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Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996

Public Law 104-127

104th Congress

An Act to modify the operation of certain agricultural programs

Apr. 4, 1996 - [H.R. 2854]

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, Sec. 388. Farmland Protection Program. (Establishment. 16 USC 3830)

  1. In General. — The Secretary of Agriculture shall establish and carry out a farmland protection program under which the Secretary shall purchase conservation easements or other interests in not less than 170,000, nor more than 340,000, acres of land with prime, unique, or other productive soil that is subject to a pending offer from a State or local government for the purpose of protecting topsoil by limiting nonagricultural uses of the land.

  2. Conservation Plan. — Any highly erodible cropland for which a conservation easement or other interest is purchased under this section shall be subject to the requirements of a conservation plan that requires, at the option of the Secretary, the conversion of the cropland to less intensive uses.

  3. Funding. — The Secretary shall use not more than $35,000,000 of the funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation to carry out this section.

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