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<br />2.4.1 U.S. Department of Agriculture <br /> <br />Five agencies within the Department of Agriculture <br />are involved with nonfederal dams. <br /> <br />The Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation <br />Service (ASCS) provides cost-sharing assistance for the <br />construction of dams designed to conserve or safely <br />dispose of water, protect against soil erosion or flood <br />damage, or prevent agricultural pollution of water. The <br />ASCS has no responsibility or capability with respect to <br />dam safety. Administratively and procedurally, the <br />technical engineering responsibility for dams is <br />assigned to the Soil Conservation Service (SCS). <br /> <br />The Farmers Home Administration (FmHA) provides <br />loans and grants funds to rural landowners and public <br />organizations for construction to enhance land and water <br />resources and to improve living and working conditions <br />1n rural areas. Where water resource developments, <br />including dams, are required, FmHA ensures" that loans <br />for construction are financially sound. FmHA has no <br />engineering expertise related to the safety of dams. <br /> <br />The Forest Service (FS) issues special-use permits <br />to private entiUes building and operating dams either <br />in National forests or on private land if National <br />forest lands are affected in some way. It has some <br />degree of administrative control over more than 17,000 <br />dams, most being small, low hazard' structures. However, <br />over 1,300 of the nonfederal dams are of such a size and <br />height as to be included in the National Dam Inventory. <br />The Forest Service reviews and approves the owners' <br />activities related to dam safety and maintains a staff <br />of engineers trained in design, construction and <br />operation of dams. <br /> <br />The Rural Electrification Administration (REA) <br />makes loans and loan guarantees for rural <br />electrification in certain areas. The loans are for <br />constructing and operating facilities that include <br />hydroelectric dams. The REA has limited technical <br />expertise in dam safety. <br /> <br />The Soil Conservation Service (SCS) assists land <br />users and owners in the conservation, protection, and <br />enhancement of solI, water, and related resources. It <br /> <br />-12- <br />