provision shall not prohibit the continuation of an agreement by a new owner if an agreement has once been entered into under this section. nor prevent an owner or operator from placing a farm in the program if the farm was acquired by the owner to replace an eligible farm from which he was displaced because of its acquisition by any Federal, State, or other agency having the right of eminent domain; (5) to forfeit all rights to further payments under the agreement and refund to the United States all payments received thereunder upon his violation of the agreement at any stage during the time he has control of the land if the Secretary determines that such violation is of such a nature as to warrant termination of the agreement, or to make refunds or accept such payment adjustments as the Secretary may deem appropriate if the Secretary determines that the violation by the owner or operator does not warrant termination of the agreement; (6) upon transfer of his right and interest in the farm, during the agreement period, to forfeit all rights to further payments under the agreement and refund to the United States all payments received thereunder unless the transferee of any such land agrees with the Secretary to assume all obligations of the agreement; (7) not to adopt any practice specified by the Secretary in the agreement as a practice which would tend to defeat the purposes of the agreement; and (8) to such additional provisions as the Secretary determines are desirable to effectuate the purposes of the program or to facilitate the practical administration of the program, including such measures as the Secretary may deem appropriate to keep the designated acreage from eroding and free from weeds and rodents in accordance with good conservation systems.

(c) In consideration for such agreement, the Secretary shall make annual adjustment payments to the owner or operator for the period of the agreement at such rate or rates not in excess of $30 per acre as the Secretary determines to be fair and reasonable. The Secretary may use an advertising and bid procedure in determining the lands in any area to be covered by agreements and the payment rate therefor. The Secretary and the owner or operator may agree that the annual adjustment payments for the agreement period shall be made either upon approval of the agreement or in such installments as they may agree to be desirable: Provided, That for each year any annual adjustment payment is made in advance of performance, the annual adjustment payment shall be reduced by 5 per centum.

(d) The Secretary may terminate any agreement under the program, by mutual agreement with the owner or operator, if the Secretary determines that such termination would be in the public interest, and may agree with the owner or operator to such modification of agreements as the Secretary may determine to be desirable to carry out the purposes of the program or facilitate its administration.

(e) The Secretary may, to the extent the Secretary deems it desirable, provide by appropriate regulations for preservation of cropland, crop acreage, and allotment history applicable to acreage diverted from the production of crops to establish vegetative cover for the purpose of any Federal program under which such history is used as a basis for an allotment or other limitation or for participation in such program. (f) In carrying out the program, the Secretary shall utilize the services of local, county, and State committees established under section 8 of the Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act (49 Stat. 1149,

as amended; 16 U.S.C. 590h) and the technical services of the Soil Conservation Service and soil and water conservation districts.

(g) In case any producer who is entitled to any payment under the program dies, becomes incompetent, or disappears before receiving such payment, or is succeeded by another who renders or completes the required performance, the payment shall, without regard to any other provisions of law, be made as the Secretary may determine to be fair and reasonable.

(h) The Secretary shall provide adequate safeguards to protect the interests of tenants and sharecroppers, including provision for sharing, on a fair and equitable basis, in payments under the program.

(i) The Secretary shall prescribe such regulations as the Secretary determines necessary to carry out the provisions of this section.

(j) There are hereby authorized to be appropriated for the period beginning October 1, 1977, and ending September 30, 1981, such sums as may be necessary to carry out the program provided for in this section. The Secretary is authorized to utilize the facilities, services, and authorities of the Commodity Credit Corporation in discharging the Secretary's functions and responsibilities under the program, including payment of costs of administration: Provided, That the Commodity Credit Corporation shall not make any expenditures for such purposes unless the Corporation has received funds to cover such expenditures from appropriations made to carry out this section. (16) U.S.C. 590q-3.)]

دل

EROSION CONTROL

APPALACHIAN REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT ACT OF 19651

SEC. 203 (a) In order to provide for the control and prevention of erosion and sediment damages in the Appalachian region and to promote the conservation and development of the soil and water resources of the region, the Secretary of Agriculture is authorized to enter into agreements of not more than ten years with landowners, operators, and occupiers, individually or collectively, in the Appalachian region determined by him to have control for the period of the agreement of the lands described therein, providing for land stabilization, erosion and sediment control, and reclamation through changes in land use, and conservation treatment including the establishment of practices and measures for the conservation and development of soil, water, woodland, wildlife, and recreation resources.

