Agricultural Conservation Program

Agricultural Conservation Program For necessary expenses to carry into effect the program authorized in sections 7 to 15, 16 (a), and 17 of the Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act, approved February 29, 1936, as amended (16 U. S. C. 590g–590 (o), 590p (a), and 590q), including not to exceed $6,000 for the preparation and display of exhibits, including such displays at State, interstate, and international fairs within the United States; $235,000,000, to remain available until December 31 of the next succeeding fiscal year for compliance with the program of soil-building and soil- and water-conserving practices authorized under this head in the Department of Agriculture and Farm Credit Administration Appropriation Act, 1958, carried out during the period July 1, 1957, to December 31, 1958, inclusive: Provided, That not to exceed $24,698,000 of the total sum provided under this head shall be available during the current fiscal year for administrative expenses for carrying out such program, the cost of aerial photographs, however, not to be charged to such limitation; but not more than $5,025,800 shall be transferred to the appropriation account “Administrative expenses, section 392, Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938”: Provided further, That none of the funds herein appropriated shall be used to pay the salaries or expenses of any regional information employees or any State information employees, but this shall not preclude the answering of inquiries or supplying of information at the county level to individual farmers: Provided further, That such amounts shall be available for administrative expenses in connection with the formulation and administration of the 1959 program of soil-building and soil- and water-conserving practices, under the Act of February 29, 1936, as amended (amounting to $250,000,000, including administration, and no participant shall receive more than $2,500, except where the participants from two or more farms or ranches join to carry out approved practices designed to conserve or improve the agricultural resources of the community): Provided further, That no change shall be made in such 1959 program which will have the effect, in any county, of restricting eligibility requirements or cost sharing on practices included in either the 1957 or the 1958 programs, unless such change shall have been recommended by the county committee and approved by the State committee: Provided further, That not to exceed 5 per centum of the allocation for the 1959 agricultural conservation program for any county may, on the recommendation of such county committee and approval of the State committee, be withheld and allotted to the Soil Conservation Service for services of its technicians in formulating and carrying out the agricultural conservation program in the participating counties, and shall not be utilized by the Soil Conservation Service for any purpose other than technical and other assistance in such counties, and in addition, on the recommendation of such county committee and approval of the State committee, not to exceed 1 per centum may be made available to any other Federal, State, or local public agency for the same purpose and under the same conditions: Provided further, That for the 1959 program $2,500,000 shall be available for technical assistance in formulating and carrying out agricultural conservation practices and $1,000,000 shall be available for conservation practices related directly to flood prevention work in approved watersheds: Provided further, That such amounts shall be available for the purchase of seeds, fertilizers, lime, trees, or any other farming material, or any soil-terracing services, and making grants thereof to agricultural producers to aid72 Stat. 193 them in carrying out farming practices approved by the Secretary under programs provided for herein: Provided further, That no part of any funds available to the Department, or any bureau, office, corporation, or other agency constituting a part of such Department, shall be used in the current fiscal year for the payment of salary or travel expenses of any person who has been convicted of violating the Act entitled “An Act to prevent pernicious political activities”, approved August 2, 1939, as amended, or who has been found in accordance with the provisions of title 18, United States Code, section 1913, to have violated or attempted to violate such section which prohibits the use of Federal appropriations for the payment of personal services or other expenses designed to influence in any manner a Member of Congress to favor or oppose any legislation or appropriation by Congress except upon request of any Member or through the proper official channels.