---
kind: "section"
citation: "16 U.S.C. § 3865"
title: "16"
title_heading: "Conservation"
number: "3865"
heading: "Establishment and purposes"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/16/3865"
units:
  - "Chapter 58 — Erodible Land and Wetland Conservation and Reserve Program"
  - "Subchapter VII — Agricultural Conservation Easement Program"
---

# §3865. Establishment and purposes

- (a) **Establishment—** The [Secretary](/usc/16/3801.md?p=a-21) shall establish an agricultural conservation easement [program](/usc/16/3865a.md?p=6) for the conservation of [eligible land](/usc/16/3865a.md?p=4) and natural resources through easements or other interests in land.
- (b) **Purposes—** The purposes of the [program](/usc/16/3865a.md?p=6) are to—
  - (1) combine the purposes and coordinate the functions of the [wetlands](/usc/16/3801.md?p=a-27) reserve [program](/usc/16/3865a.md?p=6) established under section 3837[^1] of this title, the grassland reserve [program](/usc/16/3865a.md?p=6) established under section 3838n[^1] of this title, and the farmland protection [program](/usc/16/3865a.md?p=6) established under section 3838i[^1] of this title, as such sections were in effect on the day before February 7, 2014;
  - (2) restore, protect, and enhance [wetlands](/usc/16/3801.md?p=a-27) on [eligible land](/usc/16/3865a.md?p=4);
  - (3) protect the agricultural use and future viability, and related conservation values, of [eligible land](/usc/16/3865a.md?p=4) by limiting nonagricultural uses of that land that negatively affect the agricultural uses and conservation values; and
  - (4) protect grazing uses and related conservation values by restoring or conserving [eligible land](/usc/16/3865a.md?p=4).

## Footnotes

[^1]: See References in Text note below.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 99–198, title XII, § 1265, as added Pub. L. 113–79, title II, § 2301(a), Feb. 7, 2014, 128 Stat. 731; amended Pub. L. 115–334, title II, § 2601, Dec. 20, 2018, 132 Stat. 4585.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

Sections 3837, 3838n, and 3838i of this title, referred to in subsec. (b)(1), were repealed by Pub. L. 113–79, title II, §§ 2703(a), 2704(a), 2705(a), Feb. 7, 2014, 128 Stat. 767, 768.

### Amendments

2018—Subsec. (b)(3). Pub. L. 115–334, § 2601(1), inserted “that negatively affect the agricultural uses and conservation values” after “uses of that land”.

Subsec. (b)(4). Pub. L. 115–334, § 2601(2), substituted “restoring or conserving” for “restoring and conserving”.