Sec. 2314. On-farm conservation stewardship innovation grants

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Subchapter B of chapter 4 of subtitle D of title XII of the Food Security Act of 1985 ( 16 U.S.C. 3839aa–21 et seq. ) is amended by adding at the end the following: In this section: Notwithstanding section 1240I(4), the term eligible land means private land or Indian land that— is in use for livestock grazing and production purposes as of the date of enactment of this section; is native or improved pastureland with permanent vegetative cover; or is planted to a crop planted specifically for the purpose of providing grazing for livestock, such as forage sorghum, small grains, annual planted ryegrass, or annual planted crabgrass; and is located within 1 or more States in the Lower Mississippi River Valley that encompass the Ouachita, Yazoo, or Atchafalaya River drainage basins.

The term initiative means the voluntary pastureland conservation and gulf hypoxia reduction initiative established under subsection (b). The Secretary shall establish within the program a voluntary pastureland conservation and hypoxia reduction initiative for the purposes of, by conserving eligible land through pastureland conservation contracts under subsection (e)— assisting livestock producers in conserving and protecting soil, water, and wildlife resources; and reducing nutrient loading into the Gulf of Mexico.

Beginning in fiscal year 2024, the Secretary shall provide a 1-time election to enroll eligible land in the initiative under a contract described in subsection (e). Subject to subsection (h), the Secretary shall— notwithstanding subsection

(b)of section 1240K, determine under subsection

(c)of that section that eligible land ranks sufficiently high under the evaluation criteria described in subsection

(b)of that section; and enroll the eligible land in the initiative under a contract described in subsection (e). Notwithstanding section 1240K(a)(1), to enroll eligible land in the initiative under a pastureland conservation contract, a livestock producer shall agree— to meet or exceed the stewardship threshold for not less than 2 priority resource concerns by the date on which the contract expires; and to comply with the terms and conditions of the contract. A pastureland conservation contract shall be for a single 5-year term. Beginning in fiscal year 2024, of the funds made available for this subchapter under section 1241(a)(3)(B), and notwithstanding any payment under section 1240L(c), the Secretary shall make annual pastureland conservation contract payments to the livestock producer of any eligible land that is the subject of a pastureland conservation contract under this section. A pastureland conservation contract under this section shall not be subject to the payment limitations under this subchapter. The amount of an annual payment under this subsection shall be $20 per acre. Not more than 500,000 total acres of eligible land may be enrolled in the initiative. Notwithstanding subsection (d), the Secretary may rank applications relating to contract offers to enroll eligible land in the initiative based on the degree to which the proposed conservation activities increase natural resource conservation and environmental benefits if— contract offers are submitted to enroll more than 400,000 acres of eligible land; and the Secretary determines such ranking of applications to be necessary to comply with the acreage limitation established by subsection (g). .

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16 USC 3839aa–21

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Sec. 2314

On-farm conservation stewardship innovation grants

Cite16 USC 3839aa–21

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