§ 3841. Commodity Credit Corporation
(a)
In general
For each of fiscal years 2002 through 2012, the Secretary shall use the funds, facilities, and authorities of the Commodity Credit Corporation to carry out the following programs under subchapter IV (including the provision of technical assistance):
(1)
The conservation reserve program under subpart B of part I, including to the maximum extent practicable—
(3)
(4)
The farmland protection program under subpart C of part II, using, to the maximum extent practicable—
(6)
The environmental quality incentives program under part IV, using, to the maximum extent practicable—
(7)
The wildlife habitat incentives program under section
3839bb–1 of this title, using, to the maximum extent practicable—
(b)
Technical assistance
Effective for fiscal year 2005 and each subsequent fiscal year, Commodity Credit Corporation funds made available for each of the programs specified in paragraphs (1) through (7) of subsection (a) of this section—
(c)
Relationship to other law
The use of Commodity Credit Corporation funds under subsection (b) of this section to provide technical assistance shall not be considered an allotment or fund transfer from the Commodity Credit Corporation for purposes of the limit on expenditures for technical assistance imposed by section
714i of title
15.
(d)
Regional equity
(1)
Priority funding to promote equity
Before April 1 of each fiscal year, the Secretary shall give priority for funding under the conservation programs under subchapter IV (excluding the conservation reserve program under subpart B of part I, the wetlands reserve program under subpart C of part I, and the conservation security program under subpart A of part II) to approved applications in any State that has not received, for the fiscal year, an aggregate amount of at least $15,000,000 for those conservation programs.
(e)
Acceptance and use of contributions
(1)
Authority to establish contribution accounts
Subject to paragraph (2), the Secretary may establish a sub-account for each conservation program administered by the Secretary under subchapter IV to accept contributions of non-Federal funds to support the purposes of the program.
(2)
Deposit and use of contributions
Contributions of non-Federal funds received for a conservation program administered by the Secretary under subchapter IV shall be deposited into the sub-account established under this subsection for the program and shall be available to the Secretary, without further appropriation and until expended, to carry out the program.
(f)
Allocations review and update
(1)
Review
Not later than January 1, 2012, the Secretary shall conduct a review of conservation programs and authorities under this chapter that utilize allocation formulas to determine the sufficiency of the formulas in accounting for State-level economic factors, level of agricultural infrastructure, or related factors that affect conservation program costs.
(g)
Assistance to certain farmers or ranchers for conservation access
(1)
Assistance
Of the funds made available for each of fiscal years 2009 through 2012 to carry out the environmental quality incentives program and the acres made available for each of such fiscal years to carry out the conservation stewardship program, the Secretary shall use, to the maximum extent practicable—
(2)
Repooling of funds
In any fiscal year, amounts not obligated under paragraph (1) by a date determined by the Secretary shall be available for payments and technical assistance to all persons eligible for payments or technical assistance in that fiscal year under the environmental quality incentives program.
(h)
Report on program enrollments and assistance
Beginning in calendar year 2009, and each year thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a semiannual report containing statistics by State related to enrollments in conservation programs under this subchapter, as follows:
(2)
Payments made under the farmland protection program for easements in which the Federal share is $250,000 or greater.
(4)
Payments made under the environmental quality incentives program for land determined to have special environmental significance pursuant to section
3839aa–7
(b) of this title.