Source: http://azrefs.org/part-1940-general-subpart-g-environmental-program.html?page=10
Timestamp: 2020-07-10 01:19:37
Document Index: 183594978

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 1940', '§12', 'art 12', '§12', 'art 12', 'art 12', 'art 12', 'art 1940', '§12', 'art 12']

Part 1940 general subpart g environmental Program - səhifə 10
Implementation Procedures for the Conservation of Wetlands
and Highly Erodible Land Affecting Farmer Program Loans and
1. Background. This exhibit implements the requirements of Subtitle B, Highly Erodible Land Conservation, and Subtitle C, Wetland Conservation, of Title XII of the Food Security Act of 1985, Public Law 99-198. The purposes of these Subtitles are to: reduce soil loss due to wind and water erosion; protect the Nation's long term capability to produce food and fiber; reduce sedimentation; improve water quality; assist in preserving the Nation's wetlands; create better habitat for fish and wildlife through improved food and cover; and curb production of surplus commodities by removing certain incentives for persons to produce agricultural commodities on highly erodible land or converted wetland.
2. Applicability. The provisions of this exhibit apply to insured and guaranteed Farmer Program loans and loans to Indian Tribes and Tribal Corporations, subordinations, transfers and assumptions of such loans and leases and credit sales of inventory property. For the purpose of this exhibit, "Farmer Program loans" means Farm Operating Loans, Farm Ownership Loans, Emergency Loans, and Soil and Water Loans. As used in this exhibit, the word loan is meant to include guarantee as well. Applicant means an applicant for either an insured or guaranteed loan and borrower means a recipient of either an insured or guaranteed loan.
3. FmHA prohibited activities. Unless otherwise exempted by the provisions of this exhibit, the proceeds of any Farmer Program loan or loan to an Indian Tribe or Tribal Corporation made or guaranteed by FmHA will not be used either (a) for a purpose that will contribute to excessive erosion of highly erodible land, or (b) for a purpose that will contribute to conversion of wetlands to produce an agricultural commodity. (See §12.2(a)(l) of Subpart A of Part 12 of Subtitle A of Title 7, which is Attachment 1 of this exhibit and is available in any FmHA office, for the definition of an agricultural commodity.) Consequently, any applicant proposing to use loan proceeds for an activity contributing to either such purpose, will not be eligible for the requested loan. Any borrower that uses loan proceeds in a manner that contributes to either such purpose will be in default on the loan.
a. U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) definitions.
In implementing this exhibit, FmHA will use the USDA's definitions of the terms found at §12.2 of Subpart A of Part 12 of Subtitle A of Title 7 (Attachment 1 of this exhibit which is available in any FmHA office).
(3-4-88) SPECIAL PN
b. Highly erodible land conservation.
FmHA will conclude that excessive erosion of highly erodible land results or would result whenever (1) a field on which highly erodible land is predominant, as determined by the Soil Conservation Service (SCS), is or would be used to produce an agricultural commodity without conformance to a conservation system approved either by SCS or the appropriate conservation district, as evidenced by a statement from SCS, and (2) such field is not exempt from the provisions of this exhibit.
c. Wetland conservation.
FmHA will conclude that a conversion of wetlands to produce an agricultural commodity has occurred or will occur whenever, as determined by SCS, (1) a wetland has or will be drained, dredged, filled, leveled, or otherwise manipulated (including any activity that results in impairing or reducing the flow, circulation, or reach of water) that makes possible the production of an agricultural commodity without further application of the manipulations described herein if (a) such production would not have been possible but for such action and (b) before such action such land was wetland and was neither highly erodible land nor highly erodible cropland; and (2) neither the affected wetland nor the activity affecting the wetland is exempt from the provisions of this exhibit.
d. Use of loan proceeds.
To use loan proceeds for a purpose that contributes to either the excessive erosion of highly erodible land or the conversion of wetlands to produce an agricultural commodity means that loan proceeds will or have been used in a way that contributes to either excessive erosion of highly erodible land or the conversion of wetlands to produce an agricultural commodity by paying the costs of any of the following:
(8) For the same time period as in subparagraph 3 d (7) above, any costs associated with using for on-farm purposes an agricultural commodity grown on the affected land.
