have a term
of five years; and
‘‘(B) a conservation security contract for
land enrolled in the conservation security pro-
gram that implements a conservation security
plan that meets the requirements of subpara-
graph (B) or (C) of subsection (d)(5) shall have
a term of five to 10 years, at the option of the
owner or operator.
‘‘(3) MODIFICATIONS.—
‘‘(A) OPTIONAL MODIFICATIONS.—
‘‘(i) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary
shall provide regular opportunity for an
owner or operator to apply to the Sec-
retary to modify the conservation security
plan in a manner consistent with the pur-
poses of the conservation security program.
‘‘(ii) 
APPROVAL
BY
THE
SEC-
RETARY.—Any modification under clause
(i)—
‘‘(I) shall be approved by the
Secretary; and
‘‘(II) shall authorize the Sec-
retary to redetermine, if necessary,
the amount and timing of the pay-
ments pursuant to the conservation
security contract under subsection
(h)(2)(C).
‘‘(B) REQUIRED MODIFICATIONS.—
‘‘(i) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary
may in writing require an owner or oper-
ator to modify a conservation security con-
tract before the expiration of the conserva-
tion security contract if the Secretary de-
termines that a change made to the size,
the management, or any other aspect of
the agricultural operation of the owner or
operator would, without the modification,
interfere with achieving the purposes of the
conservation security program.
‘‘(ii) PAYMENT SCHEDULE.—The Sec-
retary may adjust the payment schedule
under the conservation security contract to
reflect any modifications required under
this subparagraph.
‘‘(iii) DEADLINE.—The Secretary may
terminate a conservation security contract
if a modification required under this sub-
paragraph is not submitted to the Sec-
retary in the form of an amended con-
servation security contract by the date that
is 90 days after the date of receipt of the
written request for the modification.
‘‘(iv) TERMINATION.—An owner or
operator that is required to modify a con-
servation security contract under this sub-
paragraph may, in lieu of modifying the
contract—
‘‘(I) terminate the conservation
security contract; and
‘‘(II) retain payments received
under the conservation security con-
tract, if the owner or operator fully
complies with the obligations of the
owner or operator under the conserva-
tion security contract.
‘‘(4) RENEWAL.—
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—At the option of an
owner or operator, the conservation security
contract of the owner or operator may be re-
newed, for a term described in subparagraph
(B), if—
‘‘(i) the owner or operator agrees to
any modification of the applicable con-
servation security contract that the Sec-
retary determines to be necessary to
achieve the purposes of the conservation
security program;
‘‘(ii) the Secretary determines that
the owner or operator has complied with
the terms and conditions of the conserva-
tion security contract, including the con-
servation security plan; and
‘‘(iii) in the case of a conservation se-
curity contract for land previously enrolled
in the conservation security program that
will continue to be enrolled on the basis of
one or more Tier I conservation practices,
the owner or operator meets resource man-
agement system criteria for the practices
operation covered by the conservation secu-
rity contract.
‘‘(B) TERMS OF RENEWAL.—Under sub-
paragraph (A)—
‘‘(i) a conservation security contract
for land enrolled in the conservation secu-
rity program that will be maintained using
a Tier I conservation practice may be re-
newed for five-year terms;
‘‘(ii) a conservation security contract
for land enrolled in the conservation secu-
rity program that will be maintained using
a Tier II or Tier III conservation practice
may be renewed for five-year to 10-year
terms, at the option of the owner or oper-
ator; and
‘‘(iii) previous participation in the
conservation security program does not bar
renewal more than once.
‘‘(f) NO VIOLATION FOR NONCOMPLIANCE DUE TO
CIRCUMSTANCES BEYOND THE CONTROL OF THE OWNER
OR OPERATOR.—The Secretary shall include in the con-
servation security contract a provision, and may modify
a conservation security contract under subsection
(e)(3)(B), to ensure that an owner or operator shall not
be considered in violation of a conservation security con-
tract for failure to comply with the conservation security
contract due to circumstances beyond the control of the
owner or operator, including a disaster or related condi-
tion.
‘‘(g) DUTIES OF OWNERS AND OPERATORS.—Under
a conservation security contract, an owner or operator
shall agree, during the term specified under the conserva-
tion security contract—
‘‘(1) to implement the applicable conservation
security plan approved by the Secretary;
‘‘(2) to keep appropriate records showing the
effective and timely implementation of the conserva-
tion security plan;
‘‘(3) not to engage in any activity that would
interfere with the purposes of the conservation secu-
rity plan;
‘‘(4) at the option of the Secretary, to refund
all or a portion of the payments to the Secretary if
the owner or operator fails to maintain a conserva-
tion practice, as specified in the conservation secu-
rity contract; and
‘‘(5) on the violation of a term or condition of
the conservation security contract—
‘‘(A) if the Secretary determines that the
violation warrants termination of the conserva-
tion security contract—
‘‘(i) to forfeit all rights to receive pay-
ments under the conservation security con-
tract; and
‘‘(ii) to refund to the Secretary all or
a portion of the payments received by the
owner or operator under the conservation
security contract, including an advance
payment and interest on the payments, as
determined by the Secretary; or
‘‘(B) if the Secretary determines that the
violation does not warrant termination of the
conservation security contract, to refund to the
Secretary, or accept adjustments to, the pay-
ments provided to the owner or operator, as the
Secretary determines to be appropriate.
