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<br />USDA Legislation: <br /> <br />t~) <br />i- <br />"'-l <br />W <br /> <br />Significant programmatic changes to the USDA component of the salinity control program will be <br />result from P.L. 104-127, "The Federal Agriculture Improvemenland Reform Act of 1996" (FAIR), <br />enacted on April 4, 1996. This legislation made major changes to the content and funding of USDA <br />natural resource conservation programs, and in the process repealed the existing authority for USDA <br />salinity control contained in the Salinity Control Act. Conservation activities, specifically including <br />the CRBSCP, are now consolidated in a new program called the Environmental Qualily Incentives <br />Program (EQIP). Over the next 6 months USDA will be adopting rules 10 administer EQlP and in <br />the interim period the existing procedures used for the CRBSCP will remain in place. The CRBSC <br />Forum, and the CWCB staff in cooperation with the Department of Natural Resources, will be <br />reviewing and commenting on the proposed rules as they are issued. Following are key provisions <br />of FAIR that are likely to effect the CRBSCP: <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />It appears that the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS, which replaced the old <br />Soil Conservation Service in 1994) will be the lead agency for administration ofEQIP, bul <br />the exact breakout of functions is not certain at this time. NRCS was the lead a~ ency most <br />recently for the existing USDA salinity control program. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />EQIP will provide technical assistance and cost-sharing for the construction of structural <br />practices and incentive payments for participation in land management practices. <br /> <br />. ....: ,- <br />, - , <br /> <br />::.1 .'; . <br /> <br />. Maximum federal EQiP payments can not exceed $1 O,OOOperyear or $50,000 in total to any <br />producer. These limi~'may preclude some types of salinity con'troFkctivity and/or reduce <br />voiuntary particip~ti~i~y local water ~ers. ' " " -';"" c.', '. , <br /> <br />. Funding for EQIP will be through the Commodity Credil Corp., a mandalory source, nol <br />subject to annual Congressional appropriation. This should reverse the recent trend of <br />reduced funding for USDA conservation programs, but there will be no line item funding of <br />individual programs. All USDA conservation programs will be competing for an allocalion <br />of money out of one large stable pot of money. The allocation of funds between activities <br />within EQIP will be made by the Secretary of USDA, agency directors, and regional and <br />field offices. <br /> <br />. Efforts will be directed at high priority issues, with "enhanced funding" for "conservation <br />priority areas" which meet regional and multistale objectives, including non-point source <br />pollulion control. <br /> <br />. Emphasis will be on those programs which maximize environmental benefils per federal <br />dollar expended, and a minimum 25% cost-sharing is required. It would appear thai offers <br />of higher levels of non-federal cost-sharing may become necessary when compeling with <br />olher activilies within EQIP for funding allocations. <br /> <br />. There will be increased emphasis on state and local input and control of EQIP administration <br />and design, which may hinder lhe basinwide, cooperative approach of the existing CRBSCP. <br />