4. Prohibited activities under other USDA financial assistance programs. Unless otherwise exempted, a person becomes ineligible for a variety of USDA financial assistance programs if that person produces in any crop year an agricultural commodity on either a field on which highly erodible land is predominant or a converted wetland. This ineligibility extends to any commodity produced during the crop year that the prohibited action occurs. The programs for which the person would be ineligible include price support payments, farm storage facility loans, disaster payments, crop insurance, payments made for the storage of an agricultural commodity, and payments received under a Conservation Reserve Program Contract. Farmer Program applicants and borrowers and applicants for, and borrowers of, loans to Indian Tribes and Tribal Corporations, therefore, can be affected not only by the FmHA prohibited activities but also by the broad USDA sweep of the Subtitle B and C restrictions. Should such an applicant rely or plan
to rely on any of these other USDA financial assistance programs as a source of funds to repay its FmHA loan(s) and then fail to meet the other program(s)' eligibility criteria related to wetland or highly erodible land conservation, repayment ability to FmHA or the lender of an FmHA guaranteed loan may be jeopardized. Consequently, those applicants who are applying for a loan and those borrowers who receive a loan after the effective date of Subtitles B and C, as designated in Part 12 of Subtitle A of Title 7, and who include in their projected sources of repayment, potential funds from any USDA program subject to some form of Subtitle B or C restrictions will have to demonstrate as part of their applications, and for borrowers, as part of their farm plan of operation, their ability to meet the other program(s)' eligibility criteria. Failure to meet the criteria will require the applicant or borrower either to document an alternative, equivalent source of revenues or, if possible, agree to undertake any steps necessary to gain eligibility for the other program(s). See paragraph 6 of this exhibit for a discussion of such steps.
a. Required information. Every applicant for a Farmer Program loan or a loan to an Indian Tribe or Tribal Corporation will be required to provide the following information and, as applicable, certification as part of the application for financial assistance. An application will not be considered to be complete until this information and certification are provided to FmHA. Once an applicant has provided FmHA with information from SCS on the presence of any highly erodible land, wetland, or converted wetland this information need not be provided again for a subsequent loan unless there is either a change in the property upon which FmHA loan proceeds will be applied or a change in the previous information, such as a change in the status of an exemption. There is a continuing responsibility on FmHA borrowers using other USDA financial assistance programs for repayment purposes to provide the County Supervisor with an executed copy of any similar certification required by the other USDA agency at the time of each required certification.
(1) A statement from the SCS indicating whether or not the applicant's farm property or properties contain either highly erodible land, wetland, or converted wetland and, if so, whether or not the applicant qualifies for a particular exemption to the provisions of this exhibit and as further detailed in paragraph 11 below. The property or properties will be listed and described in accordance with the
5 a (1) (Cont.)
Agriculture Stabilization and Conservation Service's (ASCS) farm records system. SCS's execution of Form SCS-CPA-26, "Highly Erodible Land and Wetland Conservation Determination," is necessary to meet this information requirement.
(2) If either highly erodible land, wetland, or converted wetland is present, the applicant's properly executed original or carbon copy of Form AD-1026, "Highly Erodible Land and Wetland Conservation Certification."
b. Required actions.
If at any time during the application review process any of the information or basis for an applicant's certification changes, the applicant (or the lender in the case of a guaranteed loan) must immediately notify FmHA. If an applicant intends to produce an agricultural commodity on a nonexempt field on which highly erodible land is predominant, the applicant must develop a conservation system approved by SCS or the appropriate conservation district, demonstrate that it is or will be in compliance with the system at the time the field is to be used, and provide SCS's concurrence with this position.
6. FmHA's application review. The FmHA County Supervisor will review the information provided by the applicant from SCS regarding the presence of any highly erodible land, wetland, or converted wetland and any possible exemptions and take the actions warranted by the presence of one or more of the circumstances described below. In carrying out these actions, FmHA will consider the technical decisions rendered by the SCS and the ASCS, as assigned to these agencies by Subparts A, B, and C of Part 12 of Subtitle A of Title 7 and further explained in this exhibit, to be final and controlling in the remaining FmHA decisionmaking process for this exhibit. It must also be understood that the definition of a wetland used by SCS in implementing this exhibit applies only to this exhibit and not to other wetland protection provisions of Subpart G of Part 1940.
a. No highly erodible land, wetland, or converted wetland present.
