,,ii  #aaeth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #beeg  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,march #ae1    
#bjah ,mrs4 ,ernst 7for herself1 ,mr4   
,brown1 ,mr4 ,grassley1 and ,mr4 ,casey7
 introduced the following bill2 which   
was read twice and referred to the      
,committee on ,agriculture1 ,nutrition1 
and ,forestry  ,a ,,bill  ,to amend the 
,food ,security ,act of #aihe to improve
 conservation programs1 and for other   
purposes4  #a4 ,short title  ,this ,act 
may be cited as the ,give ,our          
,resources the ,opportunity to ,work    
,act of #bjah4  #b4 ,conservation       
,reserve ,program  7a7 ,ineligible land 
,section #abca of the ,food ,security   
,act of #aihe 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #chca7 is  
amended-- 7#a7 by redesignating         
subsections 7c7 through 7i7 as          
subsections 7d7 through 7j71            
respectively2 and  7#b7 by inserting    
after subsection 7b7 the following3  7c7
 ,ineligible land  7#a7 ,in general ,the
 ,secretary shall not include in the    

conservation reserve program established
 under this subchapter--  7,a7 except as
 provided in paragraphs 7#b7 and        
7#c77;,b71 prime farmland or class ,i1  
,,ii1 or ,,iii land 7as defined in the  
,soil ,survey ,manual of the ,department
 of ,agriculture7 7or successor         
definitions7 that is--  7i7 not highly  
erodible2 and  7ii7 eroding at a level  
that is less than the soil loss         
tolerance level of the land2 or  7,b7   
all of the land on a farm that is larger
 than #aj acres4  7#b7 ,exemptions ,in  
carrying out paragraph 7#a77;,a71 the   
,secretary shall exempt--  7,a7 land    
that is eligible under subsection       
7b77#c72 and  7,b7 land that--  7i7 is  
eligible under subsection 7b77#d72 and  
7ii7 is--  7,i7 a grass sod waterway2   
7,,ii7 a contour grass sod strip2       
7,,iii7 a prairie strip2  7,,iv7 a      
filterstrip2  7,v7 a riparian buffer2   
7,,vi7 a wetland buffer2  7,,vii7 a     
saturated buffer2  7,,viii7 a           
bioreactor2 or  7,,ix7 a similar partial

 field that will improve water quality  
if the land is enrolled in the          
conservation reserve program using      
continuous sign-up under section        
#abcd7;d77#b77;,a77ii71 as determined by
 the ,secretary4  7#c7 ,portion of      
,field  7,a7 ,in general ,subject to    
subparagraph 7,c71 in the case of a     
field described in subparagraph 7,b71   
the ,secretary shall enroll only the    
land described in clause 7ii7 of that   
subparagraph4  7,b7 ,land described ,a  
field described in this subparagraph is 
a field that contains-- 7i7 land that is
 excluded under paragraph 7#a77;,a72 and
  7ii7 land that is-- 7,i7 not excluded 
under paragraph 7#a77;,a72 and  7,,ii7  
eligible under subsection 7b74  7,c7    
,exception ,in the case of a field      
described in subparagraph 7,b7 more than
 #ij percent of the land of which is    
land described in clause 7ii7 of that   
subparagraph1 the ,secretary may enroll 
all of the land of the field4  4  7b7   
,enrollment ,subsection 7e7 of section  

#abca of the ,food ,security ,act of    
#aihe 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #chca7 7as         
redesignated by subsection 7a77 is      
amended--  7#a7 in paragraph 7#a71 by   
striking during-- in the matter         
preceding subparagraph 7,a7 and all that
 follows through the period at the end  
of subparagraph 7,e7 and inserting not  
more than #bd1jjj1jjj acres42  7#b7 in  
paragraph 7#b77;,a7-- 7,a7 by striking  
limitations and inserting limitation2   
7,b7 by striking #b1jjj1jjj and         
inserting #c1jjj1jjj2 and  7,c7 by      
striking #bjah and inserting #bjbc2 and 
7#c7 by adding at the end the following3
  7#c7 ,enrollment of conservation      
buffers to foster clean lakes1          
estuaries1 and rivers  7,a7 ,in general 
,for purposes of applying the limitation
 in paragraph 7#a71 the ,secretary shall
 give priority to the enrollment in the 
conservation reserve program under this 
subchapter of land that--  7i7 is       
described in subsection                 
7c77#b77;,b77ii72 and  7ii7 shall have a

 positive impact1 as determined by the  
,secretary1 on the water quality of--   
7,i7 a lake2  7,,ii7 an estuary2 or     
7,,iii7 a river4  7,b7 ,sediment and    
nutrient loadings ,in carrying out      
subparagraph 7,a71 the ,secretary shall 
focus on land that--  7i7 is located in 
a watershed impacted by sediment and    
nutrient2 and  7ii7 if enrolled1 will   
reduce sediment loadings1 nutrient      
loadings1 and harmful algal blooms1 as  
determined by the ,secretary4  7,c7     
,minimum acreage ,of the acres enrolled 
in the conservation reserve under       
paragraph 7#a71 not less than #d1jjj1jjj
 acres shall be--  7i7 of land described
 in subparagraph 7,a72 and  7ii7 newly  
enrolled during fiscal years #bjai      
through #bjbh4  4  7c7 ,payment rates   
,section #abcd of the ,food ,security   
,act of #aihe 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #chcd7 is  
amended-- 7#a7 in subsection 7c7--  7,a7
 by redesignating paragraphs 7#a7 and   
7#b7 as subparagraphs 7,a7 and 7,b71    
respectively1 and indenting             

