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‘‘(5) to the greatest extent practicable, group 
applications of similar crop or livestock operations 
for evaluation purposes or otherwise evaluate appli-
cations relative to other applications for similar 
farming operations. 
‘‘(b) EVALUATION PROCESS.—The Secretary shall 
ensure that the evaluation process is as streamlined and 
efficient as practicable in the case of applications that— 
‘‘(1) involve operations with substantial and 
sound environmental management systems; and 
‘‘(2) seek a single practice or a limited number 
of practices to further improve the environmental 
performance of that system.’’. 
(j) DUTIES OF PRODUCERS.—Section 1240D(2) of 
the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa–4(2)) 
is amended by striking ‘‘or ranch’’ and inserting ‘‘, ranch, 
or forestland’’. 
(k) PROGRAM PLAN.—Section 1240E of the Food Se-
curity Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa–5) is amended by 
striking subsections (a) and (b) and inserting the following 
new subsections: 
‘‘(a) PLAN OF OPERATIONS.—To be eligible to re-
ceive cost-share payments or incentive payments under the 
program, a producer shall submit to the Secretary for ap-
proval a plan of operations that— 
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‘‘(1) specifies practices covered under the pro-
gram; 
‘‘(2) includes such terms and conditions as the 
Secretary considers necessary to carry out the pro-
gram, including a description of the purposes to be 
met by the implementation of the plan; 
‘‘(3) in the case of a confined livestock feeding 
operation, provides for development and implementa-
tion of a comprehensive nutrient management plan, 
if applicable; and 
‘‘(4) in the case of forestland, is consistent with 
the provisions of a forest management plan meeting 
with the approval of the Secretary, which may in-
clude a forest stewardship plan, as specified in sec-
tion 5 of the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 
1978 (16 U.S.C. 2103a), other practice plan ap-
proved by the State forester, or other plan deter-
mined appropriate by the Secretary. 
‘‘(b) AVOIDANCE OF DUPLICATION.—The Secretary 
shall— 
‘‘(1) consider a permit acquired under a water 
or air quality regulatory program as the equivalent 
of a plan of operations under subsection (a); and 
‘‘(2) to the maximum extent practicable, elimi-
nate duplication of planning activities under the pro-
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gram under this chapter and comparable conserva-
tion programs.’’. 
(l) DUTIES OF THE SECRETARY.—Section 1240F of 
the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa–6) is 
amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘To the extent’’ and inserting 
‘‘(a) PROVISION OF ASSISTANCE.—To the extent’’; 
and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new sub-
section: 
‘‘(b) WATER SAVINGS.—In the case of a practice pri-
marily intended to conserve water, the Secretary may pro-
vide assistance to a producer under this section only if 
the Secretary determines that— 
‘‘(1) the practice results in a minimum reduc-
tion, as determined by the Secretary, in the total 
consumptive use of ground water or surface water 
resources affected by the practice; 
‘‘(2) any saved water remains in the source for 
the useful life of the practice; and 
‘‘(3) the practice will not result, directly or indi-
rectly, in an increase in the consumptive use of 
water in the agriculture operation of the producer.’’. 
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(m) CONSERVATION INNOVATION GRANTS.—Section 
1240H of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 
3839aa–8) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘SEC. 1240H. CONSERVATION INNOVATION GRANTS. 
‘‘(a) COMPETITIVE GRANTS.—The Secretary shall 
pay the cost of competitive grants that are intended to 
stimulate innovative approaches to leveraging Federal in-
vestment in environmental enhancement and protection, in 
conjunction with agricultural production or forest resource 
management, through the program. 
‘‘(b) USE.—The Secretary may provide grants under 
this section to governmental and non-governmental orga-
nizations and persons, on a competitive basis, to carry out 
projects that— 
‘‘(1) involve producers that are eligible for pay-
ments or technical assistance under the program; 
‘‘(2) leverage funds made available to carry out 
the program under this chapter with matching funds 
provided by State and local governments and private 
organizations to promote environmental enhance-
ment and protection in conjunction with agricultural 
production; 
‘‘(3) ensure efficient and effective transfer of 
innovative 
technologies 
and 
approaches 
dem-
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onstrated through projects that receive funding 
under this section; and 
‘‘(4) provide environmental and resource con-
servation benefits through increased participation by 
producers of specialty crops. 
‘‘(c) PILOT PROGRAM FOR COMPREHENSIVE CON-
SERVATION PLANNING.— 
‘‘(1) PILOT
PROGRAM
REQUIRED.—The Sec-
retary shall establish a pilot program to undertake 
comprehensive conservation planning to assist pro-
ducers before they submit an application for assist-
ance under any of the conservation programs au-
thorized by this subtitle. 
‘‘(2) CONSERVATION PLANNING ASSISTANCE.— 
The Secretary shall undertake pilot projects under 
the pilot program in the locations specified in para-
graph (3) to assist producers by making a com-
prehensive assessment of the resource concerns, 
needs, and alternative solutions for the producer’s 
entire operation, as determined by the Secretary, fol-
lowing the procedures in the Natural Resources Con-
servation Service conservation planning manual. The 
assistance shall be provided by the Secretary directly 
or through third party providers certified by the Sec-
retary, and shall not be at the expense of the pro-
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