113 HR 349 IH: Preserving Marginal Lands and Protecting Farming Act of 2013
U.S. House of Representatives
2013-01-22
text/xml
EN
Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.
1.This Act may be cited as the
Preserving Marginal Lands and
Protecting Farming Act of 2013
.
2.Section 1231(d) of
the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3831(d)) is amended to read as
follows:
(d)The Secretary may
maintain in the conservation reserve at any 1 time, not more than—
(1)during fiscal year 2013, 29,000,000
acres;
(2)during fiscal year
2014, 26,000,000 acres; and
(3)during each of
fiscal years 2015 through 2018, 24,000,000
acres.
.
3.Section 1231 of the Food
Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3831) is amended by adding at the end the
following new subsection:
(j)Notwithstanding any
other provision of this section, after the date of enactment of this
subsection, the Secretary may not enroll land in the conservation reserve that
is classified as class I or class II land under the land capability
classification system published in the National Soil Survey Handbook of the
Natural Resources Conservation Service, unless such land is enrolled as a
buffer, filterstrip, or strip adjacent to a riparian
area.
.
4.
(a)Early
termination by owner or operatorSection 1235(e) of the Food Security Act of
1985 (16 U.S.C. 3835(e)) is amended—
(1)in paragraph
(1)(A)—
(A)by striking
The Secretary
and inserting During fiscal year 2014, the
Secretary
; and
(B)by striking
before January 1, 1995,
;
(2)in paragraph (2),
by striking subparagraph (C) and inserting the following:
(C)Land devoted to
hardwood trees.
(D)Wildlife habitat,
duck nesting habitat, pollinator habitat, upland bird habitat buffer, wildlife
food plots, State acres for wildlife enhancement, shallow water areas for
wildlife, and rare and declining habitat.
(E)Farmable wetland
and restored wetland.
(F)Land that contains
diversions, erosion control structures, flood control structures, contour grass
strips, living snow fences, salinity reducing vegetation, cross wind trap
strips, and sediment retention structures.
(G)Land located
within a federally-designated wellhead protection area.
(H)Land that is
covered by an easement under the conservation reserve program.
(I)Land located within an average width,
according to the applicable Natural Resources Conservation Service field office
technical guide, of a perennial stream or permanent water
body.
;
and
(3)in paragraph (3), by striking 60
days after the date on which the owner or operator submits the notice required
under paragraph (1)(C)
and inserting upon approval by the
Secretary
.
(b)Transition
option for certain farmers or ranchersSection 1235(f) of the Food Security Act of
1985 (16 U.S.C. 3835(f)) is amended—
(1)in paragraph
(1)—
(A)in the matter
preceding subparagraph (A), by striking Duties
and all that
follows through a beginning farmer
and inserting
Transition to covered
farmer or rancher.—In the case of a contract modification
approved in order to facilitate the transfer of land subject to a contract from
a retired farmer or rancher to a beginning farmer
;
(B)in subparagraph
(A)(i), by inserting , including preparing to plant an agricultural
crop
after improvements
;
(C)in subparagraph
(D), by striking the farmer or rancher
and inserting the
covered farmer or rancher
; and
(D)in subparagraph
(E), by striking section 1001A(b)(3)(B)
and inserting
section 1001(a)
; and
(2)in paragraph (2),
by striking requirement of section 1231(h)(4)(B)
and inserting
option pursuant to section 1231(h)
.
(c)Section 1235 of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C.
3835) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
(g)The Secretary shall not consider an owner or operator to
be in violation of a term or condition of the conservation reserve contract
if—
(1)during the year
prior to expiration of the contract, the land is enrolled in the conservation
stewardship program; and
(2)the activity
required under the conservation stewardship program pursuant to such enrollment
is consistent with this
subchapter.
.