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operation and maintenance of the structures and further insure their useful life expectancy. This is especially important in watershed areas above reservoir structures installed with Federal assistance. In these areas, local organizations are required by the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act to obtain agreements from owners of not less than 50 percentum of the lands to carry out recommended soil conservation measures and proper farm plans.

-Land treatment constitutes the initial increment of sound watershed development and management.

-Delays in completion of watershed projects oftentimes are due to slow progress in installation of needed land treatment measures. -When land treatment measures can be planned and installed on a definite schedule, the installation of needed structural works of improvement can be accelerated.

-Installation of project works of improvement on a planned time schedule reduces installation costs and the costs of operation and maintenance, thereby assuring their useful life expectancy.

3. Use of Available Federal Funds

The Administration opposes the amendment which would permit the use of Federal funds available to local sponsoring organizations under other Federal programs to be used for acquiring land, easements, and rights-of-way needed in connection with works of improvement installed in watershed projects.

The land rights acquisition is a significant part of local cost and it is not termed appropriate in that it might result in a 100 percent financing of these projects.

4. Municipal and Industrial Water Supply

The Administration opposes the amendment which would provide Federal cost sharing (up to 50%) to meet present municipal, industrial, and rural community water supply needs in watershed projects. Under the existing provision for storage for future municipal or industrial water supply needs, brought about by enactment of Public Law 87-703, amending Public Law 83-566, the local interests must bear, but are granted deferred repayment of the entire cost of storage capacity for future use of water supply purposes incorporated in any reservoir.

The Administration believes that the provisions in the Act as they relate to water supply storage to meet municipal or industrial needs are adequate.

5. Pollution Abatement Facilities

The Administration opposes the amendment which would provide technical and cost sharing assistance for pollution abatement facili

ties, including solid wastes in Public Law 566 watersheds. The Environmental Protection Agency has research and technical assistance programs for solid wastes disposal, and is charged with the general responsibility of pollution abatement. Also, there is no provision in this bill for recovery of funds when industrial wastes go through municipal systems.

Title III, Section 601 and 602 of the bill provides for "amending the Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act, as amended." These amend[p. 11]

ments would add to the present authorizations in the Act by authorizing the Secretary of Agriculture to assist State and local public agencies and local non-profit organizations by (1) providing technical and cost sharing assistance (up to 50%) for the storage of water to meet rural community water supply needs; (2) providing technical and cost sharing assistance for installing measures and facilities for water quality management, for the control and abatement of agriculture-related pollution, and for the disposal of solid wastes; (3) providing technical and cost sharing assistance for the storage of water in reservoirs, farm ponds, or other impoundments having community benefits, together with the necessary water withdrawal appurtenances for the purpose of rural fire protection; and (4) carrying out a land inventory and monitoring program to include studies and surveys of erosion and sediment damages, land use changes and trends, and environmental degradation resulting from improper use of soil, water and related resources. A land inventory report shall be issued at not less than five-year intervals reflecting soil, water and related resource conditions.

We support those amendments relating to storage for water quality and inventorying and monitoring, and oppose the remaining provisions of Title III. Our position is explained in the attached supplemental material.

SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL-TITLE III-H.R. 10867

1. Rural Community Water Supply

The Administration opposes the amendment which would provide Federal cost sharing assistance (up to 50%) for the storage of water to meet rural community water supply needs.

The Administration feels that assistance from other Federal programs are adequate at this time to deal with this problem.

2. Water Quality Management

The Administration endorses the amendment which would authorize the Secretary to cooperate with State and local public agencies in

RC&D projects by providing technical and financial assistance for installing works of improvement for the purpose of water quality management. These improvements would consist mostly of water retention reservoirs constructed under this authority, to release water during low stream flow periods or other critical periods to improve fish and aquatic habitat, reduce odor, improve the quality of water, lessen biodegradation, and to provide sustained water flows to water users downstream.

3. Control and Abatement of Agriculture-Related Pollution

The Administration opposes the amendment which would provide cost sharing for the abatement of agriculture-related pollution. The Administration, through the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), is charged with this general responsibility. EPA has no such cost sharing arrangements.

4. Solid Waste Disposal in Rural Areas

The Administration opposes the amendment which would provide technical and cost sharing assistance for the disposal of solid wastes in rural areas. The Administration, through the Environmental Pro[p. 12]

tection Agency, has a research and technical assistance program for solid wastes, but it does not have a cost sharing program for solid wastes disposal.

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COMMITTEE INTENT

1. Definition of public body. The term "public body" is intended to include not only the conventional units of State and local government, such as cities and counties, but government organizations created by State or local laws, such as, for example, conservation districts.

2. Third party treatment on pollution abatement and control. The committee intends that pollution abatement and control grants authority be administered in such a manner that the recipient of the grant will be directly responsible for carrying out the practice or action for which the grant was made. The committee does not intend that these grants be used, directly or indirectly, by third parties not eligible to receive the grants themselves.

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SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS

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TITLE II-AMENDMENTS TO THE WATERSHED PROTECTION AND FLOOD PREVENTION ACT

Section 201. This section makes the following changes in the small watershed program:

1. Restoring, Improving, and Maintaining Environmental QualityThis amendment for the first time would provide cost sharing for water quality management, land utilization, and agricultural waste management. The proposed amendment would provide an effective means to plan and install desirable measures and works that would restore, improve, and maintain the quality of the environment within the watersheds involved. Works of improvement for water quality management would consist primarily of water storage capacity in reservoirs for streamflow regulation and would not be in substitution for controlling waste at its source. Cost sharing would be consistent with standards and regulations adopted by the Water Resources Council.

2. Municipal and Industrial Water Supply-This amendment would authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to bear up to one-half the cost of the storage of water for present use, for municipal and industrial water that may be provided in any reservoir structure constructed or modified under the provisions of Public Law 83-566.

3. Use of Available Federal Funds-This amendment would permit local sponsoring organizations to utilize any funds that may be available to them under other Federal programs that might be used in the purchase of land rights within a watershed.

4. Long-Term Contracting in Watersheds-This amendment would authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to enter into agreements for periods of not to exceed ten years with land owners and operators, individually or collectively, to share the cost of carrying out conservation plans within watershed projects. Such plans will be developed in

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cooperation with and approval by the soil and water conservation. district involved.

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1.31a(2) SENATE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE

AND FORESTRY

S. REP. No. 92–734, 92 Cong., 2d Sess. (1972)

RURAL DEVELOPMENT ACT OF 1972

APRIL 7, 1972.-Ordered to be printed

Mr. TALMADGE, from the Committee on Agriculture and Forestry, submitted the following

REPORT

together with additional and

INDIVIDUAL VIEWS

[To accompany S. 3462]

The Committee on Agriculture and Forestry, reported an original bill (......), to provide for the development of rural areas, with a recommendation that it do pass.

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TITLE IV-AMENDMENTS TO THE WATERSHED PROTECTION AND FLOOD PREVENTION ACT

SHORT EXPLANATION

This title would amend the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act to

(1) extend the definition of "works of improvement" to any undertaking for the conservation and proper utilization of land and permit cost-sharing therefor; (Section 1301 (a), (b) and (f))

(2) provide for up to ten year agreements under which the Secretary would share the cost of soil and water conservation practices on lands within the areas covered by watershed projects under that act or section 13 of the act of December 22, 1944; (Section 1301 (c))

(3) permit funds appropriated for other acts to be used in the acquisition of lands now required to be acquired by the local

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