16 U.S.C. § 1301 — Congressional declaration of policy; au-

Page 1755 TITLE 16—CONSERVATION § 1302 been appropriated, the following amounts for land acquisition for each of the rivers (described in section 1274(a) of this title): Clearwater, Middle Fork, Idaho, $2,909,800; Eleven Point, Missouri, $10,407,000; Feather Middle Fork, California, $3,935,700; Rio Grande, New Mexico, $253,000; Rogue, Oregon, $15,147,000; St. Croix, Minnesota and Wisconsin, $21,769,000; Salmon Middle Fork, Idaho, $1,837,000; Wolf, Wisconsin, $142,150. (Pub. L. 90–542, § 17, formerly § 16, Oct. 2, 1968, 82 Stat. 918; Pub. L. 93–279, § 1(d), May 10, 1974, 88 Stat. 123; Pub. L. 94–273, § 2(11), Apr. 21, 1976, 90 Stat. 375; Pub. L. 95–625, title VII, §§ 751–754, 763(c), Nov. 10, 1978, 92 Stat. 3532, 3533; renum- bered Pub. L. 96–487, title VI, § 606(a), Dec. 2, 1980, 94 Stat. 2416.) Editorial Notes AMENDMENTS 1978—Pub. L. 95–625, §§ 751–754, 763(c), increased appro- priations authorization for the following rivers, sub- stituting for: Eleven Point, $10,407,000 for $4,906,500; Rogue, $15,147,000 for $12,447,200; Saint Croix, $21,769,000 for $11,768,550; and Salmon, $1,837,000 for $1,237,100; and struck out subsec. (a) designation and subsec. (b) which provided for expiration of authority to make author- ized appropriations on Sept. 30, 1979. 1976—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 94–273 substituted ‘‘Sep- tember’’ for ‘‘June’’. 1974—Pub. L. 93–279 added subsecs. (a) and (b). Former unlettered provisions authorizing appropriation of amounts up to $17,000,000 for the acquisition of lands and interests in land were struck out. CHAPTER 29—WATER BANK PROGRAM FOR WETLANDS PRESERVATION Sec. 1301. Congressional declaration of policy; author- ity of Secretary. 1302. Conservation agreements to effectuate water bank program; duration and renewal; ad- justment of payment rate for renewal pe- riod; ‘‘wetlands’’ defined; duration of owner- ship or control of land as determining eligi- bility for agreements; protection of and compensation for tenants and share- croppers; participation by owner or oper- ator in other Federal or State programs. 1303. Terms of agreement; required provisions. 1304. Annual payment; adjustment. 1305. Renewal or extension of agreement; partici- pation of subsequent owner or operator in program. 1306. Termination or modification of agreements. 1307. Utilization of services and facilities. 1308. Advisory Board; appointment; functions; membership; reimbursement for expenses. 1309. Consultation with Secretary of the Interior; conformity of program with wetlands pro- grams administered by Secretary of the In- terior; consultation with and utilization of technical services of appropriate local, State, Federal, and private conservation agencies; coordination of programs. 1310. Authorization of appropriations; maximum amount of payments pursuant to agree- ments. 1311. Rules and regulations. § 1301. Congressional declaration of policy; au- thority of Secretary The Congress finds that it is in the public in- terest to preserve, restore, and improve the wet- lands of the Nation, and thereby to conserve sur- face waters, to preserve and improve habitat for migratory waterfowl and other wildlife re- sources, to reduce runoff, soil and wind erosion, and contribute to flood control, to contribute to improved water quality and reduce stream sedi- mentation, to contribute to improved subsurface moisture, to reduce acres of new land coming into production and to retire lands now in agri- cultural production, to enhance the natural beauty of the landscape, and to promote com- prehensive and total water management plan- ning. The Secretary of Agriculture (hereinafter in this chapter referred to as the ‘‘Secretary’’) is authorized and directed to formulate and carry out a continuous program to prevent the serious loss of wetlands, and to preserve, restore, and improve such lands, which program shall begin on July 1, 1971. (Pub. L. 91–559, § 2, Dec. 19, 1970, 84 Stat. 1468.) Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries SHORT TITLE Pub. L. 91–559, § 1, Dec. 19, 1970, 84 Stat. 1468, provided: ‘‘That this Act [enacting this chapter] may be cited as the ‘Water Bank Act’.’’ § 1302. Conservation agreements to effectuate water bank program; duration and renewal; adjustment of payment rate for renewal pe- riod; ‘‘wetlands’’ defined; duration of owner- ship or control of land as determining eligi- bility for agreements; protection of and com- pensation for tenants and sharecroppers; participation by owner or operator in other Federal or State programs In effectuating the water bank program au- thorized by this chapter, the Secretary shall have authority to enter into agreements with landowners and operators in important migra- tory waterfowl nesting and breeding areas for the conservation of water on specified farm, ranch, or other wetlands identified in a con- servation plan developed in cooperation with the Soil and Water Conservation District in which the lands are located, under such rules and regu- lations as the Secretary may prescribe. These agreements shall be entered into for a period of ten years, with provision for renewal for addi- tional periods of ten years each. The Secretary shall, beginning in 1980, reexamine the payment rates at the beginning of the fifth year of any such ten-year initial or renewal period and be- fore the beginning of any renewal period, in the light of the then current land and crop values, and make needed adjustments in rates for any such initial or renewal period as provided in sec- tion 1304 of this title. In addition, the Secretary shall, beginning in 1980, reexamine the payment rates in any agreement that has been in effect for five years or more in the light of current land and crop values and make any needed ad- justments in rates. As used in this chapter, the term ‘‘wetlands’’ means (1) the inland fresh areas described as types 1 through 7 in Circular