[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 5]
[Senate]
[Page 6579]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  SUPPORTING THE DESIGNATION OF THE YEAR OF 2015 AS THE INTERNATIONAL 
                             YEAR OF SOILS

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee be discharged from 
further consideration of and the Senate now proceed to the 
consideration of S. Con. Res. 10.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The clerk will report the concurrent resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A concurrent resolution (S. Con. Res. 10) supporting the 
     designation of the year of 2015 as the ``International Year 
     of Soils'' and supporting locally led soil conservation.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
concurrent resolution.
  Mr. McCONNELL. I ask unanimous consent that the Lee amendment at the 
desk be agreed to, the concurrent resolution, as amended, be agreed to, 
the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be laid upon 
the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment (No. 1225) was agreed to, as follows:

 (Purpose: To clarify the support of Congress for voluntary landowner 
            participation in certain conservation programs)

       On page 2, line 13, insert ``voluntary'' before ``landowner 
     participation''.
  The concurrent resolution (S. Con. Res. 10), as amended, was agreed 
to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The concurrent resolution, as amended, with its preamble, reads as 
follows:

                            S. Con. Res. 10

       Whereas many of the international partners of the United 
     States are designating 2015 as the ``International Year of 
     Soils'';
       Whereas soil is vitally important for food security and 
     essential ecosystem functions;
       Whereas soil conservation efforts in the United States are 
     often locally led;
       Whereas 2015 also marks the 80th anniversary of the signing 
     of the Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act (16 
     U.S.C. 590a et seq.) on April 27, 1935;
       Whereas soils, as the foundation for agricultural 
     production, essential ecosystem functions, and food security, 
     are key to sustaining life on Earth;
       Whereas soils and the science of soils contribute to 
     improved water quality, food safety and security, healthy 
     ecosystems, and human health; and
       Whereas soil, plant, animal, and human health are 
     intricately linked: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 
     concurring), That Congress--
       (1) supports the designation of 2015 as the ``International 
     Year of Soils'';
       (2) encourages the public to participate in activities that 
     celebrate the importance of soils to the current and future 
     well-being of the United States; and
       (3) supports conservation of the soils of the United 
     States, through--
       (A) partnership with local soil and water conservation 
     districts; and
       (B) voluntary landowner participation in--
       (i) the conservation reserve program established under 
     subchapter B of chapter 1 of subtitle D of title XII of the 
     Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3831 et seq.);
       (ii) the environmental quality incentives program 
     established under chapter 4 of subtitle D of title XII of the 
     Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa et seq.);
       (iii) the conservation stewardship program established 
     under subchapter B of chapter 2 of subtitle D of title XII of 
     the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3838D et seq.);
       (iv) the agricultural conservation easement program 
     established under subtitle H of title XII of the Food 
     Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3865 et seq.);
       (v) the regional conservation partnership program 
     established under subtitle I of title XII of the Food 
     Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3871 et seq.); and
       (vi) the small watershed rehabilitation program established 
     under section 14 of the Watershed Protection and Flood 
     Prevention Act (16 U.S.C. 1012).

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