Iowa Administrative Code › Agency 27 - Soil Conservation and Water Quality Division › Division I - Soil Conservation Division › Chapter 20 - Iowa Soil 2000 Program › Rule 27-20.70 - Definition of Terms

Current through Register Vol. 47, No. 3, July 24, 2024
In addition to the definitions in rule
				  27-10.20 (161A), the
				  following terms are defined:
"Adjacent tracts "
means two or more tracts
				  of land in the same legal section of land or in touching legal sections lying
				  such that the two tracts have a common side or common corner.
"Conservation agreement"
is defined in Iowa
				  Code section
				  161A.42
				  to mean a commitment by the owner or operator of a farm unit to implement a
				  farm unit soil conservation plan or, with the approval of the commissioners of
				  the district within which the farm unit is located, a portion of a farm unit
				  soil conservation plan. The commitment shall be conditioned on the furnishing
				  by the district of such technical or planning assistance in the establishment
				  of, and cost-sharing or other financial assistance for establishment and
				  maintenance of the soil and water conservation practices necessary to implement
				  the plan, or a portion of the plan.
"Conservation folder"
is defined in Iowa
				  Code section
				  161A.42
				  to mean compiled information concerning the topography, soil composition,
				  natural or artificial drainage characteristics and other pertinent factors
				  concerning a particular farm unit, which are necessary to the preparation of a
				  sound and equitable conservation agreement for that farm unit. The specific
				  items to be contained in a conservation folder shall be prescribed by
				  administrative rules of the division of soil conservation and water quality.
				  The division shall provide by rule that an updated farm plan prepared for a
				  particular farm unit within 10 years prior to the effective date of this
				  subsection shall be considered an adequate replacement for the conservation
				  folder for that farm unit.
"Contiguous "
means two or more tracts of
				  land lying in the same legal section that have separate legal descriptions, but
				  which have at least a partially common boundary line.
"District staff"
means all individuals
				  assigned to, assisting, or employed by a soil and water conservation
				  district.
"Farm plan "
as used in these rules refers
				  to any conservation plan or other plan developed in cooperation with the
				  landowner, which provides compiled information concerning the topography, soil
				  composition, natural and artificial drainage characteristics, permanent soil
				  and water conservation practices, and other pertinent factors for the farm
				  unit.
"Farm unit"
is defined in Iowa Code section
				  161 A.42 to mean a single contiguous tract of agricultural land, or two or more
				  adjacent tracts of agricultural land, located within a single district, upon
				  which farming operations are being conducted by a person who owns or is
				  purchasing or renting all of such land, or by a tenant or tenants. If a
				  landowner has multiple farm tenants, the land on which farming operations are
				  being conducted by each tenant shall constitute a separate farm unit. This
				  definition does not prohibit land which is within a single district and is
				  owned or being purchased by the same person, or is being rented by the same
				  tenant, from being treated as two or more farm units if the commissioners of
				  the district deem it preferable to do so.
"Farm unit soil conservation plan"
is
				  defined in Iowa Code section
				  161A.42
				  to mean a plan jointly developed by the owner and, if appropriate, the operator
				  of a farm unit and the commissioners of the district within which that farm
				  unit is located, based on the conservation folder for that farm unit and
				  identifying those permanent soil and water conservation practices and temporary
				  soil and water conservation practices the use of which may be expected to
				  prevent soil loss by erosion from that farm unit in excess of the applicable
				  soil loss limit or limits. The plan shall, if practicable, identify alternative
				  practices by which this objective may be attained.