‘‘(h) DUTIES OF THE SECRETARY.—
‘‘(1) ADVANCE
PAYMENT.—At the time at
which a person enters into a conservation security
contract, the Secretary shall make an advance pay-
ment to the person in an amount not to exceed—
‘‘(A) in the case of a contract to maintain
Tier I conservation practices described in sub-
section (d)(5)(A), the greater of—
‘‘(i) $1,000; or
‘‘(ii) 20 percent of the value of the
annual payment under the contract, as de-
termined by the Secretary;
‘‘(B) in the case of a contract to maintain
Tier II conservation practices described in sub-
section (d)(5)(B), the greater of—
‘‘(i) $2,000; or
‘‘(ii) 20 percent of the value of the
annual payment under the contract, as de-
termined by the Secretary; or
‘‘(C) in the case of a contract to maintain
Tier III conservation practices described in sub-
section (d)(5)(C), the greater of—
‘‘(i) $3,000; or
‘‘(ii) 20 percent of the value of the
annual payment under the contract, as de-
termined by the Secretary.
‘‘(2) ANNUAL PAYMENTS.—
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—Subject to subpara-
graphs (B) through (D), under a conservation
security contract, the Secretary shall, in
amounts and for a period of years specified in
the conservation security contract, make an an-
nual payment to the person in an amount not
to exceed—
‘‘(i) in the case of a contract to main-
tain Tier I conservation practices described
in subsection (d)(5)(A), $20,000;
‘‘(ii) in the case of a contract to main-
tain Tier II conservation practices de-
scribed in subsection (d)(5)(B), $35,000;
or
‘‘(iii) in the case of a contract to
maintain Tier III conservation practices
described in subsection (d)(5)(C), $50,000.
‘‘(B) INFLATION ADJUSTMENT.—The Sec-
retary may periodically, including at the time at
which a conservation security contract is re-
newed, adjust the payment and payment limita-
tions under subparagraph (A) to reflect changes
in the Prices Paid by Farmers Index.
‘‘(C) 
CRITERIA
FOR
DETERMINING
AMOUNT OF PAYMENTS.—Subject to subpara-
graphs (A) and (D), the Secretary shall estab-
lish criteria for determining the amount of an
annual payment to a person under this para-
graph that—
‘‘(i) shall be as objective and trans-
parent as practicable; and
‘‘(ii) shall be based on—
‘‘(I) the natural resource and en-
vironmental benefits expected as a re-
sult of the adoption, maintenance, and
improvement in implementation of the
conservation practices carried out by
the person;
‘‘(II) the number of management
practices established or maintained;
‘‘(III) the schedule for the con-
servation practices described in sub-
section (c)(1)(C);
‘‘(IV) the cost of the adoption,
maintenance, and improvement in im-
plementation of conservation practices
that are newly implemented under the
conservation security contract;
‘‘(V) the extent to which com-
pensation will ensure maintenance and
improvement of conservation practices
that are or have been implemented;
‘‘(VI) the income loss or eco-
nomic value forgone by the person due
to land use adjustments resulting
from the adoption, maintenance, and
improvement of conservation prac-
tices;
‘‘(VII) the extent to which the
conservation security plan meets ap-
plicable resource management system
standards;
‘‘(VIII) the extent to which the
conservation 
security 
plan 
incor-
porates practices that optimize carbon
sequestration and minimize green-
house gas emissions;
‘‘(IX) the costs associated with
any on-farm research, demonstration,
or pilot testing components of the
conservation security plan;
‘‘(X) the extent to which the con-
servation 
security 
plan 
addresses
State and local conservation priorities
as provided for under subsection
(c)(3);
‘‘(XI) the costs associated with
monitoring of results required under
the conservation security plan;
‘‘(XII) participation in a water-
shed or regional land use plan involv-
ing at least 75 percent of landowners
in the targeted area;
‘‘(XIII) the special considerations
associated with an owner or operator
that is a qualified beginning farmer or
rancher (as defined in section 343(a)
of the Consolidated Farm and Rural
Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1991(a)));
‘‘(XIV) the extent of activities
undertaken beyond what is required to
comply with any applicable Federal,
State, and local law; and
‘‘(XV) such other factors as the
Secretary determines to be appro-
priate to encourage participation in
the conservation security program and
to reward environmental stewardship.
‘‘(D) LAND
ENROLLED
IN
OTHER
CON-
SERVATION PROGRAMS.—