Title II — Conservation

“(d) Enrollment

“(1) Maximum acreage enrolled—The Secretary may maintain in the conservation reserve at any 1 time during—

“(A) fiscal year 2013, no more than 32,000,000 acres;

“(B) fiscal year 2014, no more than 30,000,000 acres;

“(C) fiscal year 2015, no more than 27,500,000 acres;

“(D) fiscal year 2016, no more than 26,500,000 acres;

“(E) fiscal year 2017, no more than 25,500,000 acres; and

“(F) fiscal year 2018, no more than 25,000,000 acres.

“(2) Grassland

“(A) Limitation—For purposes of applying the limitations in paragraph (1), no more than 1,500,000 acres of the land described in subsection (b)(3) may be enrolled in the program at any 1 time during the 2014 through 2018 fiscal years.

“(B) Priority—In enrolling acres under subparagraph (A), the Secretary may give priority to land with expiring conservation reserve program contracts.

“(C) Method of enrollment—In enrolling acres under subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall make the program available to owners or operators of eligible land at least once during each fiscal year.”

“(2) Special rule for certain land—In the case of land devoted to hardwood trees, shelterbelts, windbreaks, or wildlife corridors under a contract entered into under this subchapter, the owner or operator of the land may, within the limitations prescribed under this section, specify the duration of the contract.”

“(b) Conservation plans—The plan referred to in subsection (a)(1) shall set forth—

“(1) the conservation measures and practices to be carried out by the owner or operator during the term of the contract; and

“(2) the commercial use, if any, to be permitted on the land during the term.”

“(d) Payment schedule

“(1) In general—Except as otherwise provided in this section, payments under this subchapter shall be made in cash in such amount and on such time schedule as is agreed on and specified in the contract.

“(2) Source—Payments under this subchapter shall be made using the funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation.

“(3) Advance payment—Payments under this subchapter may be made in advance of determination of performance.”

“B Conservation stewardship program

“1238D. Definitions

“In this subchapter:

“(1) Agricultural operation—The term “agricultural operation” means all eligible land, whether or not contiguous, that is—

“(A) under the effective control of a producer at the time the producer enters into a contract under the program; and

“(B) operated with equipment, labor, management, and production or cultivation practices that are substantially separate from other agricultural operations, as determined by the Secretary.

“(2) Conservation activities

“(A) In general—The term “conservation activities” means conservation systems, practices, or management measures.

“(B) Inclusions—The term “conservation activities” includes—

“(i) structural measures, vegetative measures, and land management measures, including agriculture drainage management systems, as determined by the Secretary; and

“(ii) planning needed to address a priority resource concern.

“(3) Conservation stewardship plan—The term “conservation stewardship plan” means a plan that—

“(A) identifies and inventories priority resource concerns;

“(B) establishes benchmark data and conservation objectives;

“(C) describes conservation activities to be implemented, managed, or improved; and

“(D) includes a schedule and evaluation plan for the planning, installation, and management of the new and existing conservation activities.

“(4) Eligible land

“(A) In general—The term “eligible land” means—

“(i) private and tribal land on which agricultural commodities, livestock, or forest-related products are produced; and

“(ii) land associated with the land described in clause (i) on which priority resource concerns could be addressed through a contract under the program.

“(B) Inclusions—The term “eligible land” includes—

“(i) cropland;

“(ii) grassland;

“(iii) rangeland;

“(iv) pastureland;

“(v) nonindustrial private forest land; and

“(vi) other agricultural land (including cropped woodland, marshes, and agricultural land used for the production of livestock), as determined by the Secretary.

“(5) Priority resource concern—The term “priority resource concern” means a natural resource concern or problem, as determined by the Secretary, that—

“(A) is identified at the national, State or local level, as a priority for a particular area of the State;

“(B) represents a significant concern in a State or region; and

“(C) is likely to be addressed successfully through the implementation of conservation activities under this program.

“(6) Program—The term “program” means the conservation stewardship program established by this subchapter.

“(7) Stewardship threshold—The term “stewardship threshold” means the level of management required, as determined by the Secretary, to conserve and improve the quality and condition of a natural resource.

“1238E. Conservation stewardship program

“(a) Establishment and purpose—During each of fiscal years 2014 through 2018, the Secretary shall carry out a conservation stewardship program to encourage producers to address priority resource concerns and improve and conserve the quality and condition of natural resources in a comprehensive manner—

“(1) by undertaking additional conservation activities; and

“(2) by improving, maintaining, and managing existing conservation activities.

“(b) Exclusions

“(1) Land enrolled in other conservation programs—Subject to paragraph (2), the following land (even if covered by the definition of eligible land) is not eligible for enrollment in the program:

“(A) Land enrolled in the conservation reserve program.

“(B) Land enrolled in the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program in a wetland easement.

“(C) Land enrolled in the conservation security program.

“(2) Conversion to cropland—Eligible land used for crop production after October 1, 2013, that had not been planted, considered to be planted, or devoted to crop production for at least 4 of the 6 years preceding that date shall not be the basis for any payment under the program, unless the land does not meet the requirement because—

“(A) the land had previously been enrolled in the conservation reserve program;

“(B) the land has been maintained using long-term crop rotation practices, as determined by the Secretary; or

“(C) the land is incidental land needed for efficient operation of the farm or ranch, as determined by the Secretary.

“1238F. Stewardship contracts

“(a) Submission of contract offers—To be eligible to participate in the conservation stewardship program, a producer shall submit a contract offer for the agricultural operation that—

“(1) demonstrates to the satisfaction of the Secretary that the producer, at the time of the contract offer, is meeting the stewardship threshold for at least 2 priority resource concerns; and

“(2) would, at a minimum, meet or exceed the stewardship threshold for at least 1 additional priority resource concern by the end of the stewardship contract by—

“(A) installing and adopting additional conservation activities; and

“(B) improving, maintaining, and managing existing conservation activities on the agricultural operation in a manner that increases or extends the conservation benefits in place at the time the contract offer is accepted by the Secretary.

“(b) Evaluation of contract offers

“(1) Ranking of applications—In evaluating contract offers the Secretary shall rank applications based on—

“(A) the level of conservation treatment on all applicable priority resource concerns at the time of application;

“(B) the degree to which the proposed conservation activities effectively increase conservation performance;

“(C) the number of applicable priority resource concerns proposed to be treated to meet or exceed the stewardship threshold by the end of the contract;

“(D) the extent to which other priority resource concerns will be addressed to meet or exceed the stewardship threshold by the end of the contract period;

“(E) the extent to which the actual and anticipated conservation benefits from the contract are provided at the least cost relative to other similarly beneficial contract offers; and

“(F) the extent to which priority resource concerns will be addressed when transitioning from the conservation reserve program to agricultural production.

“(2) Prohibition—The Secretary may not assign a higher priority to any application because the applicant is willing to accept a lower payment than the applicant would otherwise be eligible to receive.

