16 U.S.C. § 3835: Contracts

the new ownership was acquired by will or succession as a result of the death of the previous owner; the new ownership was acquired before January 1, 1985 ; the Secretary determines that the land was acquired under circumstances that give adequate assurance that the land was not acquired for the purpose of placing the land in the program established by this subpart; or the ownership change occurred due to foreclosure on the land and the owner of the land immediately before the foreclosure exercises a right of redemption from the mortgage holder in accordance with State law. prohibit the continuation of an agreement by a new owner after an agreement has been entered into under this subpart; or has operated the land to be covered by a contract under this section for at least 1 year preceding the date of the contract or since January 1, 1985 , whichever is later; and controls the land for the contract period. continue the contract under the same terms or conditions; enter into a new contract in accordance with this subpart; or elect not to participate in the program established by this subpart. the owner or operator agrees to the modification; and to carry out this subpart; to facilitate the practical administration of this subpart; to facilitate a transition of land subject to the contract from a retired or retiring owner or operator to a beginning farmer or rancher or socially disadvantaged farmer or rancher for the purpose of returning some or all of the land into production using sustainable grazing or crop production methods; or to achieve such other goals as the Secretary determines are appropriate, consistent with this subpart. The Secretary may modify or waive a term or condition of a contract entered into under this subpart in order to permit all or part of the land subject to such contract to be devoted to the production of an agricultural commodity during a crop year, subject to such conditions as the Secretary determines are appropriate. the owner or operator agrees to the termination; and the Secretary determines that the termination would be in the public interest. At least 90 days before taking any action to terminate under paragraph (1) all conservation reserve contracts entered into under this subpart, the Secretary shall provide to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate written notice of the action. During fiscal year 2015, the Secretary shall allow a participant that entered into a contract under this subpart to terminate the contract at any time if the contract has been in effect for at least 5 years. The termination shall not relieve the participant of liability for a contract violation occurring before the date of the termination. The participant shall provide the Secretary with reasonable notice of the desire of the participant to terminate the contract. Filterstrips, waterways, strips adjacent to riparian areas, windbreaks, and shelterbelts. Land with an erodibility index of more than 15. Land devoted to hardwood trees. 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. Farmable wetland and restored wetland. 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. Land located within a federally designated wellhead protection area. Land that is covered by an easement under the conservation reserve program. 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. Land enrolled under the conservation reserve enhancement program. The contract termination shall become effective upon approval by the Secretary. If a contract entered into under this subpart is terminated under this subsection before the end of the fiscal year for which a rental payment is due, the Secretary shall provide a prorated rental payment covering the portion of the fiscal year during which the contract was in effect. The termination of a contract entered into under this subpart shall not affect the ability of the owner or operator that requested the termination to submit a subsequent bid to enroll the land that was subject to the contract into the conservation reserve. If land that was subject to a contract is returned to production of an agricultural commodity, the conservation requirements under subchapters II and III shall apply to the use of the land to the extent that the requirements are similar to those requirements imposed on other similar land in the area, except that the requirements may not be more onerous than the requirements imposed on other land. allow the covered farmer or rancher, in conjunction with the contract holder, to make conservation and land improvements, including preparing to plant an agricultural crop; and allow the covered farmer or rancher to begin the certification process under the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 ( 7 U.S.C. 6501 et seq.); beginning on the date of termination of the contract, require the contract holder to sell or lease (under a long-term lease or a lease with an option to purchase, including a lease with a term of less than 5 years and an option to purchase) to the covered farmer or rancher the land subject to the contract for production purposes; require the covered farmer or rancher to develop and implement a conservation plan; provide to the covered farmer or rancher an opportunity to enroll in the conservation stewardship program or the environmental quality incentives program by not later than the date on which the covered farmer or rancher takes possession of the land through ownership or lease; the environmental quality incentives program established under subpart A of part IV; the conservation stewardship program established under subpart B of part IV; or the agricultural conservation easement program established under subchapter VII; and continue to make annual payments to the contract holder for not more than an additional 2 years after the date of termination of the contract, if the contract holder is not a family member (as defined in section 1308 of title 7 ) of the covered farmer or rancher. is carried out on land described in paragraph (4) or (5) of section 3831(b) of this title ; and is eligible for continuous enrollment under section 3831(d)(6) of this title ; and is part of an approved conservation plan. enters into a contract under the environmental quality incentives program established under subpart A of part IV; and begins the establishment of a practice under that contract; or enters into a contract under the conservation stewardship program established under subpart B of part IV; and begins the establishment of a practice under that contract; or during the 3 years prior to the expiration of the contract, the owner or operator begins the certification process under the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 ( 7 U.S.C. 6501 et seq.). The Secretary may terminate or modify a contract entered into under this subpart if eligible land that is subject to such contract is transferred into the agricultural conservation easement program under subchapter VII.