 Although checking with USDA anytime ground is cleared or
otherwise converted is a good business practice, this is
especially true for ground that is considered a wetland or
highly erodible. Producers participating in federal farm
programs and any person or entity considered to be an
"affiliated person" of the producer are subject to regulations
pertaining to ground having highly erodible or wetland
determinations."Before heading out with a 'dozer to clear a
fence line or hiring a contractor to drain or fill in wet areas
in a field, it is extremely important that you have consulted
with our staff to ensure these acres are not considered highly
erodible or wetland acres," said Giamanco. "I assure you, the
hour or so spent working with our staff to make sure your plans
won't impact these fragile lands, before you head to the field,
will be time well spent."
The Food Security Act of 1985 authorized the conservation
provisions for highly erodible land and wetland to reduce soil
loss, reduce sedimentation, improve water quality, preserve the
nation's wetlands, protect the nation's long-term capacity to
produce food and fiber, and remove incentive for people to
produce agricultural commodities on highly erodible land or
converted wetlands.
Highly erodible land is defined as cropland, hayland or
pasture that can erode at excessive rates. These lands contain
soils that have an erodibility index of 8 or more. Wetlands have
a predominance of wet soil types, are inundated or saturated by
surface or groundwater at a frequency and duration sufficient to
support water-tolerant vegetation, and, under normal
circumstances, support a prevalence of such vegetation.
To be in compliance with the highly erodible land and wetland
conservation provisions, producers must agree, by certifying on
FSA's Form AD-1026, that they:
-
Will not
produce an agricultural commodity on highly erodible land
without a conservation system.
-
Will not plant
an agricultural commodity on a converted wetland.
-
Will not convert a wetland to make
possible the production of an agricultural commodity.
Any planned deviation from the agreement having the potential
to convert highly erodible land or wetland acreage, or even land
that may not yet have highly erodible or wetland determinations,
requires that producers update the Form AD-1026. FSA will notify
NRCS to provide technical determinations on highly erodible land
or wetland on the acreage in question.
[to top of second column] |
Giamanco warns that producers participating in FSA and NRCS
programs who are not in compliance with highly erodible land or
wetland conservation compliance provisions are not eligible to
receive benefits for most programs administered by both
agencies. And, if a producer has received program benefits and
is later found to be noncompliant, he or she would be required
to refund all payments received and may be assessed liquidated
damages.
"We realize that between harvest and planning for the 2014 planting
season, producers get busy, but I can't stress enough the importance
that all the i's are dotted and t's are crossed before converting
land for production. This includes former Conservation Reserve
Program ground," Giamanco said. "Bottom line... when in doubt, stop
by your local USDA Service Center, and you'll leave with peace of
mind, knowing that your eligibility for farm program benefits is not
at risk".
___
CCC sugar exchange extended
The Commodity Credit Corp. announced Friday the results of the
third action, taken on Sept. 12, to reduce its recently acquired
sugar inventory and address the domestic sugar market. CCC also
announced an extension of the third offer to exchange the remaining
sugar inventory for credits held by refiners with licenses under the
Refined Sugar Re-Export Program.
The third sugar exchange reduced CCC's sugar inventory by 51,448
metric tons by exchanging that sugar for 139,882 metric tons of
credits under the Refined Sugar Re-Export Program. CCC received an
average of 2.72 tons of import access per ton of CCC inventory, and
this latest action reduced sugar available to the market by 88,434
metric tons. Additional information on this action is available
online:
http://www.fsa.usda.gov/FSA/webapp?area=
home&subject=coop&topic=pas-sa.
In addition, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that
the CCC is extending its offer to exchange the remaining 26,003
metric tons of sugar inventory for credits held by refiners with
licenses under the Refined Sugar Re-Export Program.
For the Farm Service Agency's invitation to exchange re-export
credits, as well as the results of earlier USDA sugar actions, visit
the FSA Commodity Operations website at
http://www.fsa.usda.gov/FSA/webapp?area=
home&subject=coop&topic=landing.
[Text from file received from
Illinois Farm Service Agency] |
