Sec. 12517. Improved soil moisture and precipitation monitoring
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Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall develop and implement a strategy to improve the accuracy of the United States Drought Monitor through increased geographic resolution of rural in-situ soil moisture profile observation or other soil moisture profile measuring devices, as the Secretary considers appropriate. In implementing the strategy required by paragraph (1), the Secretary shall prioritize adding soil moisture profile stations in States described in subparagraph
(B)so that the number of drought monitoring stations is increased to an average of 1 soil moisture profile station per 1,250 square miles in each State described in subparagraph
(B)or by 50 stations in each State described in subparagraph (B), whichever is less. A State described in this paragraph is a State that has experienced D3 (extreme drought) or D4 (exceptional drought) (as defined by the United States Drought Monitor) within any 6 months during the period beginning on January 1, 2016, and ending on the date of the enactment of this Act. In carrying out this subsection, the Secretary may coordinate with other Federal agencies, State and local governments, and non-Federal entities that collaborate with the United States Drought Monitor. In carrying out this subsection, the Secretary shall consider cost-effective solutions to maximize the efficiency and accuracy of the United States Drought Monitor. There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023 to carry out this subsection. Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall— develop a set of standards for integration of data derived from citizen science (as defined in the Crowdsourcing and Citizen Science Act ( 15 U.S.C. 3724 )) into the United States Drought Monitor models, including data relating to— location and spacing of monitoring stations; data quality standards; incorporation of data from commercially available weather stations; standardized procedures for autonomous integration of data; streamlining of data entry methods; and reasonable metadata fields; and develop a set of consistent standards for soil moisture data collection based on equipment that is readily available, including standards relating to— acceptable error ranges; sensor installation procedures; manufacturers of soil moisture probes; calibration methodology; metadata fields; and soil descriptions. For purposes of paragraph (1)(A), data derived from citizen science includes data from the Cooperative Observer Program of the National Weather Service. To be consistent with assistance provided under the livestock forage disaster program established under section 1501(c) of the Agricultural Act of 2014 ( 7 U.S.C. 9081(c) ) and a policy or plan of insurance established under the Federal Crop Insurance Act ( 7 U.S.C. 1501 et seq.) for producers of livestock commodities the source of feedstock of which is pasture, rangeland, and forage, and the annual establishment of grazing rates, as applicable, on Forest Service grasslands and other applicable land, the Secretary shall use the United States Drought Monitor, in-situ soil moisture profile monitoring stations described in subsection (a), data from the Cooperative Observer Program described in subsection (b)(2), and any other applicable data to determine and establish grazing loss assistance and grazing rates, as applicable. In carrying out this subsection, the Secretary may coordinate with— other Federal agencies, State and local governments, and non-Federal entities that collaborate with the United States Drought Monitor; and other Federal and non-Federal entities involved in collecting data on precipitation and soil monitoring. In carrying out this subsection, the Secretary shall consider cost-effective solutions to maximize the efficiency and accuracy of the data utilized to determine eligibility for assistance under the programs specified in paragraph (1).
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