Sec. 2309. GRASSLAND CONSERVATION INITIATIVE
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## SEC. 2309 GRASSLAND CONSERVATION INITIATIVE Subchapter B of chapter 4 of subtitle D of title XII of the Food Security Act of 1985 (as added by subsections (a)(2) and
(b)of section 2301) is amended by adding at the end the following: > > ## “SEC. SEC. 1240L-1 GRASSLAND CONSERVATION INITIATIVE > > > ### “(a) Definitions > > In this section: > > > #### “(1) Eligible land > > Notwithstanding sections 1240I(4) and 1240J(b)(2), the term ‘eligible land’ means cropland on a farm for which base acres have been maintained by the Secretary under section 1112(d)(3) of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (7 U.S.C. 9012(d)(3)). > > > #### “(2) Initiative > > The term ‘initiative’ means the grassland conservation initiative established under subsection (b). > > > ### “(b) Establishment and Purpose > > The Secretary shall establish within the program a grassland conservation initiative for the purpose of assisting producers in protecting grazing uses, conserving and improving soil, water, and wildlife resources, and achieving related conservation values by conserving eligible land through grassland conservation contracts under subsection (e). > > > ### “(c) Election > > Beginning in fiscal year 2019, the Secretary shall provide a 1-time election to enroll eligible land in the initiative under a contract described in subsection (e). > > > ### “(d) Method of Enrollment > > The Secretary shall— > > > #### “(1) > > 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 > > > #### “(2) > > enroll the eligible land in the initiative under a contract described in subsection (e). > > > ### “(e) Grassland Conservation Contract > > > #### “(1) In general > > Notwithstanding section 1240K(a)(1), to enroll eligible land in the initiative under a grassland conservation contract, a producer shall agree— > > > ##### “(A) > > to meet or exceed the stewardship threshold for not less than 1 priority resource concern by the date on which the contract expires; and > > > ##### “(B) > > to comply with the terms and conditions of the contract. > > > #### “(2) Terms > > A grassland conservation contract entered into under this section shall— > > > ##### “(A) > > > ######
(i)> > be for a single 5-year term; and > > > ###### “(ii) > > not be subject to renewal or reenrollment under section 1240K(e); and > > > ##### “(B) > > be subject to section 1240K(d). > > > #### “(3) Early termination > > The Secretary shall allow a producer that enters into a grassland conservation contract under this section— > > > ##### “(A) > > to terminate the contract at any time; and > > > ##### “(B) > > to retain payments already received under the contract. > > > ### “(f) Grassland Conservation Plan > > The grassland conservation plan developed for eligible land shall be limited to— > > > #### “(1) > > eligible land; and > > > #### “(2) > > resource concerns and activities relating to grassland. > > > ### “(g) Payments > > > #### “(1) In general > > Beginning in fiscal year 2019, of the funds made available for this subchapter under section 1241(a)(3)(B), and notwithstanding any payment under title I of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, an amendment made by that title, or section 1240L(c), the Secretary shall make annual grassland conservation contract payments to the producer of any eligible land that is the subject of a grassland conservation contract under this section. > > > #### “(2) Payment noneligibility > > A grassland conservation contract under this section shall not be— > > > ##### “(A) > > eligible for payments under section 1240L(d); or > > > ##### “(B) > > subject to the payment limitations under this subchapter. > > > #### “(3) Limitation > > The amount of an annual payment under this subsection shall be $18 per acre, not to exceed the number of base acres on a farm. > > > ### “(h) Considered Planted > > The Secretary shall consider land enrolled under a grassland conservation contract under this section during a crop year to be planted or considered planted to a covered commodity (as defined in section 1111 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (7 U.S.C. 9011)) during that crop year. > > > ### “(i) Other Contracts > > A producer with an agricultural operation that contains land eligible under this section and land eligible under section 1240K— > > > #### “(1) > > may enroll the land eligible under this section through a contract under this section or under section 1240K; and > > > #### “(2) > > shall not be prohibited from enrolling the land eligible under section 1240K through a contract under section 1240K.” > . ## Subtitle D Other Conservation Programs
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