110 STAT. 3780 PUBLIC LAW 104-303—OCT. 12, 1996 (1) ESTABLISHMENT.— The Secretary shall establish a program for providing environmental assistance to non-Federal interests in the New York City Watershed. (2) FORM OF ASSISTANCE.— Assistance provided under this section may be in the form of design and construction assistance for water-related environmental infrastructure and resource protection and development projects in the New York City Watershed, including projects for water supply, storage, treatment, and distribution facilities, and surface water resource protection and development. (b) PUBLIC OWNERSHIP REQUIREMENT.— The Secretary may provide assistance for a project under this section only if the project is publicly owned. (c) ELIGIBLE PROJECTS.— (1) CERTIFICATION.— A project shall be eligible for financial assistance under this section only if the State director for the project certifies to the Secretary that the project will contribute to the protection and enhancement of the quality or quantity of the New York City water supply. (2) SPECIAL CONSIDERATION.—In certifying projects to the Secretary, the State director shall give special consideration to those projects implementing plans, agreements, and measures that preserve and enhance the economic and social character of the communities in the New York City Watershed. (3) PROJECT DESCRIPTIONS.— Projects eligible for assistance under this section shall include the following: (A) Implementation of intergovernmental agreements for coordinating regulatory and management responsibilities. (B) Acceleration of whole farm planning to implement best msinagement practices to maintain or enhance water quality and to promote agricultural land use. (C) Acceleration of whole community planning to pro- ' mote intergovernmental cooperation in the regulation and management of activities consistent with the goal of maintaining or enhancing water quality. (D) Natural resources stewardship on public and private lands to promote lauid uses that preserve and enhance the economic and social character of the communities in "'• the New York City Watershed and protect and enhance water quality. (d) COOPERATION AGREEMENTS.— Before providing assistance under this section, the Secretary shall enter into a project cooperation agreement with the State director for the project to be carried out with such assistance. (e) COST SHARING.— (1) IN GENERAL.— Total project costs under each agreement entered into under this section shall be shared at 75 percent Federal and 25 percent non-Federal. The Federal share may be in the form of grants or reimbursements of project costs. (2) CREDIT FOR DESIGN WORK.— The non-Federal interest shall receive credit for the reasonable costs of design work completed by such interest prior to entering into the agreement with the Secretary for a project. (3) CREDIT FOR INTEREST. —In the event of a delay in the reimbursement of the non-Federal share of a project, the non- Federal interest shall receive credit for reasonable interest
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