The requested loan can be approved under the provisions of this exhibit and, except for documenting this result in accordance with paragraph 8 of this exhibit, no further action is required.
b. Converted wetland present.
The County Supervisor will consult with the applicant (and lender, in the case of a guaranteed loan) and the appropriate local office of the ASCS in order to determine if the converted wetland qualifies for the exemption specified in subparagraph c (1) of paragraph 11 of this exhibit. If so, no further action is necessary with respect to the converted wetland except for documenting the result. If the converted wetland does not qualify for an exemption, the County Supervisor will complete one or both of the following steps as the identified circumstances dictate.
(1) Step one. Review both the date that the wetland was converted and the proposed use of loan proceeds in order to determine if loan proceeds will be used for a prohibited activity as defined in subparagraph d of paragraph 3 of this exhibit. If not, the County Supervisor will so document this as specified in paragraph 8 of this exhibit; complete step two immediately below; and, if an insured loan will be approved, notify the applicant in writing, coincident with the transmittal of Form RD 1940-1, "Request For Obligation of Funds" and by using Form Letter 1940-G-1, "Notification of The Requirements of Exhibit M of RD Instruction 1940-G," that the loan approval instruments will contain compliance requirements affecting the applicant's converted wetland. If loan proceeds will be used for a prohibited activity, the applicant (and lender, in the case of a guaranteed loan) will be advised of the applicant's ineligibility for the FmHA loan being requested. The applicant (and lender, in the case of a guaranteed loan) will be advised of any modifications to the application that could cure the ineligibility. Not growing an agricultural commodity on the converted wetland would cure the ineligibility, but the substitution of non-FmHA funds to grow an agricultural commodity on the converted wetland would not.
c. Highly erodible land or wetland present.
The County Supervisor will discuss with the applicant (and lender, in the case of a guaranteed loan) and review the intended uses of
the FmHA loan proceeds as evidenced in any relevant application materials.
(1) Proceeds to be used for prohibited activity. If proceeds would be used for a prohibited activity, the applicant (and lender, in the case of a guaranteed loan) will be advised of its ineligibility for the FmHA loan. The applicant (and lender, in the case of a guaranteed loan) will be informed of any modifications to its application that could cure the ineligibility, including financially feasible eligible loan purposes that could be helpful in implementing a conservation plan or installing a conservation system, should either be an appropriate cure. Substitution of non-FmHA monies to accomplish the prohibited activity would not cure the ineligibility, but actual elimination of the activity from the applicant's farm plan of operation would.
(b) If an insured loan will be approved and the requirements of subparagraph c (2)(c) of this paragraph do not apply, notify the applicant in writing, coincident with the transmittal of Form RD 1940-1, "Request For Obligation of Funds," and by using Form Letter 1940-G-1, "Notification of The Requirements of Exhibit M of RD Instruction 1940-G," that the loan approval instruments will contain compliance requirements affecting the applicant's highly erodible land and/or wetland.
(i) Loan term exceeds January 1, 1990, but not January 1, 1995. If the term of the proposed loan expires within this period and the applicant intends to produce an agricultural commodity on highly erodible land that is exempt from the restrictions of this exhibit until either 1990 or two years after the SCS has completed a soil survey for theborrower's land, whichever is later, the County Supervisor will determine if it is financially feasible for the applicant, prior to loss of the exemption, to actively apply a conservation plan approved by SCS or the appropriate conservation district. See §12.23 of Subpart A of Part 12 of Subtitle A of Title 7, which is Attachment 1 of this exhibit and is available in any FmHA office, for a definition of actively applying a conservation plan. Prior to loan approval, the applicant, the lender, (if a guaranteed loan is involved), FmHA and SCS will resolve any doubts as to what extent production would be able to continue under application of a conservation plan and as to the financial implications on loan repayment ability from both the potential costs of actively applying the conservation plan and the potential loss of revenues from any reduced acreage production base. The loan approval official will determine the financial implications of actively applying a conservation plan to the applicant's highly erodible land by developing a projected farm plan of operation or other farm financial projections that reflect adequate repayment on the full scheduled installments for all debt obligations at the time the conservation plan is being actively applied. If in making this determination, loan repayment ability cannot be demonstrated, FmHA will deny the loan application. If loan repayment ability can be demonstrated and an insured loan will be approved, the applicant will be advised in writing, coincident with the transmittal of Form RD 1940-1, "Request For Obligation of Funds," and using Form Letter 1940-G-1, "Notification of The Requirements of Exhibit M of RD Instruction 1940-G," that the loan approval instruments will contain compliance requirements affecting the applicant's highly erodible land. The applicant will also be advised that a statement from the SCS issued prior to either January 1, 1990, or two years after the SCS has completed a soil survey of the applicant's land (whichever is later) and stating that the applicant is actively applying an approved conservation plan will be considered adequate demonstration of compliance on the highly erodible land affected by the 1990 deadline.