“(3) Additional criteria—The Secretary may develop and use such additional criteria that the Secretary determines are necessary to ensure that national, State, and local priority resource concerns are effectively addressed.

“(c) Entering into contracts—After a determination that a producer is eligible for the program under subsection (a), and a determination that the contract offer ranks sufficiently high under the evaluation criteria under subsection (b), the Secretary shall enter into a conservation stewardship contract with the producer to enroll the eligible land to be covered by the contract.

“(d) Contract provisions

“(1) Term—A conservation stewardship contract shall be for a term of 5 years.

“(2) Required provisions—The conservation stewardship contract of a producer shall—

“(A) state the amount of the payment the Secretary agrees to make to the producer for each year of the conservation stewardship contract under section 1238G(d);

“(B) require the producer—

“(i) to implement a conservation stewardship plan that describes the program purposes to be achieved through 1 or more conservation activities;

“(ii) to maintain and supply information as required by the Secretary to determine compliance with the conservation stewardship plan and any other requirements of the program; and

“(iii) not to conduct any activities on the agricultural operation that would tend to defeat the purposes of the program;

“(C) permit all economic uses of the eligible land that—

“(i) maintain the agricultural nature of the land; and

“(ii) are consistent with the conservation purposes of the conservation stewardship contract;

“(D) include a provision to ensure that a producer shall not be considered in violation of the contract for failure to comply with the contract due to circumstances beyond the control of the producer, including a disaster or related condition, as determined by the Secretary;

“(E) include provisions where upon the violation of a term or condition of the contract at any time the producer has control of the land—

“(i) if the Secretary determines that the violation warrants termination of the contract—

“(I) to forfeit all rights to receive payments under the contract; and

“(II) to refund all or a portion of the payments received by the producer under the contract, including any interest on the payments, as determined by the Secretary; or

“(ii) if the Secretary determines that the violation does not warrant termination of the contract, to refund or accept adjustments to the payments provided to the producer, as the Secretary determines to be appropriate;

“(F) include provisions in accordance with paragraphs (3) and (4) of this section; and

“(G) include any additional provisions the Secretary determines are necessary to carry out the program.

“(3) Change of interest in land subject to a contract

“(A) In general—At the time of application, a producer shall have control of the eligible land to be enrolled in the program. Except as provided in subparagraph (B), a change in the interest of a producer in eligible land covered by a contract under the program shall result in the termination of the contract with regard to that land.

“(B) Transfer of duties and rights—Subparagraph (A) shall not apply if—

“(i) within a reasonable period of time (as determined by the Secretary) after the date of the change in the interest in all or a portion of the land covered by a contract under the program, the transferee of the land provides written notice to the Secretary that duties and rights under the contract have been transferred to, and assumed by, the transferee for the portion of the land transferred;

“(ii) the transferee meets the eligibility requirements of the program; and

“(iii) the Secretary approves the transfer of all duties and rights under the contract.

“(4) Modification and termination of contracts

“(A) Voluntary modification or termination—The Secretary may modify or terminate a contract with a producer if—

“(i) the producer agrees to the modification or termination; and

“(ii) the Secretary determines that the modification or termination is in the public interest.

“(B) Involuntary termination—The Secretary may terminate a contract if the Secretary determines that the producer violated the contract.

“(5) Repayment—If a contract is terminated, the Secretary may, consistent with the purposes of the program—

“(A) allow the producer to retain payments already received under the contract; or

“(B) require repayment, in whole or in part, of payments received and assess liquidated damages.

“(e) Contract renewal—At the end of the initial 5-year contract period, the Secretary may allow the producer to renew the contract for 1 additional 5-year period if the producer—

“(1) demonstrates compliance with the terms of the existing contract;

“(2) agrees to adopt and continue to integrate conservation activities across the entire agricultural operation as determined by the Secretary; and

“(3) agrees, at a minimum, to meet or exceed the stewardship threshold for at least 2 additional priority resource concerns on the agricultural operation by the end of the contract period.

“1238G. Duties of the secretary

“(a) In general—To achieve the conservation goals of a contract under the conservation stewardship program, the Secretary shall—

“(1) make the program available to eligible producers on a continuous enrollment basis with 1 or more ranking periods, 1 of which shall occur in the first quarter of each fiscal year;

“(2) identify not less than 5 priority resource concerns in a particular watershed or other appropriate region or area within a State; and

“(3) establish a science-based stewardship threshold for each priority resource concern identified under subparagraph (2).

“(b) Allocation to states—The Secretary shall allocate acres to States for enrollment, based—

“(1) primarily on each State’s proportion of eligible land to the total acreage of eligible land in all States; and

“(2) also on consideration of—

“(A) the extent and magnitude of the conservation needs associated with agricultural production in each State;

“(B) the degree to which implementation of the program in the State is, or will be, effective in helping producers address those needs; and

“(C) other considerations to achieve equitable geographic distribution of funds, as determined by the Secretary.

“(c) Acreage enrollment limitation—During the period beginning on October 1, 2013, and ending on September 30, 2022, the Secretary shall, to the maximum extent practicable—

“(1) enroll in the program an additional 10,348,000 acres for each fiscal year; and

“(2) manage the program to achieve a national average rate of $18 per acre, which shall include the costs of all financial assistance, technical assistance, and any other expenses associated with enrollment or participation in the program.

“(d) Conservation stewardship payments

“(1) Availability of payments—The Secretary shall provide annual payments under the program to compensate the producer for—

“(A) installing and adopting additional conservation activities; and

“(B) improving, maintaining, and managing conservation activities in place at the operation of the producer at the time the contract offer is accepted by the Secretary.

“(2) Payment amount—The amount of the conservation stewardship annual payment shall be determined by the Secretary and based, to the maximum extent practicable, on the following factors:

“(A) Costs incurred by the producer associated with planning, design, materials, installation, labor, management, maintenance, or training.

“(B) Income forgone by the producer.

“(C) Expected conservation benefits.

“(D) The extent to which priority resource concerns will be addressed through the installation and adoption of conservation activities on the agricultural operation.

“(E) The level of stewardship in place at the time of application and maintained over the term of the contract.

“(F) The degree to which the conservation activities will be integrated across the entire agricultural operation for all applicable priority resource concerns over the term of the contract.

“(G) Such other factors as determined by the Secretary.

“(3) Exclusions—A payment to a producer under this subsection shall not be provided for—

“(A) the design, construction, or maintenance of animal waste storage or treatment facilities or associated waste transport or transfer devices for animal feeding operations; or

“(B) conservation activities for which there is no cost incurred or income forgone to the producer.

“(4) Delivery of payments—In making stewardship payments, the Secretary shall, to the extent practicable—

“(A) prorate conservation performance over the term of the contract so as to accommodate, to the extent practicable, producers earning equal annual stewardship payments in each fiscal year; and

“(B) make stewardship payments as soon as practicable after October 1 of each fiscal year for activities carried out in the previous fiscal year.

