396 



identification of prime agriculture producing areas 

 that should be protected, and for use in protecting 

 the quality of the environment, the Secretary of 

 Agriculture is directed to carry out a land inventory 

 and monitoring program to include, but not be 

 limited to, studies and surveys of erosion and sedi- 

 ment damages, flood plain identification and utiliza- 

 tion, land use changes and trends, and degradation 

 of the environment resulting from improper use of 

 soil, water, and related resources. The Secretary shall 

 issue at not less than twenty-year intervals a land 

 inventory report reflecting soil, water, and related 

 resource conditions. (Pub. L. 92-419, Utle HI, § 302, 

 Aug. 30, 1972, 86 Stat. 670.) 



§1011. Powers of Secretary of Agriculture. 



To effectuate the program provided for in section 

 1010 of this title, the Secretary is authorized — 



(a) Repealed. Pub. L. 87-703, title I, 1102(b), 

 Sept. 27, 1962, 76 Stat. 607. 



(b) To protect, improve, develop, and administer 

 any property so acquired and to construct such struc- 

 tures thereon as may be necessary to adapt it to its 

 most beneficial use. 



(c) To sell, exchange, lease, or otherwise dispose 

 of, with or without a consideration, any property so 

 acquired, under such terms and conditions as he 

 deems will best accomplish the purposes of sections 

 1010 to 1013 of this title, but any sale, exchange, or 

 grant shall be made only to public authorities and 

 agencies and only on condition thnt the property is 

 used for public purposes: Provided, hoiuevcr. That 

 an exchanpe may be made with private owners 

 and with subdivisions or agencies of State govern- 

 ments in any case where the Secretarv of Agricul- 

 ture finds that such exchange would not conflxt with 

 the purposes of sections 1001 to 1005d, 1006, 1006c to 

 1006e, 1007, and 1008 to 1029 of this title, and that the 

 value of the property received in exchange is sub- 

 stantially equal to that of the property conveyed. 

 The Secretary may recommend to the President 

 other Federal, State, or Territorial agencies to ad- 

 minister such property, together with the condi- 

 tions of use and administration which will best 

 serve the purposes of a land-conservation and land- 

 utilization program, and the President is authorized 



'to transfer such property to such agencies. 



I (d) With respect to any land, or any interest 

 therein, acquired by. or transferred to. the Secretary 

 for the purposes of sections 1010 to 1013 of this title, 

 to make dedications or grants, in his discretion, for 

 any public purpose, and to grant licenses and ease- 

 ments upon such terms as he deems reasonable. 



(e) To cooperate writh Federal, State, territorial, 

 and other public agencies and local nonprofit orga- 

 nizations in developing plans for a program of land 

 conservation and land utilization, to assist in carry- 

 ing out such plans by means of loans to State and 

 local public agencies and local nonprofit organiza- 

 tions designated by the State legislature or the 

 Governor, to conduct surveys and investigations 

 relating to conditions and factors affecting, and 

 the methods of accomplishing most effectively 

 the purposes of this subchapter, and to disseminate 

 information concerning these activities. Loans to 



State and local public agencies and to local nonprofit 

 organizations shall be made only if such plans have 

 been submitted to, and not disapproved within 45 

 days by. the State agency having supervisory respon- 

 sibility over such plans, or by the Governor if there 

 is no such State agency. No appropriation shall be 

 made for any single loan under this subsection in ex- 

 cess of $250,000 unless such loan has been approved 

 by resolutions adopted by the Committee on Agricul- 

 ture and Forestry of the Senate and the Committee 

 on Agriculture of the House of Representatives. 

 Loans under this subsection shall be made imder con- 

 tracts which will provide, under such terms and con- 

 ditions as the Secretary deems appropriate, for the 

 repayment thereof in not more than 30 years, with 

 interest at the average rate, as determined by the 

 Secretary of the Treasury, payable by the Treasury 

 on its marketable public obligations outstanding at 

 the beginning of the fiscal year in which the loan is 

 made, which are neither due nor callable for redemp- 

 tion for 15 years from date of issue. Repayment of 

 principal and interest on such loans shall begin 

 within 5 years. In providing assistance for carrying 

 out plans developed under this subchapter, the 

 Secretary shall be authorized to bear such propor- 

 tionate share of the costs of installing any works of 

 improvement applicable to public water-based fish 

 and wildlife or recreational development as is de- 

 termined by him to be equitable in consideration of 

 national needs and assistance authorized for similar 

 purpose^ under other Federal programs : Provided, 

 That all engineering and other technical assistance 

 costs relating to such development may be borne 

 by the Secretary: Provided further, That when a 

 State or other public agency or local nonprofit orga- 

 nization participating in a plan developed under this 

 subchapter agrees to operate and maintain any reser- 

 voir or other area included in a plan for public water- 

 based fish and wildlife or recreational development, 

 the Secretary shall be authorized to bear not to ex- 

 ceed one-half of the costs of (a) the land, easements, 

 or rights-of-way acquired or to be acquired by the 

 State or other public agency or local nonprofit or- 

 ganization for such reservoir or other area, and (b) 

 minimum basic facilities needed for public health 

 and safety, access to, and use of such reservoir or 

 other area for such purposes : Provided further. That 

 in no event shall the Secretary share any portion 

 of the cost of installing more than one such work of 

 improvement for each seventy-five thousand acres 

 in any project; and that any such public water-based 

 fish and wildlife or receptional development shall be 

 consistent with any existing comprehensive state- 

 wide outdoor recreation plan found adequate for 

 purposes of the Land and Water Conservation Fund 

 Act of 1965; and that such cost-sharing assistance 

 for any such development shall be authorized only 

 If the Secretary determines that it cannot be pro- 

 vided under other existing authority. 



The Secretary shall also be authorized In provid- 

 ing assistance for carrying out plans developed under 

 this subchapter: 



(1) To provide technical and other assistance, and 

 to pay for any storage of water for present or antic- 

 ipated future demands or needs for rural commu- 

 nity water supply Included In any reservoir structure 

 constructed or modified pursuant to such plans: 



