1410.5—Eligible persons.
(a)
In order to be eligible to enter into a CRP contract in accordance with this part, a person must be an owner, operator, or tenant of eligible land and:
(1)
If an operator of eligible land, seeking to participate without the owner, must have operated such land for at least 12 months prior to the close of the applicable signup period and must provide satisfactory evidence that such operator will be in control of such eligible land for the full term of the CRP contract period;
(2)
If an owner of eligible land, must have owned such land for at least 12 months prior to the close of the applicable signup period, unless:
(i)
The new owner acquired such land by will or succession as a result of the death of the previous owner;
(ii)
The only ownership change in the 12-month period occurred due to foreclosure on the land and the owner of the land, immediately before the foreclosure, exercises a timely right of redemption from the mortgage holder in accordance with State law; or
(iii)
As determined by the Deputy Administrator, the circumstances of the acquisition are such that present adequate assurance that the new owner of such eligible land did not acquire such land for the purpose of placing it in the CRP; or
(b)
Notwithstanding paragraph (a) of this section, under continuous signup provisions authorized by § 1410.30, an otherwise eligible person must have owned or operated, as appropriate, the eligible land for at least 12 months before submitting the offer.
(c)
The provisions of this section do not apply to beginning or socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers who are eligible participants in the Transition Incentives Program as specified in § 1410.64.