“(e) Supplemental payments for resource-Conserving crop rotations

“(1) Availability of payments—The Secretary shall provide additional payments to producers that, in participating in the program, agree to adopt resource-conserving crop rotations to achieve beneficial crop rotations as appropriate for the eligible land of the producers.

“(2) Beneficial crop rotations—The Secretary shall determine whether a resource-conserving crop rotation is a beneficial crop rotation eligible for additional payments under paragraph (1), based on whether the resource-conserving crop rotation is designed to provide natural resource conservation and production benefits.

“(3) Eligibility—To be eligible to receive a payment described in paragraph (1), a producer shall agree to adopt and maintain the resource-conserving crop rotations for the term of the contract.

“(4) Resource-conserving crop rotation—In this subsection, the term “resource-conserving crop rotation” means a crop rotation that—

“(A) includes at least 1 resource conserving crop (as defined by the Secretary);

“(B) reduces erosion;

“(C) improves soil fertility and tilth;

“(D) interrupts pest cycles; and

“(E) in applicable areas, reduces depletion of soil moisture or otherwise reduces the need for irrigation.

“(f) Payment limitations—A person or legal entity may not receive, directly or indirectly, payments under the program that, in the aggregate, exceed $200,000 under all contracts entered into during fiscal years 2014 through 2018, excluding funding arrangements with Indian tribes, regardless of the number of contracts entered into under the program by the person or legal entity.

“(g) Specialty crop and organic producers—The Secretary shall ensure that outreach and technical assistance are available, and program specifications are appropriate to enable specialty crop and organic producers to participate in the program.

“(h) Coordination with organic certification—The Secretary shall establish a transparent means by which producers may initiate organic certification under the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 6501 et seq.) while participating in a contract under the program.

“(i) Regulations—The Secretary shall promulgate regulations that—

“(1) prescribe such other rules as the Secretary determines to be necessary to ensure a fair and reasonable application of the limitations established under subsection (f); and

“(2) otherwise enable the Secretary to carry out the program.”

“(2) Term—A contract under the program shall have a term that does not exceed 10 years.”

“(f) Allocation of funding

“(1) Livestock—For each of fiscal years 2014 through 2018, at least 60 percent of the funds made available for payments under the program shall be targeted at practices relating to livestock production.

“(2) Wildlife habitat—For each of fiscal years 2014 through 2018, at least 5 percent of the funds made available for payments under the program shall be targeted at practices benefitting wildlife habitat under subsection (g).”

“(g) Wildlife habitat incentive practice—The Secretary shall provide payments under the program for conservation practices that support the restoration, development, and improvement of wildlife habitat on eligible land, including—

“(1) upland wildlife habitat;

“(2) wetland wildlife habitat;

“(3) habitat for threatened and endangered species;

“(4) fish habitat;

“(5) habitat on pivot corners and other irregular areas of a field; and

“(6) other types of wildlife habitat, as determined by the Secretary.”

“(c) Reporting—Not later than December 31, 2014, and every 2 years thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate and the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives a report on the status of projects funded under this section, including—

“(1) funding awarded;

“(2) project results; and

“(3) incorporation of project findings, such as new technology and innovative approaches, into the conservation efforts implemented by the Secretary.”

“H Agricultural Conservation Easement Program

“1265. Establishment and purposes

“(a) Establishment—The Secretary shall establish an Agricultural Conservation Easement Program for the conservation of eligible land and natural resources through easements or other interests in land.

“(b) Purposes—The purposes of the program are to—

“(1) combine the purposes and coordinate the functions of the wetlands reserve program established under section 1237, the grassland reserve program established under section 1238N, and the farmland protection program established under section 1238I;

“(2) restore, protect, and enhance wetland on eligible land;

“(3) protect the agricultural use, viability, and related conservation values of eligible land by limiting nonagricultural uses of that land; and

“(4) protect grazing uses and related conservation values by restoring and conserving eligible land.

“1265A. Definitions

“In this subtitle:

“(1) Agricultural land easement—The term “agricultural land easement” means an easement or other interest in eligible land that—

“(A) is conveyed for the purposes of protecting natural resources and the agricultural nature of the land, and of promoting agricultural viability for future generations; and

“(B) permits the landowner the right to continue agricultural production and related uses subject to an agricultural land easement plan.

“(2) Eligible entity—The term “eligible entity” means—

“(A) an agency of State or local government or an Indian tribe (including farmland protection board or land resource council established under State law); or

“(B) an organization that is—

“(i) organized for, and at all times since the formation of the organization has been operated principally for, 1 or more of the conservation purposes specified in clause (i), (ii), (iii), or (iv) of section 170(h)(4)(A) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986;

“(ii) an organization described in section 501(c)(3) of that Code that is exempt from taxation under section 501(a) of that Code; or

“(iii) described in—

“(I) paragraph (1) or (2) of section 509(a) of that Code; or

“(II) section 509(a)(3) of that Code and is controlled by an organization described in section 509(a)(2) of that Code.

“(3) Eligible land—The term “eligible land” means private or tribal land that is—

“(A) in the case of an agricultural land easement, agricultural land, including land on a farm or ranch—

“(i) that is subject to a pending offer for purchase from an eligible entity;

“(ii) that—

“(I) has prime, unique, or other productive soil;

“(II) contains historical or archaeological resources; or

“(III) the protection of which will further a State or local policy consistent with the purposes of the program; and

“(iii) that is—

“(I) cropland;

“(II) rangeland;

“(III) grassland or land that contains forbs, or shrubland for which grazing is the predominant use;

“(IV) pastureland; or

“(V) nonindustrial private forest land that contributes to the economic viability of an offered parcel or serves as a buffer to protect such land from development;

“(B) in the case of a wetland easement, a wetland or related area, including—

“(i) farmed or converted wetland, together with the adjacent land that is functionally dependent on that land if the Secretary determines it—

“(I) is likely to be successfully restored in a cost effective manner; and

“(II) will maximize the wildlife benefits and wetland functions and values as determined by the Secretary in consultation with the Secretary of the Interior at the local level;

“(ii) cropland or grassland that was used for agricultural production prior to flooding from the natural overflow of a closed basin lake or pothole, as determined by the Secretary, together (where practicable) with the adjacent land that is functionally dependent on the cropland or grassland;

“(iii) farmed wetland and adjoining land that—

“(I) is enrolled in the conservation reserve program;

“(II) has the highest wetland functions and values; and

“(III) is likely to return to production after the land leaves the conservation reserve program;

“(iv) riparian areas that link wetland that is protected by easements or some other device that achieves the same purpose as an easement; or

“(v) other wetland of an owner that would not otherwise be eligible if the Secretary determines that the inclusion of such wetland in such easement would significantly add to the functional value of the easement; and

“(C) in the case of both an agricultural land easement or wetland easement, other land that is incidental to eligible land if the Secretary determines that it is necessary for the efficient administration of the easements under this program.

“(4) Program—The term “program” means the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program established by this subtitle.

