[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 935 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







104th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 935

  To amend the Food Security Act of 1985 to require the Secretary to 
   establish a program to promote the development of riparian forest 
    buffers in conservation priority areas, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                June 16 (legislative day, June 5), 1995

 Mr. Sarbanes (for himself, Ms. Mikulski, and Mr. Robb) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                  Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend the Food Security Act of 1985 to require the Secretary to 
   establish a program to promote the development of riparian forest 
    buffers in conservation priority areas, and for other purposes.
    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Riparian Forest Pilot Program 
Establishment Act''.

SEC. 2. RIPARIAN FOREST PILOT PROGRAM.

    Section 1231 of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3831) is 
amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsection (g) as subsection (h); and
            (2) by inserting after subsection (f) the following:
    ``(g) Riparian Forest Pilot Program.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall establish a program 
        to promote the development of riparian forest buffers in 
        conservation priority areas designated under subsection (f) by 
        entering into contracts to assist owners and operators of lands 
        described in paragraph (2) to improve water quality and living 
        resources in the conservation priority areas.
            ``(2) Eligible lands.--Notwithstanding subsection (b), the 
        Secretary may include in the program established under this 
        subsection any cropland or pasture land that, when converted to 
        a riparian forest buffer consisting of trees, shrubs, or other 
        vegetation, will--
                    ``(A)(i) intercept surface runoff, wastewater, and 
                subsurface flows from upland sources for the purpose of 
                removing or buffering the effects of associated 
                nutrients, sediment, organic matter, pesticides, or 
                other pollutants, prior to entry into surface waters or 
                ground water recharge areas; or
                    ``(ii) accomplish specific objectives for 
                terrestrial or aquatic habitat identified by the 
                Secretary; and
                    ``(B) meet specifications for size, vegetation, and 
                tree species established by the Natural Resources 
                Conservation Service and the Forest Service, in 
                cooperation with appropriate State agencies.
            ``(3) Duration, modification, and extension of contracts.--
        Notwithstanding subsection (e), during calendar years 1996 
        through 2000, the Secretary may, in carrying out the program 
        established under this subsection--
                    ``(A) enter into contracts of not more than 20 
                years;
                    ``(B) with the consent of the owner or operator, 
                modify a contract entered into under this subchapter 
                prior to the date of enactment of this paragraph to 
                include land that meets the eligibility criteria of 
                paragraph (2); and
                    ``(C) extend a contract entered into or modified 
                under this subchapter with respect to land that meets 
                the eligibility criteria of paragraph (2) for a period 
                of not more than 20 years.
            ``(4) Priority for enrollment of eligible lands.--In 
        enrolling lands under the program established under this 
        subchapter, the Secretary shall--
                    ``(A) give priority to land that meets the 
                eligibility criteria of paragraph (2); and
                    ``(B) to the extent practicable, ensure that at 
                least 20 percent of enrolled lands in conservation 
                priority areas designated under subsection (f) meets 
                the eligibility criteria of paragraph (2).
            ``(5) Technical assistance.--Through the Natural Resources 
        Conservation Service and the Forest Service, in cooperation 
        with States that contain conservation priority areas designated 
        under subsection (f), the Secretary shall provide technical 
        assistance for the design, establishment, and maintenance of 
        riparian forest buffers.
            ``(6) Cost-share assistance.--Notwithstanding any other 
        provision of this title, the Secretary may pay not more than 
        100 percent of the cost of the design, establishment, and 
        short-term maintenance of riparian forest buffers consisting of 
        trees, shrubs, or other vegetation under the program 
        established under this subchapter.
            ``(7) Selective harvest.--Notwithstanding any other 
        provision of this title, an owner or operator participating in 
        the program established under this subsection, with the prior 
        approval of the Secretary, may selectively harvest mature 
        timber if the harvest would not prevent accomplishment of the 
        objectives of this subchapter.''.
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