(ii) Loan term exceeds January 1, 1995. If the term of the proposed loan would exceed this date and the borrower intends to produce an agricultural commodity on highly erodible land that is exempt from the restrictions of this exhibit up until that date (see subparagraph b (4) of paragraph 11 of this exhibit) the County Supervisor will determine if it is financially feasible for the applicant, after January 1, 1995, to produce an agricultural commodity on the highly erodible land in compliance with a conservation system approved by SCS or the appropriate conservation district. Prior to loan approval, the applicant, the lender (if a guaranteed loan is involved), FmHA and SCS will resolve any doubts as to what extent production would be able to continue under a conservation system and as to the financial implications on loan repayment ability from both the potential costs of the conservation system and the potential loss of revenues from any reduced acreage production base. The loan approval official will determine the financial implications of compliance with a conservation system using the financial projection method(s) indicated in subparagraph c (2)(c)(i) of this paragraph. If loan repayment ability cannot be demonstrated, the application will be denied. If loan repayment ability can be demonstrated and an insured loan will be approved, the applicant will be advised in writing, coincident with the transmittal of Form 1940-1, "Request For Obligation of Funds," and using Form Letter 1940-G-1, "Notification of The Requirements of Exhibit M of RD Instruction 1940-G," that the loan approval instruments will contain compliance requirements affecting the applicant's highly erodible land. The applicant will also be advised that a statement from SCS issued prior to January 1, 1995, and stating that the applicant is in compliance with an approved conservation system will be considered adequate demonstration of compliance.
d. Highly erodible land present that was or is planted in alfalfa.
If the applicant plans to cultivate highly erodible land for the purpose of producing an agricultural commodity and that highly erodible land during each of the 1981 to 1985 crop years was planted in alfalfa in a crop rotation determined by SCS to be adequate for the protection of highly erodible land, the applicant is exempt until June 1, 1988, from the requirement to fully implement an approved conservation system on the highly erodible land. The County Supervisor, following procedures similar to those indicated in subparagraph c (2)(c)(i) of this paragraph, will determine if it is financially feasible for the applicant to apply a conservation system to the highly erodible land prior to the loss of the exemption on June 1, 1988. If loan repayment ability cannot be demonstrated, the application will be denied. If loan repayment ability can be demonstrated and an insured loan will be approved, the applicant will be advised in writing that the loan approval instruments will contain compliance requirements affecting the applicant's highly erodible land. The applicant will also be advised that a statement from SCS issued prior to June 1, 1988 and stating that the applicant is in compliance with an approved conservation system will be considered adequate demonstration of compliance with this requirement.
e. Highly erodible land, wetland, or converted wetland present and
applicant intends to use other USDA financial assistance
programs(s), including crop insurance, to repay FmHA loan.
The County Supervisor will consult with the applicant (and lender, in the case of a guaranteed loan) and the other USDA agency(s) to determine if the applicant is eligible for the latter's financial assistance. If not eligible, the applicant will have to demonstrate that an alternative source(s) of repayment will be available in order for further processing of the application to proceed.
a. Insured loan
(1) Promissory Notes. For all loans to which this exhibit applies, all promissory notes must contain the provision indicatedbelow: (Form RD 1940-17, "Promissory Note," has been revised so that the language will no longer be inserted as an addendum, but the following provision must be inserted as an addendum to Form RD 440-22, "Promissory Note (Association or Organization)," if the loan is being made to an Indian Tribe or a Tribal Corporation.)
"Addendum for Highly Erodible Land and Wetland Conservation"
Addendum to promissory note dated ___________ in the amount of $ _______ at an annual interest rate of _____ percent. This agreement supplements and attaches to the above note.