“(5) Wetland easement—The term “wetland easement” means a reserved interest in eligible land that—

“(A) is defined and delineated in a deed; and

“(B) stipulates—

“(i) the rights, title, and interests in land conveyed to the Secretary; and

“(ii) the rights, title, and interests in land that are reserved to the landowner.

“1265B. Agricultural land easements

“(a) Availability of assistance—The Secretary shall facilitate and provide funding for—

“(1) the purchase by eligible entities of agricultural land easements and other interests in eligible land; and

“(2) technical assistance to provide for the conservation of natural resources pursuant to an agricultural land easement plan.

“(b) Cost-Share assistance

“(1) In general—The Secretary shall provide cost-share assistance to eligible entities for purchasing agricultural land easements to protect the agricultural use, including grazing, and related conservation values of eligible land.

“(2) Scope of assistance available

“(A) Federal share—Subject to subparagraph (C), an agreement described in paragraph (4) shall provide for a Federal share determined by the Secretary of an amount not to exceed 50 percent of the fair market value of the agricultural land easement or other interest in land, as determined by the Secretary using—

“(i) the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practices;

“(ii) an area-wide market analysis or survey; or

“(iii) another industry approved method.

“(B) Non-Federal share

“(i) In general—Subject to subparagraph (C), under the agreement, the eligible entity shall provide a share that is at least equivalent to that provided by the Secretary.

“(ii) Source of contribution—An eligible entity may include as part of its share a charitable donation or qualified conservation contribution (as defined by section 170(h) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986) from the private landowner if the eligible entity contributes its own cash resources in an amount that is at least 50 percent of the amount contributed by the Secretary.

“(C) Waiver authority—In the case of grassland of special environmental significance, as determined by the Secretary, the Secretary may provide up to 75 percent of the fair market value of the agricultural land easement.

“(3) Evaluation and ranking of applications

“(A) Criteria—The Secretary shall establish evaluation and ranking criteria to maximize the benefit of Federal investment under the program.

“(B) Considerations—In establishing the criteria, the Secretary shall emphasize support for—

“(i) protecting agricultural uses and related conservation values of the land; and

“(ii) maximizing the protection of areas devoted to agricultural use.

“(C) Bidding down—If the Secretary determines that 2 or more applications for cost-share assistance are comparable in achieving the purpose of the program, the Secretary shall not assign a higher priority to any of those applications solely on the basis of lesser cost to the program.

“(4) Agreements with eligible entities

“(A) In general—The Secretary shall enter into agreements with eligible entities to stipulate the terms and conditions under which the eligible entity is permitted to use cost-share assistance provided under this section.

“(B) Length of agreements—An agreement shall be for a term that is—

“(i) in the case of an eligible entity certified under the process described in paragraph (5), a minimum of 5 years; and

“(ii) for all other eligible entities, at least 3, but not more than 5 years.

“(C) Minimum terms and conditions—An eligible entity shall be authorized to use its own terms and conditions for agricultural land easements so long as the Secretary determines such terms and conditions—

“(i) are consistent with the purposes of the program;

“(ii) are permanent or for the maximum duration allowed under applicable State law;

“(iii) permit effective enforcement of the conservation purposes of such easements, including appropriate restrictions depending on the purposes for which the easement is acquired;

“(iv) include a right of enforcement for the Secretary if terms of the easement are not enforced by the holder of the easement;

“(v) subject the land purchased to an agricultural land easement plan that—

“(I) describes the activities which promote the long-term viability of the land to meet the purposes for which the easement was acquired;

“(II) requires the management of grassland according to a grassland management plan; and

“(III) includes a conservation plan, where appropriate, and requires, at the option of the Secretary, the conversion of highly erodible cropland to less intensive uses; and

“(vi) include a limit on the impervious surfaces to be allowed that is consistent with the agricultural activities to be conducted.

“(D) Substitution of qualified projects—An agreement shall allow, upon mutual agreement of the parties, substitution of qualified projects that are identified at the time of the proposed substitution.

“(E) Effect of violation—If a violation occurs of a term or condition of an agreement under this subsection—

“(i) the agreement may be terminated; and

“(ii) the Secretary may require the eligible entity to refund all or part of any payments received by the entity under the program, with interest on the payments as determined appropriate by the Secretary.

“(5) Certification of eligible entities

“(A) Certification process—The Secretary shall establish a process under which the Secretary may—

“(i) directly certify eligible entities that meet established criteria;

“(ii) enter into long-term agreements with certified eligible entities; and

“(iii) accept proposals for cost-share assistance for the purchase of agricultural land easements throughout the duration of such agreements.

“(B) Certification criteria—In order to be certified, an eligible entity shall demonstrate to the Secretary that the entity will maintain, at a minimum, for the duration of the agreement—

“(i) a plan for administering easements that is consistent with the purpose of this subtitle;

“(ii) the capacity and resources to monitor and enforce agricultural land easements; and

“(iii) policies and procedures to ensure—

“(I) the long-term integrity of agricultural land easements on eligible land;

“(II) timely completion of acquisitions of easements; and

“(III) timely and complete evaluation and reporting to the Secretary on the use of funds provided under the program.

“(C) Review and revision

“(i) Review—The Secretary shall conduct a review of eligible entities certified under subparagraph (A) every 3 years to ensure that such entities are meeting the criteria established under subparagraph (B).

“(ii) Revocation—If the Secretary finds that the certified entity no longer meets the criteria established under subparagraph (B), the Secretary may—

“(I) allow the certified entity a specified period of time, at a minimum 180 days, in which to take such actions as may be necessary to meet the criteria; and

“(II) revoke the certification of the entity, if after the specified period of time, the certified entity does not meet such criteria.

“(c) Technical assistance—The Secretary may provide technical assistance, if requested, to assist in—

“(1) compliance with the terms and conditions of easements; and

“(2) implementation of an agricultural land easement plan.

“1265C. Wetland easements

“(a) Availability of assistance—The Secretary shall provide assistance to owners of eligible land to restore, protect, and enhance wetland through—

“(1) easements and related wetland easement plans; and

“(2) technical assistance.

“(b) Easements

“(1) Method of enrollment—The Secretary shall enroll eligible land through the use of—

“(A) 30-year easements;

“(B) permanent easements;

“(C) easements for the maximum duration allowed under applicable State laws; or

“(D) as an option for Indian tribes only, 30-year contracts.

“(2) Limitations

“(A) Ineligible land—The Secretary may not acquire easements on—

“(i) land established to trees under the conservation reserve program, except in cases where the Secretary determines it would further the purposes of the program; and

“(ii) farmed wetland or converted wetland where the conversion was not commenced prior to December 23, 1985.

