1470.25—Contract modifications and transfers of land.
(a)
NRCS may allow a participant to modify a conservation stewardship contract if NRCS determines that the modification is consistent with achieving the purposes of the program.
(b)
NRCS will allow modification to a conservation stewardship contract to remove contract acres enrolled in the CRP, WRP, or GRP or other Federal or State programs that offer greater natural resource protection. Such modifications are consistent with the purposes of CSP. Participants will not be subject to liquidated damages or refund of payments received for enrolling land in these programs.
(c)
NRCS will not allow a participant to modify a conservation stewardship contract to increase the contract obligation beyond the amount of the initial contract, with exception for contracts approved by NRCS for renewal or other exceptional cases as determined by the Chief.
(d)
Land under contract will be considered transferred if the participant loses control of the acreage for any reason.
(1)
The participant is responsible to notify NRCS prior to any voluntary or involuntary transfer of land under contract;
(2)
If all or part of the land under contract is transferred, the contract terminates with respect to the transferred land unless:
(i)
The transferee of the land provides written notice within 60 days to NRCS that all duties and rights under the contract have been transferred to, and assumed by, the transferee, and
(e)
Contract payment adjustments due to modifications will be reflected in the fiscal year following the modification.