CONSERVATION RESERVE PROGRAM.

SEC. 1432. CONSERVATION RESERVE PROGRAM. Title XII of the Food Security Act of 1985 is amended— (1) by inserting after section 1230 (as added by section 1431 of this Act) the following: “Subchapter B— Conservation Reserve”; and (2) by amending section 1231 (16 U.S.C. 3831) to read as follows: “SEC 1231. CONSERVATION RESERVE. “(a) In General.— Through the 1995 calendar year, the Secretary shall formulate and carry out the enrollment of lands in a conservation reserve program through the use of contracts to assist owners and operators of lands specified in subsection (b) to conserve and improve the soil and water resources of such lands. “(b) Eligible Lands.— The Secretary may include in the program established under this subchapter— “(1) highly erodible croplands that— “(A) if permitted to remain untreated could substantially reduce the production capability for future generations; or “(B) can not be farmed in accordance with a plan under section 1212; 104 STAT. 3578 “(2) marginal pasture lands converted to wetland or established as wildlife habitat prior to the enactment of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990; “(3) marginal pasture lands to be devoted to trees in or near riparian areas or for similar water quality purposes, not to exceed 10 percent of the number of acres of land that is placed in the conservation reserve under this subchapter in each of the 1991 through 1995 calendar years; “(4) croplands that are otherwise not eligible.— “(A) if the Secretary determines that (i) such lands contribute to the degradation of water quality or would pose an on-site or off-site environmental threat to water quality if permitted to remain in agricultural production, and (ii) water quality objectives with respect to such land cannot be achieved under the water quality incentives program established under chapter 2; “(B) if such croplands are newly-created, permanent grass sod waterways, or are contour grass sod strips established and maintained as part of an approved conservation plan; “(C) that will be devoted to, and made subject to an easement for the useful life of, newly established living snow fences, permanent wildlife habitat, windbreaks, shelterbelts, or filterstrips devoted to trees or shrubs; or “(D) if the Secretary determines that such lands pose an off-farm environmental threat, or pose a threat of continued degradation of productivity due to soil salinity, if permitted to remain in production. “(c) Certain Land Affected by Secretarial Action.— For purposes of determining the eligibility of land to be placed in the conservation reserve established under this subchapter, land shall be considered planted to an agricultural commodity during a crop year if an action of the Secretary prevented land from being planted to the commodity during the crop year. “(d) Maximum Enrollment.— The Secretary may enter into contracts under this section to place in the conservation reserve the amount of acres specified in section 1230(b). In enrolling such acres, the Secretary shall reserve 1 million acres for enrollment under this section in each of calendar years 1994 and 1995. “(e) Duration of Contract.— “(1) In general.— For the purpose of carrying out this subchapter, the Secretary shall enter into contracts of not less than 10, nor more than 15, years. “(2) Certain lands.— In the case of land devoted to hardwood trees, shelterbelts, windbreaks, or wildlife corridors under a contract entered into under this subchapter after October 1, 1990, and land devoted to such uses under contracts modified under section 1235A, the owner or operator of such land may, within the limitations prescribed under this section, specify the duration of the contract. The Secretary may, in the case of land that is devoted to hardwood trees under a contract entered into under this subchapter prior to October 1, 1990, extend such contract for not to exceed 5 years, as agreed to by the owner or operator of such land and the Secretary. “(f) Conservation Priority Areas.— “(1) Designation.— Upon application by the appropriate State agency, the Secretary shall designate watershed areas of the Chesapeake Bay Region (Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Vir-104 STAT. 3579ginia), the Great Lakes Region, the Long Island Sound Region, and other areas of special environmental sensitivity as conservation priority areas. “(2) Eligible watersheds.— Watersheds eligible for designation under this subsection shall include areas with actual and significant adverse water quality or habitat impacts related to agricultural production activities. “(3) Expiration.— Conservation priority area designation under this subsection shall expire after 5 years, subject to redesignation, except that the Secretary may withdraw a watershed’s designation— “(A) upon application by the appropriate State agency; or “(B) in the case of areas specified in this subsection, if the Secretary finds that such areas no longer contain actual and significant adverse water quality or habitat impacts related to agricultural production activities. “(4) Duty of secretary.— In utilizing the authority granted under this subsection, the Secretary shall attempt to maximize water quality and habitat benefits in such watersheds by promoting a significant level of enrollment of lands within such watersheds in the program under this subchapter by whatever means the Secretary determines appropriate and consistent with the purposes of this subchapter. “(g) Multi-year Grasses and Legumes.— For purposes of this subchapter, alfalfa and other multi-year grasses and legumes in a rotation practice, approved by the Secretary, shall be considered agricultural commodities.”.