“(B) Changes in ownership—No easement shall be created on land that has changed ownership during the preceding 24-month period unless—

“(i) the new ownership was acquired by will or succession as a result of the death of the previous owner;

“(ii)

“(I) the ownership change occurred because of foreclosure on the land; and

“(II) immediately before the foreclosure, the owner of the land exercises a right of redemption from the mortgage holder in accordance with State law; or

“(iii) the Secretary determines that the land was acquired under circumstances that give adequate assurances that such land was not acquired for the purposes of placing it in the program.

“(3) Evaluation and ranking of offers

“(A) Criteria—The Secretary shall establish evaluation and ranking criteria to maximize the benefit of Federal investment under the program.

“(B) Considerations—When evaluating offers from landowners, the Secretary may consider—

“(i) the conservation benefits of obtaining an easement or 30-year contract, including the potential environmental benefits if the land was removed from agricultural production;

“(ii) the cost-effectiveness of each easement or 30-year contract, so as to maximize the environmental benefits per dollar expended;

“(iii) whether the landowner or another person is offering to contribute financially to the cost of the easement or 30-year contract to leverage Federal funds; and

“(iv) such other factors as the Secretary determines are necessary to carry out the purposes of the program.

“(C) Priority—The Secretary shall place priority on acquiring easements based on the value of the easement for protecting and enhancing habitat for migratory birds and other wildlife.

“(4) Agreement—To be eligible to place eligible land into the program through a wetland easement, the owner of such land shall enter into an agreement with the Secretary to—

“(A) grant an easement on such land to the Secretary;

“(B) authorize the implementation of a wetland easement plan;

“(C) create and record an appropriate deed restriction in accordance with applicable State law to reflect the easement agreed to;

“(D) provide a written statement of consent to such easement signed by those holding a security interest in the land;

“(E) comply with the terms and conditions of the easement and any related agreements; and

“(F) permanently retire any existing cropland base and allotment history for the land on which the easement has been obtained.

“(5) Terms and conditions of easement

“(A) In general—A wetland easement shall include terms and conditions that—

“(i) permit—

“(I) repairs, improvements, and inspections on the land that are necessary to maintain existing public drainage systems; and

“(II) owners to control public access on the easement areas while identifying access routes to be used for restoration activities and management and easement monitoring;

“(ii) prohibit—

“(I) the alteration of wildlife habitat and other natural features of such land, unless specifically authorized by the Secretary;

“(II) the spraying of such land with chemicals or the mowing of such land, except where such spraying or mowing is authorized by the Secretary or is necessary—

“(aa) to comply with Federal or State noxious weed control laws;

“(bb) to comply with a Federal or State emergency pest treatment program; or

“(cc) to meet habitat needs of specific wildlife species;

“(III) any activities to be carried out on the owner’s or successor’s land that is immediately adjacent to, and functionally related to, the land that is subject to the easement if such activities will alter, degrade, or otherwise diminish the functional value of the eligible land; and

“(IV) the adoption of any other practice that would tend to defeat the purposes of the program, as determined by the Secretary;

“(iii) provide for the efficient and effective establishment of wetland functions and values; and

“(iv) include such additional provisions as the Secretary determines are desirable to carry out the program or facilitate the practical administration thereof.

“(B) Violation—On the violation of the terms or conditions of the easement, the easement shall remain in force and the Secretary may require the owner to refund all or part of any payments received by the owner under the program, together with interest thereon as determined appropriate by the Secretary.

“(C) Compatible uses—Land subject to a wetland easement may be used for compatible economic uses, including such activities as hunting and fishing, managed timber harvest, or periodic haying or grazing, if such use is specifically permitted by the wetland easement plan and is consistent with the long-term protection and enhancement of the wetland resources for which the easement was established.

“(D) Reservation of grazing rights—The Secretary may include in the terms and conditions of an easement a provision under which the owner reserves grazing rights if—

“(i) the Secretary determines that the reservation and use of the grazing rights—

“(I) is compatible with the land subject to the easement;

“(II) is consistent with the historical natural uses of the land and long-term protection and enhancement goals for which the easement was established; and

“(III) complies with the wetland easement plan; and

“(ii) the agreement provides for a commensurate reduction in the easement payment to account for the grazing value, as determined by the Secretary.

“(E) Application—The relevant provisions of this paragraph shall also apply to a 30-year contract.

“(6) Compensation

“(A) Determination

“(i) In general—The Secretary shall pay as compensation for a permanent easement acquired an amount necessary to encourage enrollment in the program based on the lowest of—

“(I) the fair market value of the land, as determined by the Secretary, using the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practices or an area-wide market analysis or survey;

“(II) the amount corresponding to a geographical cap, as determined by the Secretary in regulations; or

“(III) the offer made by the landowner.

“(ii) Other—Compensation for a 30-year contract or 30-year easement shall be not less than 50 percent, but not more than 75 percent, of the compensation that would be paid for a permanent easement.

“(B) Form of payment—Compensation shall be provided by the Secretary in the form of a cash payment, in an amount determined under subparagraph (A).

“(C) Payment schedule

“(i) Easements valued at less than $500,000—For easements valued at $500,000 or less, the Secretary may provide easement payments in not more than 10 annual payments.

“(ii) Easements valued at more than $500,000—For easements valued at more than $500,000, the Secretary may provide easement payments in at least 5, but not more than 10 annual payments, except that, if the Secretary determines it would further the purposes of the program, the Secretary may make a lump sum payment for such an easement.

“(c) Easement restoration

“(1) In general—The Secretary shall provide financial assistance to carry out the establishment of conservation measures and practices and protect wetland functions and values, including necessary maintenance activities, as set forth in a wetland easement plan.

“(2) Payments—The Secretary shall—

“(A) in the case of a permanent easement, pay an amount that is not less than 75 percent, but not more than 100 percent, of the eligible costs; and

“(B) in the case of a 30-year contract or 30-year easement, pay an amount that is not less than 50 percent, but not more than 75 percent, of the eligible costs.

“(d) Technical assistance

“(1) In general—The Secretary shall assist owners in complying with the terms and conditions of easements and 30-year contracts.

“(2) Contracts or agreements—The Secretary may enter into 1 or more contracts with private entities or agreements with a State, non-governmental organization, or Indian tribe to carry out necessary restoration, enhancement or maintenance of an easement if the Secretary determines that the contract or agreement will advance the purposes of the program.

“(e) Wetland enhancement option—The Secretary may enter into 1 or more agreements with a State (including a political subdivision or agency of a State), nongovernmental organization, or Indian tribe to carry out a special wetland enhancement option that the Secretary determines would advance the purposes of the program.

“(f) Administration

“(1) Wetland easement plan—The Secretary shall develop a wetland easement plan for eligible land subject to a wetland easement, which will include the practices and activities necessary to restore, protect, enhance, and maintain the enrolled land.

“(2) Delegation of easement administration

“(A) In general—The Secretary may delegate any of the easement management, monitoring, and enforcement responsibilities of the Secretary to other Federal or State agencies that have the appropriate authority, expertise and resources necessary to carry out such delegated responsibilities or to other conservation organizations if the Secretary determines the organization has similar expertise and resources.

