Sec. 552. NEW YORK CITY WATERSHED

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## SEC. 552 NEW YORK CITY WATERSHED ###

(a)Environmental Assistance Program ####

(1)Establishment The Secretary shall establish a program for providing environmental assistance to non-Federal interests in the New York City Watershed. ####

(2)Form of assistance Assistance provided under thissection may be in the form of design, repair, replacement, and construction assistance for water-related environmental infrastructure and resourceprotection and development projects in the New York City Watershed, including projects for water supply, storage, treatment, stormwater management, and water distribution facilities, and surface water resourceprotection and development. ####

(3)Considerations In carrying out this section, the Secretary may consider natural and nature-based infrastructure. ###

(b)Public Ownership Requirement The Secretary may provide assistance for a project under this section only if the project is publicly owned. ###

(c)Eligible Projects ####

(1)Certification A project shall be eligible for financial assistance under this section only if the State director for the project certifies to the Secretary that the project will contribute to the protection and enhancement of the quality or quantity of the New York City water supply. ####

(2)Special consideration In certifying projects to the Secretary, the State director shall give special consideration to those projects implementing plans, agreements, and measures that preserve and enhance the economic and social character of the communities in the New York City Watershed. ####

(3)Project descriptions Projects eligible for assistance under this section shall include the following: #####

(A)Implementation of intergovernmental agreements for coordinating regulatory and management responsibilities. #####

(B)Acceleration of whole farm planning to implement best management practices to maintain or enhance water quality and to promote agricultural land use. #####

(C)Acceleration of whole community planning to promote intergovernmental cooperation in the regulation and management of activities consistent with the goal of maintaining or enhancing water quality. #####

(D)Natural resources stewardship on public and private lands to promote land uses that preserve and enhance the economic and social character of the communities in the New York City Watershed and protect and enhance water quality. ###

(d)Cooperation Agreements Before providing assistance under this section, the Secretary shall enter into a project cooperation agreement with the State director, or a public entity designated by the State director, to carry out the project with the assistance, subject to the project’s meeting the certification requirement of subsection (c)(1). ###

(e)Cost Sharing ####

(1)In general Total project costs under each agreement entered into under this section shall be shared at 75 percent Federal and 25 percent non-Federal. The Federal share may be in the form of grants or reimbursements of project costs. ####

(2)Credit for design work Total project costs under each agreement entered into under this section shall be shared at 75 percent Federal and 25 percent non-Federal. The Federal share may be in the form of grants or reimbursements of project costs. ####

(3)Credit for interest In the event of a delay in the reimbursement of the non-Federal share of a project, the non-Federal interest shall receive credit for reasonable interest costs incurred to provide the non-Federal share of a project's cost. ####

(4)Lands, easements, and rights-of-way credit The non-Federal interest shall receive credit for lands, easements, rights-of-way, and relocations provided by the non-Federal interest toward its share of project costs (including direct costs associated with obtaining permits necessary for the placement of such project on publicly owned or controlled lands), but not to exceed 25 percent of total project costs. ####

(5)Operation and maintenance The non-Federal share of operation and maintenance costs for projects constructed with assistance provided under this section shall be 100 percent. ###

(f)Applicability of Other Federal and State Laws Nothing in this section shall be construed to waive, limit, or otherwise affect the applicability of any provision of Federal or State law that would otherwise apply to a project carried out with assistance provided under this section. ###

(g)Report Not later than December 31, 2000, the Secretary shall transmit to Congress a report on the results of the program carried out under this section, together with recommendations concerning whether such program should be implemented on a national basis. ###

(h)New York City Watershed Defined In this section, the term ``New York City Watershed'' means the land area within the counties of Delaware, Greene, Schoharie, Ulster, Sullivan, Westchester, Putnam, and Duchess, New York, that contributes water to the water supply system of New York City. ###

(i)Authorization of Appropriations There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $42,500,000. * * * * * * *