STATE TECHNICAL COMMITTEE.

SEC. 1446. STATE TECHNICAL COMMITTEE. Title XII of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3801 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following new subtitle: “Subtitle G— State Technical Committees “SEC. 1261. ESTABLISHMENT. “(a) In General.— The Secretary shall establish in each State a technical committee to assist the Secretary in the technical considerations relating to implementation of the conservation provisions under this title. “(b) Standards.— Not later than 180 days after enactment of this section, the Secretary shall develop standards to be used by the State technical committee in the development of technical guidelines under section 1262(b) for the implementation of the conservation provisions of this title. “(c) Composition.— Each State technical committee established under subsection (a) shall be composed of professional resource managers that represent a variety of disciplines in the soil, water, wetland, and wildlife sciences. Such committee shall include such representatives as may serve from among— “(1) the Soil Conservation Service; “(2) the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service; “(3) the Forest Service; “(4) the Extension Service; “(5) the Farmers Home Administration; “(6) the Fish and Wildlife Service; “(7) State departments and agencies which the Secretary deems appropriate, including: “(A) the State fish and wildlife agency; “(B) the State forester or equivalent State official; “(C) the State water resources agency; “(D) the State department of agriculture; and “(E) the State association of soil and water conservation districts; and “(8) other agency personnel with expertise in soil, water, wetland, and wildlife management as the Secretary determines appropriate. “SEC. 1262. RESPONSIBILITIES. “(a) In General.— Each Committee established under section 1261 shall meet regularly to provide information, analysis, and recommendations to appropriate officials of the Department of Agriculture who are charged with implementing the conservation provisions of this title. Such information, analysis, and recommendations shall be provided in a manner that will assist the Department of Agriculture in determining matters of fact, technical merit, or scientific question. Data, analysis, and recommendations shall be provided in writing and shall reflect the best professional information and judgment of the Committee. The Secretary shall coordinate activities conducted under this section with those conducted under section 1628 of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990. 104 STAT. 3605 “(b) Wetland and Wildlife Habitat Protection Guidelines.— “(1) Development of technical guides.— Not later than one year after the date of enactment of this section each State technical committee shall develop technical guides for the implementation of the wetland preservation and wildlife habitat improvement options of the agricultural water quality protection program under section 1238B. “(2) Content of guides.— “(A) In general.— The technical guides required under this subsection shall include detailed information on the selection of crops and crop-plant varieties, cover crops, rotation practices, tillage systems, nutrient management, biological control practices (including biologically intensive integrated pest management practices), soil, water, and natural resource conservation, and other practices useful in developing practices pursuant to such option. “(B) Standards and instructions.— The technical guides required under subsection (a) shall provide standards and practical instructions for implementation of wetland protection and wildlife habitat improvement practices based on existing scientific and technical knowledge. “(C) Contracts.— The Secretary may enter into contracts to assist in the development and periodic revision of the technical guides described in this subsection. “(c) Other Duties.— Each technical committee shall provide assistance and offer recommendations with respect to the technical aspects of— “(1) wetland protection, restoration, and mitigation requirements; “(2) criteria to be used in evaluating bids for enrollment of environmentally-sensitive lands in the conservation reserve program; “(3) guidelines for haying or grazing and the control of weeds to protect nesting wildlife on set-aside acreage; “(4) highly erodible lands exemptions and appeals; “(5) wetland and conservation compliance exemptions and appeals; “(6) addressing common weed and pest problems and programs to control weeds and pests found on acreage enrolled in the conservation reserve program; “(7) guidelines for planting perennial cover for water quality and wildlife habitat improvement on set-aside lands; and “(8) other matters determined appropriate by the Secretary. “(d) Authority.— Each Committee established under section 1261 is advisory and shall have no implementation or enforcement authority. However, the Secretary shall give strong consideration to the recommendations of such Committees in administering the programs under this title, and to the factual, technical, or scientific findings and recommendations under the Committee’s responsibility.”.