“(B) Limitation—The Secretary shall not delegate any of the monitoring or enforcement responsibilities under the program to conservation organizations.

“(3) Payments

“(A) Timing of payments—The Secretary shall provide payment for obligations incurred by the Secretary under this section—

“(i) with respect to any easement restoration obligation as soon as possible after the obligation is incurred; and

“(ii) with respect to any annual easement payment obligation incurred by the Secretary as soon as possible after October 1 of each calendar year.

“(B) Payments to others—If an owner who is entitled to a payment dies, becomes incompetent, is otherwise unable to receive such payment, or is succeeded by another person or entity who renders or completes the required performance, the Secretary shall make such payment, in accordance with regulations prescribed by the Secretary and without regard to any other provision of law, in such manner as the Secretary determines is fair and reasonable in light of all of the circumstances.

“1265D. Administration

“(a) Ineligible land—The Secretary may not acquire an easement under the program on—

“(1) land owned by an agency of the United States, other than land held in trust for Indian tribes;

“(2) land owned in fee title by a State, including an agency or a subdivision of a State, or a unit of local government;

“(3) land subject to an easement or deed restriction which, as determined by the Secretary, provides similar protection as would be provided by enrollment in the program; and

“(4) land where the purposes of the program would be undermined due to on-site or off-site conditions, such as risk of hazardous substances, proposed or existing rights of way, infrastructure development, or adjacent land uses.

“(b) Priority—In evaluating applications under the program, the Secretary may give priority to land that is currently enrolled in the conservation reserve program in a contract that is set to expire within 1 year and—

“(1) in the case of an agricultural land easement, is grassland that would benefit from protection under a long-term easement; and

“(2) in the case of a wetland easement, is a wetland or related area with the highest functions and values and is likely to return to production after the land leaves the conservation reserve program.

“(c) Subordination, exchange, modification, and termination

“(1) In general—The Secretary may subordinate, exchange, terminate, or modify any interest in land, or portion of such interest, administered by the Secretary, either directly or on behalf of the Commodity Credit Corporation under the program when the Secretary determines that—

“(A) it is in the Federal Government’s interest to subordinate, exchange, modify or terminate the interest in land;

“(B) the subordination, exchange, modification, or termination action—

“(i) will address a compelling public need for which there is no practicable alternative, or

“(ii) such action will further the practical administration of the program; and

“(C) the subordination, exchange, modification, or termination action will result in comparable conservation value and equivalent or greater economic value to the United States.

“(2) Consultation—The Secretary shall work with the current owner, and eligible entity if applicable, to address any subordination, exchange, termination, or modification of the interest, or portion of such interest in land.

“(3) Notice—At least 90 days before taking any termination action described in paragraph (1), the Secretary shall provide written notice of such action to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate.

“(d) Land enrolled in other programs

“(1) Conservation reserve program—The Secretary may terminate or modify an existing contract entered into under section 1231(a) if eligible land that is subject to such contract is transferred into the program.

“(2) Other—Land enrolled in the wetlands reserve program, grassland reserve program, or farmland protection program shall be considered enrolled in this program.

“(e) Allocation of funds for agricultural land easements—Of the funds made available under section 1241 to carry out the program for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall, to the extent practicable, use no less than 40 percent for agricultural land easements.”

“I Regional Conservation Partnership Program

“1271. Establishment and purposes

“(a) Establishment—The Secretary shall establish a Regional Conservation Partnership Program to implement eligible activities through—

“(1) partnership agreements with eligible partners; and

“(2) contracts with producers.

“(b) Purposes—The purposes of the program are—

“(1) to combine the purposes and coordinate the functions of—

“(A) the agricultural water enhancement program established under section 1240I;

“(B) the Chesapeake Bay watershed program established under section 1240Q;

“(C) the cooperative conservation partnership initiative established under section 1243; and

“(D) the Great Lakes basin program for soil erosion and sediment control established under section 1240P;

“(2) to further the conservation, restoration, and sustainable use of soil, water, wildlife, and related natural resources on a regional or watershed scale; and

“(3) to encourage partners to cooperate with producers in—

“(A) meeting or avoiding the need for national, State, and local natural resource regulatory requirements related to production; and

“(B) implementing projects that will result in the installation and maintenance of eligible activities that affect multiple agricultural or nonindustrial private forest operations on a local, regional, State, or multi-State basis.

“1271A. Definitions

“In this subtitle:

“(1) Covered programs—The term “covered programs” means—

“(A) the agricultural conservation easement program;

“(B) the environmental quality incentives program; and

“(C) the conservation stewardship program.

“(2) Eligible activity—The term “eligible activity” means any of the following conservation activities when delivered through a covered program:

“(A) Water quality restoration or enhancement projects, including nutrient management and sediment reduction.

“(B) Water quantity conservation, restoration, or enhancement projects relating to surface water and groundwater resources, including—

“(i) the conversion of irrigated cropland to the production of less water-intensive agricultural commodities or dryland farming; and

“(ii) irrigation system improvement and irrigation efficiency enhancement.

“(C) Drought mitigation.

“(D) Flood prevention.

“(E) Water retention.

“(F) Habitat conservation, restoration, and enhancement.

“(G) Erosion control.

“(H) Other related activities that the Secretary determines will help achieve conservation benefits.

“(3) Eligible partner—The term “eligible partner” means any of the following:

“(A) An agricultural or silvicultural producer association or other group of producers.

“(B) A State or unit of local government.

“(C) An Indian tribe.

“(D) A farmer cooperative.

“(E) An institution of higher education.

“(F) An organization with an established history of working cooperatively with producers on agricultural land, as determined by the Secretary, to address—

“(i) local conservation priorities related to agricultural production, wildlife habitat development, and nonindustrial private forest land management; or

“(ii) critical watershed-scale soil erosion, water quality, sediment reduction, or other natural resource concerns.

“(4) Partnership agreement—The term “partnership agreement” means an agreement between the Secretary and an eligible partner.

“(5) Program—The term “program” means the Regional Conservation Partnership Program established by this subtitle.

“1271B. Regional conservation partnerships

“(a) Partnership agreements authorized—The Secretary may enter into a partnership agreement with an eligible partner to implement a project that will assist producers with installing and maintaining an eligible activity.

“(b) Length—A partnership agreement shall be for a period not to exceed 5 years, except that the Secretary may extend the agreement 1 time for up to 12 months when an extension is necessary to meet the objectives of the program.

“(c) Duties of partners

“(1) In general—Under a partnership agreement, the eligible partner shall—

“(A) define the scope of a project, including—

“(i) the eligible activities to be implemented;

“(ii) the potential agricultural or nonindustrial private forest operations affected;

“(iii) the local, State, multi-State or other geographic area covered; and

“(iv) the planning, outreach, implementation and assessment to be conducted;

“(B) conduct outreach and education to producers for potential participation in the project;

“(C) at the request of a producer, act on behalf of a producer participating in the project in applying for assistance under section 1271C;

“(D) leverage financial or technical assistance provided by the Secretary with additional funds to help achieve the project objectives;

“(E) conduct an assessment of the project’s effects; and

“(F) at the conclusion of the project, report to the Secretary on its results and funds leveraged.

