DUTIES OF SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE UNDER WETLANDS RESERVE PROGRAM.

SEC. 2207. DUTIES OF SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE UNDER WETLANDS RESERVE PROGRAM. Section 1237C of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3837c) is amended—(1) in subsection (a)(1), by inserting “including necessary maintenance activities,” after “values,”; and(2) by striking subsection (c) and inserting the following new subsection:“(c) Ranking of Offers.—“(1) Conservation benefits and funding considerations.—When evaluating offers from landowners, the Secretary may consider—“(A) the conservation benefits of obtaining an easement or other interest in the land;“(B) the cost-effectiveness of each easement or other interest in eligible land, so as to maximize the environmental benefits per dollar expended; and“(C) whether the landowner or another person is offering to contribute financially to the cost of the easement or other interest in the land to leverage Federal funds.“(2) Additional considerations.—In determining the acceptability of easement offers, the Secretary may take into consideration—“(A) the extent to which the purposes of the easement program would be achieved on the land;“(B) the productivity of the land; and“(C) the on-farm and off-farm environmental threats if the land is used for the production of agricultural commodities.”.122 STAT. 1768