A Dialog with Defenders of Wildlife 
Part 3 - "State Level Administration"

Excerpt from email attachment sent to Mark Shaffer, Defenders of Wildlife, August 30, 2001:

HR 2646, Title II, Subtitle F, Sec. 256

red bold text - language suggested by Dave Walker, International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies

"SEC. 1239A. ESTABLISHMENT AND PURPOSE OF PROGRAM.

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“(e) STATE LEVEL ADMINISTRATION.—The state departments of agriculture shall have primary responsibility for operating the Farmland Stewardship Program.  A state department of agriculture may choose to operate the program on its own, may collaborate with another local, state or federal agency, conservation district or tribe in operating the program, or may delegate responsibility to another state agency, such as the state department of natural resources or the state conservation district agency.  The state department of agriculture or designated state agency shall consult with the agencies with management authority and responsibility for the resources affected on properties on which Farmland Stewardship Agreements are negotiated and assembled.

            “(f) ANNUAL REPORTS.—The state department of agriculture or other designated state agency shall annually submit to the Secretary and make publicly available a report that describes.—

"(1) The progress achieved, the funds expended, the purposes for which funds were expended and monitoring and evaluating results obtained by local contracting agencies, and

“(2) The plans and objectives of the State for future activities under the program.

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"SEC. 1239C. PARTNERSHIP APPROACH TO PROGRAM.

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“(d) DELEGATION OF RESPONSIBILITY.—The Secretary may delegate responsibility for reviewing and approving applications from local contracting agencies to the state department of agriculture or other designated agency in the state in which the property is located, provided that the designated agency follows the criteria for reviewing and approving applications as established by the Secretary and consults with the agencies with management authority and responsibility for the resources affected on properties on which Farmland Stewardship Agreements are negotiated and assembled.

"SEC. 1239D. PARTICIPATION OF OWNERS AND OPERATORS OF ELIGIBLE AGRICULTURAL LANDS.

"(a) APPLICATION AND APPROVAL PROCESS.—To participate in the Farmland Stewardship Program, an owner or operator of eligible agricultural lands shall—

"(1) submit to the Secretary an application indicating interest in the Program and describing the owner’s or operator’s property, its resources, and their ecological and agricultural values;

"(2) submit to the Secretary the purpose and objectives of the proposed agreement, a list of services to be provided, a management plan to be implemented, or both, under the proposed agreement;

"(3) if the application and list are accepted by the Secretary, enter into an agreement that details the purpose and objectives of the agreement, the services to be provided, management plan to be implemented, or both, and requires compliance with the other terms of the agreement.

            "(b) APPLICATION ON BEHALF OF AN OWNER OR OPERATOR.—A designated contracting agency may submit the application required by subsection (a) on behalf of an owner or operator if the contracting agency has secured the consent of the owner or operator to enter into an agreement.

            “(c) DELEGATION OF RESPONSIBILITY.—The Secretary may delegate responsibility for reviewing and approving applications from or on behalf of an owner/operator to the state department of agriculture or other designated agency in the state in which the property is located, provided that the designated agency follows the criteria for reviewing and approving applications as established by the Secretary and consults with the agencies with management authority and responsibility for the resources affected on properties on which Farmland Stewardship Agreements are negotiated and assembled.