“(2) Contribution—A partner shall provide a significant portion of the overall costs of the scope of the project as determined by the Secretary.

“(d) Applications

“(1) Competitive process—The Secretary shall conduct a competitive process to select applications for partnership agreements and may assess and rank applications with similar conservation purposes as a group.

“(2) Criteria used—In carrying out the process described in paragraph (1), the Secretary shall make public the criteria used in evaluating applications.

“(3) Content—An application to the Secretary shall include a description of—

“(A) the scope of the project as described in subsection (c)(1)(A);

“(B) the plan for monitoring, evaluating, and reporting on progress made towards achieving the project’s objectives;

“(C) the program resources requested for the project, including the covered programs to be used and estimated funding needed from the Secretary;

“(D) the partners collaborating to achieve project objectives, including their roles, responsibilities, capabilities, and financial contribution; and

“(E) any other elements the Secretary considers necessary to adequately evaluate and competitively select applications for funding under the program.

“(4) Application selection

“(A) Priority to certain applications—The Secretary shall give a higher priority to applications that—

“(i) assist producers in meeting or avoiding the need for a natural resource regulatory requirement;

“(ii) significantly leverage non-Federal financial and technical resources and coordinate with other local, State, regional, or national efforts;

“(iii) deliver high percentages of applied conservation to address conservation priorities or local, State, regional, or national conservation initiatives; or

“(iv) provide innovation in conservation methods and delivery, including outcome-based performance measures and methods.

“(B) Other applications—The Secretary may give priority to applications that—

“(i) have a high percentage of producers in the area to be covered by the agreement; or

“(ii) meet other factors that are important for achieving the purposes of the program, as determined by the Secretary.

“1271C. Assistance to producers

“(a) In general—The Secretary shall enter into contracts to provide financial and technical assistance to—

“(1) producers participating in a project with an eligible partner as described in section 1271B; or

“(2) producers that fit within the scope of a project described in section 1271B or a critical conservation area designated pursuant to section 1271F, but who are seeking to implement an eligible activity independent of a partner.

“(b) Terms and conditions

“(1) Consistency with program rules

“(A) In general—Except as provided in subparagraph (B), the Secretary shall ensure that the terms and conditions of a contract under this section are consistent with the applicable rules of the covered programs to be used as part of the project, as described in the application under section 1271B(d)(3)(C).

“(B) Adjustments—Except for statutory program requirements governing appeals, payment limitations, and conservation compliance, the Secretary may adjust the discretionary program rules of a covered program—

“(i) to provide a simplified application and evaluation process; and

“(ii) to better reflect unique local circumstances and purposes if the Secretary determines such adjustments are necessary to achieve the purposes of the program.

“(2) Alternative funding arrangements

“(A) In general—For the purposes of providing assistance for land described in subsection (a) and section 1271F, the Secretary may enter into alternative funding arrangements with a multistate water resource agency or authority if—

“(i) the Secretary determines that the goals and objectives of the program will be met by the alternative funding arrangements;

“(ii) the agency or authority certifies that the limitations established under this section on agreements with individual producers will not be exceeded; and

“(iii) all participating producers meet applicable payment eligibility provisions.

“(B) Conditions—As a condition on receipt of funding under subparagraph (A), the multistate water resource agency or authority shall agree—

“(i) to submit an annual independent audit to the Secretary that describes the use of funds under this paragraph;

“(ii) to provide any data necessary for the Secretary to issue a report on the use of funds under this paragraph; and

“(iii) not to use any funds for administration or contracting with another entity.

“(C) Limitation—The Secretary may enter into not more than 10 alternative funding arrangements under this paragraph.

“(c) Payments

“(1) In general—In accordance with statutory requirements of the covered programs involved, the Secretary may make payments to a producer in an amount determined by the Secretary to be necessary to achieve the purposes of the program.

“(2) Payments to certain producers—The Secretary may provide payments for a period of 5 years—

“(A) to producers participating in a project that addresses water quantity concerns and in an amount sufficient to encourage conversion from irrigated to dryland farming; and

“(B) to producers participating in a project that addresses water quality concerns and in an amount sufficient to encourage adoption of conservation practices and systems that improve nutrient management.

“(3) Waiver authority—To assist in the implementation of the program, the Secretary may waive the applicability of the limitation in section 1001D(b)(2) of this Act for participating producers if the Secretary determines that the waiver is necessary to fulfill the objectives of the program.

“1271D. Funding

“(a) Availability of funds—The Secretary shall use $100,000,000 of the funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2018 to carry out the program established under this subtitle.

“(b) Duration of availability—Funds made available under subsection (a) shall remain available until expended.

“(c) Additional funding and acres

“(1) In general—In addition to the funds made available under subsection (a), the Secretary shall reserve 8 percent of the funds and acres made available for a covered program for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2014 in order to ensure additional resources are available to carry out this program.

“(2) Unused funds and acres—Any funds or acres reserved under paragraph (1) for a fiscal year from a covered program that are not obligated under this program by April 1 of that fiscal year shall be returned for use under the covered program.

“(d) Allocation of funding—Of the funds and acres made available for the program under subsections (a) and (c), the Secretary shall allocate—

“(1) 25 percent of the funds and acres to projects based on a State competitive process administered by the State conservationist, with the advice of the State technical committee;

“(2) 40 percent of the funds and acres to projects based on a national competitive process to be established by the Secretary; and

“(3) 35 percent of the funds and acres to projects for the critical conservation areas designated in section 1271F.

“(e) Limitation on administrative expenses—None of the funds made available under the program may be used to pay for the administrative expenses of partners.

“1271E. Administration

“(a) Disclosure—In addition to the criteria used in evaluating applications as described in section 1271B(d)(2), the Secretary shall make publicly available information on projects selected through the competitive process described in section 1271B(d)(1).

“(b) Reporting—Not later than December 31, 2014, and for every 2 years thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report on the status of projects funded under the program, including—

“(1) the number and types of partners and producers participating in the partnership agreements selected;

“(2) the number of producers receiving assistance;

“(3) total funding committed to projects, including Federal and non-Federal resources; and

“(4) a description of how the funds under section 1271C(b)(3) are being administered, including—

“(A) any oversight mechanisms that the Secretary has implemented;

“(B) the process through which the Secretary is resolving appeals by program participants; and

“(C) the means by which the Secretary is tracking adherence to any applicable provisions for payment eligibility.

“1271F. Critical conservation areas

“(a) In general—When administering the funding described in section 1271D(d)(3), the Secretary shall select applications for partnership agreements and producer contracts within designated critical conservation areas.

