Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 99 Part 2.djvu/316

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PUBLIC LAW 99-000—MMMM. DD, 1985

99 STAT. 1426 Prohibition. 16 USC 590h. Conservation. Contracts.

Contracts.

Wildlife refuge.

Regulations.

PUBLIC LAW 99-198—DEC. 23, 1985

"(ii) Haying and grazing shall not be permitted for any crop of rice under clause (i) during any 5-consecutive-month period that is established for such crop for a State by the State committee established under section 8(b) of such Act. "(4)(A) The Secretary may make land diversion payments to producers of rice, whether or not an acreage limitation program for rice is in effect, if the Secretary determines that such land diversion payments are necessary to assist in adjusting the total national acreage of rice to desirable goals. Such land diversion payments shall be made to producers who, to the extent prescribed by the Secretary, devote to approved conservation uses an acreage of cropland on the farm in accordance with land diversion contracts entered into by the Secretary with such producers. "(B) The amounts payable to producers under land diversion contracts may be determined through the submission of bids for such contracts by producers in such manner as the Secretary may prescribe or through such other means as the Secretary determines appropriate. In determining the acceptability 6f contract offers, the Secretary shall take into consideration the extent of the diversion to be undertaken by the producers and the productivity of the acreage diverted. "(C) The Secretary shall limit the total acreage to be diverted under agreements in any county or local community so as not to affect adversely the economy of the county or local community. "(5)(A) The reduced acreage and additional diverted acreage may be devoted to wildlife food plots or wildlife habitat in conformity with standards established by the Secretary in consultation with wildlife agencies. "(B) The Secretary may pay an appropriate share of the cost of practices designed to carry out the purposes of subparagraph (A). "(C) The Secretary may provide for an additional payment on such acreage in an amount determined by the Secretary to be appropriate in relation to the benefit to the general public if the producer agrees to permit, without other compensation, access to all or such portion of the farm, as the Secretary may prescribe, by the general public, for hunting, trapping, fishing, and hiking, subject to applicable State and Federal regulations. "(7)(A) An operator of a farm desiring to participate in the program conducted under this subsection shall execute an agreement with the Secretary providing for such participation not later than such date as the Secretary may prescribe. "(B) The Secretary may, by mutual agreement with producers on a farm, terminate or modify any such agreement if the Secretary determines such action necessary because of an emergency created by drought or other disaster or to prevent or alleviate a shortage in the supply of agricultural commodities. "(g)(1) The Secretary may, for each of the 1986 through 1990 crops of rice, make payments available to producers who meet the requirements of this subsection. "(2) Such payments shall be— "(A) made in the form of rice owned by the Commodity Credit Corporation; and "(B) subject to the availability of such rice. "(3)(A) Payments under this subsection shall be determined in the same manner as provided in subsection (b).