(b) The landowner, operator, or occupier shall furnish to the Secretary of Agriculture a conservation and development plan setting forth the appropriate and safe land uses and conservation treatment mutually agreed by the Secretary and the landowner operator, or occupier to be needed on the lands for which the plan was prepared.

(c) Such plan shall be incorporated in an agreement under which the landowner, operator, or occupier shall agree with the Secretary of Agriculture to carry out the land uses and conservation treatment provided for in such plan on the lands described in the agreement in accordance with the terms and conditions thereof.

(d) In return for such agreement by the landowner, operator, or occupier the Secretary of Agriculture shall be authorized to furnish financial and other assistance to such landowner, operator, or occupier in such amounts and subject to such conditions as the Secretary determines are appropriate and in the public interest for the carrying out of the land uses and conservation treatment set forth in the agreement: Provided, That grants hereunder shall not exceed 80 per centum of the cost of carrying out such land uses and conservation treatment on fifty acres of land occupied by such owner, operator, or occupier.

(e) The Secretary of Agriculture may terminate any agreement with a landowner, operator, or occupier by mutual agreement if the Secretary determines that such termination would be in the public interest, and may agree to such modification of agreements previously entered into hereunder as he deems desirable to carry out the purposes of this section or to facilitate the practical administration of the program authorized herein.

(f) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary of Agriculture, to the extent he deems it desirable to carry out the purposes of this section, may provide in any agreement hereunder for (1) preservation for a period not to exceed the period covered by the agreement and an equal period thereafter of the cropland, crop acreage and

IP.L. 89-4, 79 Stat. 12, March 9, 1965. For the full text of the Act (as amended by P.L. 90-103, 81 Stat. 257, Oct. 11, 1967, P.L. 91-123, 83 Stat. 213, Nov. 25, 1969, P.L. 92-65, 85 Stat. 168, August 5, 1971, and the Regional Development Act of 1975, P.L. 94-188, 89 Stat. 1079, Dec. 31, 1975), including provisions for the administration of Sec. 203, see 40 U.S.C. App. 1-405. The Act is effective until Oct. 1, 1979, but legislation extending it is currently under consideration.

allotment history applicable to land covered by the agreement for the purpose of any Federal program under which such history is used as a basis for an allotment or other limitation on the production of such crop; or (2) surrender of any such history and allotments.

(g) The Secretary of Agriculture shall be authorized to issue such rules and regulations as he determines are necessary to carry out the provisions of this section.

(h) In carrying out the provisions of this section, the Secretary of Agriculture shall utilize the services of the Soil Conservation Service, and the State and local committees provided for in section 8(b) of the Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act (16 U.S.C. 590(b)), and is authorized to utilize the facilities, services, and authorities of the Commodity Credit Corporation. The Corporation shall not make any expenditures to carry out the provisions of this subsection unless funds specifically appropriated for such purpose have been transferred to it. (i)2 Not to exceed $19,000,000 of the funds authorized in section 401 of this Act for the two-fiscal-year period ending June 30, 1969, shall be available to carry out this section. (40 U.S.C. App. 203.)

SEC. 401.3 In addition to the appropriations authorized in section 105 for administrative expenses, in section 201 for the Appalachian Development Highway System and Local Access Roads, and in section 208 for Appalachian Airport Safety Improvements, there is hereby authorized to be appropriated to the President, to be available until expended, to carry out this Act, $268,500,000 for the two-fiscal-year period ending June 30, 1971; $282,000,000 for the two-fiscal-year period ending June 30, 1973; and $294,000,000 for the two-fiscal-year period ending June 30, 1975. In addition to the appropriations authorized in section 105 for administrative expenses, and in section 201(g) for the Appalachian Development Highway System and Local Access Roads, there is authorized to be appropriated to the President, to be available until expended, to carry out this Act, $340,000,000 for the period beginning July 1, 1975, and ending September 30, 1977, and $300,000,000 for the two-fiscal year period ending September 30, 1979. (40 U.S.C. App. 401.)

2 Subsection (i) was amended by Sec. 108, P.L. 90-103, 81 Stat. 260, Oct. 11, 1967.

3 Sec. 401 was amended by P.L. 92-65, 85 Stat. 172, August 5, 1971. The last sentence of Sec. 401 was added by Sec. 121 of the Regional Development Act of 1975, P.L. 94-188, 89 Stat. 1086, Dec. 31, 1975.