“(b) Critical conservation area designations

“(1) In general—The Secretary shall designate up to 6 geographical areas as critical conservation areas based on the degree to which an area—

“(A) includes multiple States with significant agricultural production;

“(B) is covered by an existing regional, State, binational, or multistate agreement or plan that has established objectives, goals and work plans and is adopted by a Federal, State, or regional authority;

“(C) has water quality concerns, including concerns for reducing erosion, promoting sediment control, and addressing nutrient management activities affecting large bodies of water of regional, national, or international significance;

“(D) has water quantity concerns, including—

“(i) concerns for groundwater, surface water, aquifer, or other water sources; or

“(ii) a need to promote water retention and flood prevention; or

“(E) is subject to regulatory requirements that could reduce the economic scope of agricultural operations within the area.

“(2) Expiration—Critical conservation area designations under this section shall expire after 5 years, subject to redesignation, except that the Secretary may withdraw designation from an area if the Secretary finds the area no longer meets the conditions described in paragraph (1).

“(c) Administration

“(1) In general—Except as provided in paragraph (2), the Secretary shall administer any partnership agreement or producer contract under this section in a manner that is consistent with the terms of the program.

“(2) Relationship to existing activity—The Secretary shall, to the maximum extent practicable, ensure that eligible activities carried out in critical conservation areas designated under this section complement and are consistent with other Federal and State programs and water quality and quantity strategies.”

“(c) Funding

“(1) In general—The Secretary may carry out the ACES program using funds made available to carry out each program under this title.

“(2) Exclusion—Funds made available to carry out the conservation reserve program may not be used to carry out the ACES program.”

“(a) Annual funding—For each of fiscal years 2014 through 2018, the Secretary shall use the funds, facilities, and authorities of the Commodity Credit Corporation to carry out the following programs under this title (including the provision of technical assistance):

“(1) The conservation reserve program under subchapter B of chapter 1 of subtitle D, including, to the maximum extent practicable—

“(A) $10,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2014 through 2018 to provide payments under paragraph (3) of section 1234(b) in connection with thinning activities conducted on land described in subparagraph (B)(iii) of that paragraph; and

“(B) $50,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2014 through 2018 to carry out section 1235(f) to facilitate the transfer of land subject to contracts from retired or retiring owners and operators to beginning farmers or ranchers and socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers.

“(2) The Agricultural Conservation Easement Program under subtitle H using to the maximum extent practicable—

“(A) $223,000,000 for fiscal year 2014;

“(B) $702,000,000 for fiscal year 2015;

“(C) $500,000,000 for fiscal year 2016;

“(D) $525,000,000 for fiscal year 2017; and

“(E) $250,000,000 for fiscal year 2018.

“(3) The conservation security program under subchapter A of chapter 2 of subtitle D, using such sums as are necessary to administer contracts entered into before September 30, 2008.

“(4) The conservation stewardship program under subchapter B of chapter 2 of subtitle D.

“(5) The environmental quality incentives program under chapter 4 of subtitle D, using, to the maximum extent practicable—

“(A) $1,455,000,000 for fiscal year 2014;

“(B) $1,645,000,000 for fiscal year 2015; and

“(C) $1,650,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2016 through 2018.”

“(4) Preference—In providing assistance under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall give preference to a veteran farmer or rancher (as defined in section 2501(e) of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 2279(e))) that qualifies under subparagraph (A) or (B) of paragraph (1).”

“(5) Payments made under the conservation stewardship program.

“(6) Waivers granted by the Secretary under section 1265B(b)(2)(C).”

“(E) Veteran farmers or ranchers (as defined in section 2501(e) of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 2279(e))).”

“(i) Conservation application process

“(1) Initial application

“(A) In general—Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this subsection, the Secretary shall establish a single, simplified application for eligible entities to use in initially requesting assistance under any conservation program administered by the Secretary (referred to in this subsection as the initial application).

“(B) Requirements—To the maximum extent practicable, the Secretary shall ensure that—

“(i) a conservation program applicant is not required to provide information that is duplicative of information or resources already available to the Secretary for that applicant and the specific operation of the applicant; and

“(ii) the initial application process is streamlined to minimize complexity and redundancy.

“(2) Review of application process

“(A) In general—Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this subsection, the Secretary shall review the application process for each conservation program administered by the Secretary, including the forms and processes used to receive assistance requests from eligible program participants.

“(B) Requirements—In carrying out the review, the Secretary shall determine what information the participant is required to submit during the application process, including—

“(i) identification information for the applicant;

“(ii) identification and location information for the land parcel or tract of concern;

“(iii) a general statement of the need or resource concern of the applicant for the land parcel or tract; and

“(iv) the minimum amount of other information the Secretary considers to be essential for the applicant to provide personally.

“(3) Revision and streamline

“(A) In general—Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this subsection, the Secretary shall carry out a revision of the application forms and processes for each conservation program administered by the Secretary to enable use of information technology to incorporate appropriate data and information concerning the conservation needs and solutions appropriate for the land area identified by the applicant.

“(B) Goal—The goal of the revision shall be to streamline the application process to minimize the burden placed on applicants.

“(4) Conservation program application

“(A) In general—Once the needs of an applicant have been adequately assessed by the Secretary, or a third party provider under section 1242, based on the initial application, in order to determine the 1 or more programs under this title that best match the needs of the applicant, with the approval of the applicant, the Secretary may convert the initial application into the specific application for assistance for the relevant conservation program.

“(B) Secretarial burden—To the maximum extent practicable, the Secretary shall—

“(i) complete the specific application for conservation program assistance for each applicant; and

“(ii) request only that specific further information from the applicant that is not already available to the Secretary.

“(5) Implementation and notification—Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this subsection, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate written notification that the Secretary has fulfilled the requirements of this subsection.”

“(j) Improved administrative efficiency and effectiveness—In administrating a conservation program under this title, the Secretary shall, to the maximum extent practicable—

“(1) seek to reduce administrative burdens and costs to producers by streamlining conservation planning and program resources; and

“(2) take advantage of new technologies to enhance efficiency and effectiveness.

“(k) Relation to other payments—Any payment received by an owner or operator under this title, including an easement payment or rental payment, shall be in addition to, and not affect, the total amount of payments that the owner or operator is otherwise eligible to receive under any of the following:

“(1) This Act.

“(2) The Agricultural Act of 1949 (7 U.S.C. 1421 et seq.).

“(3) The Agriculture Reform, Food, and Jobs Act of 2013.

“(4) Any law that succeeds a law specified in paragraph (1), (2), or (3).

“(l) Funding for Indian tribes—In carrying out the conservation stewardship program under subchapter B of chapter 2 of subtitle D and the environmental quality incentives program under chapter 4 of subtitle D, the Secretary may enter into alternative funding arrangements with Indian tribes if the Secretary determines that the goals and objectives of the programs will be met by such arrangements, and that statutory limitations regarding contracts with individual producers will not be exceeded by any Tribal member.”

“(4) Any portion of premium paid by the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation for a plan or policy of insurance under the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1501 et seq.).”