Sec. 2307. Conservation innovation grants and payments
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Section 1240H(a)(2) of the Food Security Act of 1985 ( 16 U.S.C. 3839aa–8(a)(2) ) is amended— in subparagraph (A), by striking program; and inserting program or community colleges (as defined in section 1473E(a) of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 ( ; 7 U.S.C. 3319e(a) )) carrying out demonstration projects on land of the community college; by redesignating subparagraphs
(E)and
(F)as subparagraphs
(G)and (H), respectively; and by inserting after subparagraph
(D)the following: partner with farmers to develop innovative practices for urban, indoor, or other emerging agricultural operations; utilize edge-of-field and other monitoring practices on farms— to quantify the impacts of practices implemented under the program; and to assist producers in making the best conservation investments for the operations of the producers; . Section 1240H(b)(2) of the Food Security Act of 1985 ( 16 U.S.C. 3839aa–8(b)(2) ) is amended by striking $25,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2009 through 2018 and inserting $37,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023 . Section 1240H of the Food Security Act of 1985 ( 16 U.S.C. 3839aa–8 ) is amended by striking subsection
(c)and inserting the following: In this subsection: The term eligible entity means, as determined by the Secretary— a third-party private entity the primary business of which is related to agriculture; a nongovernmental organization with experience working with agricultural producers; or a governmental organization. The term new or innovative conservation approach means— new or innovative— precision agriculture technologies; enhanced nutrient management plans, nutrient recovery systems, and fertilization systems; soil health management systems, including systems to increase soil carbon levels; water management systems; resource-conserving crop rotations (as defined in section 1240L(d)(1)); cover crops; and irrigation systems; and any other conservation approach approved by the Secretary as new or innovative. Using $25,000,000 of the funds made available to carry out this subchapter for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023, the Secretary shall carry out on-farm conservation innovation trials, on eligible land of producers, to test new or innovative conservation approaches— directly with producers; or through eligible entities. In carrying out paragraph (2), the Secretary shall enter into agreements with producers (either directly or through eligible entities) on whose land an on-farm conservation innovation trial is being carried out to provide payments (including payments to compensate for foregone income, as appropriate to address the increased economic risk potentially associated with new or innovative conservation approaches) to the producers to assist with adopting and evaluating new or innovative conservation approaches to achieve conservation benefits. Adjusted gross income requirements under section 1001D(b)(1) shall— apply to producers receiving payments under this subsection; and be enforced by the Secretary. An eligible entity participating in an on-farm conservation innovation trial under this subsection shall report annually to the Secretary on the amount of payments made to individual farm operations under this subsection. None of the funds made available to carry out this subsection may be used to pay for the administrative expenses of an eligible entity. An agreement entered into under subparagraph
(A)shall be for a period determined by the Secretary that is— not less than 3 years; and if appropriate, more than 3 years, including if such a period is appropriate to support— adaptive management over multiple crop years; and adequate data collection and analysis by a producer or eligible entity to report the natural resource and agricultural production benefits of the new or innovative conservation approaches to the Secretary. The scale of adoption of a new or innovative conservation approach under an on-farm conservation innovation trial under an agreement under paragraph
(2)may include multiple scales on an operation, including whole farm, field-level, or sub-field scales. The Secretary shall provide technical assistance— to each producer or eligible entity participating in an on-farm conservation innovation trial under paragraph
(2)with respect to the design, installation, and management of the new or innovative conservation approaches; and to each eligible entity participating in an on-farm conservation innovation trial under paragraph
(2)with respect to data analyses of the on-farm conservation innovation trial. The Secretary shall identify a diversity of geographic regions of the United States in which to establish on-farm conservation innovation trials under paragraph (2), taking into account factors such as soil type, cropping history, and water availability. Using funds made available to carry out this subsection, the Secretary shall carry out a soil health demonstration trial under which the Secretary coordinates with eligible entities— to provide incentives to producers to implement conservation practices that— improve soil health; increase carbon levels in the soil; or meet the goals described in clauses
(i)and (ii); to establish protocols for measuring carbon levels in the soil and testing carbon levels on land where conservation practices described in subparagraph
(A)were applied to evaluate gains in soil health as a result of the practices implemented by the producers in the soil health demonstration trial; and not later than September 30, 2020, to initiate a study regarding changes in soil health and, if feasible, economic outcomes, generated as a result of the conservation practices described in subparagraph
(A)that were applied by producers through the soil health demonstration trial; and to submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate annual reports on the progress and results of the study under clause (i). Not later than September 30, 2019, and 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 activities funded under this section, including— funding awarded; results of the activities, including, if feasible, economic outcomes; incorporation of findings from the activities, such as new technology and innovative approaches, into the conservation efforts implemented by the Secretary; and on completion of the study required under subsection (c)(7)(C), the findings of the study. The Secretary shall use the data reported under paragraph
(1)to establish and maintain a publicly available conservation practice database that provides— a compilation and analysis of effective conservation practices for soil health, nutrient management, and source water protection in varying soil compositions, cropping systems, slopes, and landscapes; and a list of recommended new and effective conservation practices. Information provided under subparagraph
(A)shall be transformed into a statistical or aggregate form so as to not include any identifiable or personal information of individual producers. .
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- 16 USC 3839aa–8(a)(2)
- 16 USC 3839aa–8(b)(2)
- 16 USC 3839aa–8
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Sec. 2307
Conservation innovation grants and payments
Cite16 USC 3839aa–8(a)(2)
Cite16 USC 3839aa–8(b)(2)
Cite16 USC 3839aa–8
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