An Act to amend the act of August 7, 1956 (70 Stat. 1115), as amended, providing for a Great Plains conservation program
PL 91-118 (H.R.10595), enacted 11/18/1969

194 
PUBLIC LAW 91-118-NOV. 18, 1969 
[83 STAT. 
Public Law 91-118 
November 18, 1969 
A N A C T 
[H. R. 10595] 
To amend the Act of August 7, 1956 (70 Stat. 1115), as amended, providing for a 
Great Plains conservation program. 
Be it enacted J)y the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
tion and°Domes^-" 
United States of America in Congress assembled, 
That section 
tic Allotment 
16(b) (1) of the Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act, as 
ment.^"^"'^" 
amended, is amended to read as follows: 
70 Stat. 1115. 
"(1) the Secretary is authorized, within the amounts of such 
Gre^^*pia^in^ 
appropriations as may be provided therefor, to enter into con-
conservation 
tracts of not to exceed ten years with owners and operators of 
program. 
land iu thc Great Plains area having such control as the Secretary 
determines to be needed of the farms, ranches, or other lands cov-
ered thereby; but such contracts shall be entered into with respect 
to lands, other than farms or ranches, only where erosion is so 
serious as to make such contracts necessary for the protection of 
farm or ranch lands. Such contracts shall be designed to assist 
farm, ranch, or other land owners or operators to make, in orderly 
progression over a period of years, changes in their cropping 
systems or land uses w^hich are needed to conserve, develop, pro-
tect, and utilize the soil and water resources of their farms, 
ranches, and other lands and to install the soil and water conser-
vation measures and carry out the practices needed under such 
changed systems and uses. Such contracts may be entered into dur-
ing the period ending not later than December 31, 1981, with 
respect to farms, ranches, and other lands in counties in the Great 
Plains area of the States of Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, 
New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and 
Wyoming, designated by the Secretary as susceptible to serious 
wind erosion by reason of their soil types, terrain, and climatic 
and other factors. The land owner or operator shall furnish to 
the Secretary a plan of farming operations or land use which 
incorporates such soil and water conservation practices and prin-
ciples as may be determined by him to be practicable for maxi-
mum mitigation of climatic hazards of the area in which such 
land is located, and which outlines a schedule of proposed changes 
in cropping systems or land use and of the conservation measures 
which are to be carried out on the farm, ranch, or other land dur-
ing the contract period to protect the farm, ranch, or other land 
from erosion and deterioration by natural causes. Such plan may 
also include practices and measures for (a) enhancing fish and 
wildlife and recreation resources, (b) promoting the economic use 
of land, and (c) reducing or controlling agricultural related pol-
lution. Inclusion in the farm plan of these practices shall be the 
exclusive decision of the land owner or operator. Approved con-
servation plans of land owners and operators developed in coop-
eration with the soil and water conservation district in which 
their lands are situated shall form a basis for contracts. Under the 
contract the land owner or operator shall agree— 
" (i) to effectuate the plan for his farm, ranch, or other land 
substantially in accordance with the schedule outlined therein 
unless any requirement thereof is waived or modified by the 
Secretary pursuant to paragraph (3) of this subsection; 
"(ii) to forfeit all rights to further payments or grants 
under the contract and refund to the United States all pay-
ments or grants received thereunder upon his violation of the 
contract at any stage during the time he has control of the 
land if the Secretary, after considering the recommendations 
83 STAT. ] 
PUBLIC LAW 91-118-NOV. 18, 1969 
195 
of the soil and water conservation district board, determines 
that such violation is of such a nature as to warrant termina-
tion of the contract, or to make refunds or accept such pay-
ment adjustments as the Secretary may deem appropriate if 
he determines that the violation by the owner or operator does 
not warrant termination of the contract; 
"(iii) upon transfer of his right and interest in the farm, 
ranch, or other land during the contract period to forfeit all 
rights to further payments or grants under the contract and 
refund to the United States all payments or grants received 
thereunder unless the transferee of any such land agrees w^ith 
the Secretary to assume all obligations of the contract; 
"(iv) not to adopt any practice specified by the Secretary 
in the contract as a practice which would tend to defeat the 
purposes of the contract; 
"(v) to such additional provisions as the Secretary deter-
mines are desirable and includes in the contract to effectuate 
the purposes of the program or to facilitate the practical 
administration of the program. 
"In return for such agreement by the landowner or operator the 
Secretary shall agree to share the cost of carrying out those con-
servation practices and measures set forth in the contract for 
which he determines that cost sharing is appropriate and in the 
public interest. The portion of such cost (including labor) to be 
shared shall be that part which the Secretary determines is neces-
sary and appropriate to effectuate the physical installation of the 
conservation practices and measures under the contract;" 
SEC. 2. Section 16 (b) (2) of said Act is amended to read: 
"(2) the Secretary may terminate any contract with a land 
owner or operator by mutual agreement with the ow^ner or opera-
tor if the Secretary determines that such termination would be 
in the public interest, and may agree to such modification of con-
tracts previously entered into as he may determine to be desirable 
to carry out the purposes of the program or facilitate the practical 
administration thereof or to accomplish equitable treatment with 
respect to other similar conservation, land use, or commodity 
programs administered by the Secretary;" 
SEC. 3. Section 16(b) (7) of said Act is amended, to read: 
"(7) there is hereby authorized to be appropriated, without 
fiscal year limitations, such sums as may be necessary to carry out 
this subsection: Provided^ That the total cost of the program 
(excluding administrative costs) shall not exceed $300,000,000, and 
for any program year payments shall not exceed $25,000,000. The 
funds made available for the program under this subsection may 
be expended without regard to the maximum payment limitation 
and small payment increases required under section 8(e) of this 
Act, and may be distributed among States w^ithout regard to 
distribution of funds formulas of section 15 of this Act. The 
Cost sharing. 
Termination of 
contract. 
70 Stat. 1116. 
16 u s e 590p. 
Appropriation. 
52 Stat. 34. 
16 u s e 590h. 
49 Stat. 1151; 
program authorized under this subsection shall be in addition to, 68 stat! 908. 
and not in substitution of, other programs in such area authorized 
^^ ^^^ 5^°"^-
by this or any other Act." 
Approved November 18, 1969.