appropriately2 and  7,b7 by inserting   
before subparagraph 7,a7 7as so         
redesignated7 the following3  7#a7      
,signing and practice incentive payments
  7,a7 ,in general ,in the case of a    
continuous enrollment contract1 the     
,secretary may make a signing incentive 
payment or a practice incentive payment 
to an owner or operator of eligible land
 in an amount sufficient to encourage   
participation in the program established
 under this subchapter4  7,b7           
,limitation on making payments ,the     
,secretary may only make a payment      
described in subparagraph 7,a7 if the   
national average market price received  
by producers during the previous        
#ab-month marketing year for all covered
 commodities is greater than the        
national average market price received  
by producers during the most recent #aj 
marketing years for all covered         
commodities4  7#b7 ,tree thinning and   
other practices  2  7#b7 in subsection  
7d7-- 7,a7 in paragraph 7#c71 by adding 

at the end the following3  7,d7         
,priority for low cost offers ,in       
determining the acceptability of        
contract offers for new general         
enrollments1 the ,secretary shall--  7i7
 give priority to a contract offer that 
maximizes the conservation value of the 
land that is the subject of the contract
 offer relative to the cost of the      
contract2 and  7ii7 assign the cost     
value factor described in clause 7i7 a  
weight of not less than #be percent in  
any ranking scheme used by the          
,secretary in determining the           
acceptability of contract offers4  2    
7,b7 in paragraph 7#e7-- 7i7 in         
subparagraph 7,c7--  7,i7 by striking   
,the ,secretary may use and inserting   
,with respect to2 and  7,,ii7 by        
striking rental rates and inserting the 
following3 8rental rates1 the           
,secretary--  7i7 shall apply the       
limitation described in subsection      
7g77#a77;,a72 and  7ii7 may use the     
estimates  2 and  7ii7 by adding at the 

end the following3  7,d7 ,limitation    
,subject to subsection 7g71 the amount  
of an annual rental payment paid to an  
owner or operator under this subchapter1
 in the case of general enrollment1     
shall not be greater than #hj percent of
 the applicable estimate of the county  
average market dryland cash rental rates
 for cropland derived from the survey   
conducted under subparagraph 7,a74  2   
and  7#c7 in subsection 7g7-- 7,a7 in   
paragraph 7#a71 by striking exceed      
#ej1jjj and inserting the following3    
8exceed--  7,a7 #ej1jjj2 and  7,b7 #bdj 
per acre4  2 and  7,b7 in paragraph     
7#b77;,a71 by striking this subsection  
and inserting paragraph 7#a74  #c4      
,conservation ,stewardship ,program  7a7
 ,definitions ,section #abch;,d of the  
,food ,security ,act of #aihe 7#af      
,u4,s4,c4 #chch;d7 is amended--  7#a7 in
 paragraph 7#b77;,b7-- 7,a7 in clause   
7i71 by striking and at the end2  7,b7  
in clause 7ii71 by striking the period  
at the end and inserting 2 and2 and     

7,c7 by adding at the end the following3
  7iii7 development of a comprehensive  
conservation plan1 as defined in section
 #abch;,g7f77#a74  2 and  7#b7 in       
paragraph 7#g71 by striking the period  
at the end and inserting the following3 
through the use of-- 7,a7 quality       
criteria under a resource management    
system2  7,b7 predictive analytics      
tools2  7,c7 data from past and current 
enrollment in the program2 and  7,d7    
other methods that measure conservation 
and improvement in priority resource    
concerns4  4  7b7 ,establishment        
,section #abch;,e7a7 of the ,food       
,security ,act of #aihe 7#af ,u4,s4,c4  
#chch;e7a77 is amended in the matter    
preceding paragraph 7#a7 by striking    
#bjah and inserting #bjbc4  7c7         
,stewardship contracts ,section #abch;,f
 of the ,food ,security ,act of #aihe   
7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #chch;f7 is amended--    
7#a7 in subsection 7b71 by striking     
paragraph 7#a7 and inserting the        
following3  7#a7 ,ranking of            

applications  7,a7 ,in general ,in      
evaluating contract offers submitted    
under subsection 7a71 the ,secretary    
shall rank applications based on--  7i7 
the natural resource conservation and   
environmental benefits that result from 
the conservation treatment on all       
applicable priority resource concerns at
 the time of submission of the          
application2 and  7ii7 the degree to    
which the proposed conservation         
activities increase natural resource    
conservation and environmental benefits4
  7,b7 ,additional criterion ,if #b or  
more applications receive the same      
ranking under subparagraph 7,a71 the    
,secretary shall rank those contracts   
based on the extent to which the actual 
and anticipated conservation benefits   
from each contract are provided at the  
lowest cost relative to other similarly 
beneficial contract offers4  2 and  7#b7
 in subsection 7e7-- 7,a7 in paragraph  
7#b7--  7i7 by inserting new or improved
 after integrate2 and  7ii7 by inserting

 demonstrating continuous improvement   
during the additional #e-year period1   
after operation12 and  7,b7 in paragraph
 7#c7-- 7i7 in subparagraph 7,a7--  7,i7
 by striking to meet and inserting to   
plan1 install1 maintain1 and actively   
manage conservation activities that     
allow the producer to meet or exceed2   
and  7,,ii7 by striking on the          
agricultural operation2 and  7ii7 in    
subparagraph 7,b71 by striking to exceed
 the stewardship threshold of and       
inserting to adopt or improve           
conservation activities1 as determined  
by the ,secretary1 to achieve higher    
levels of performance with respect to   
not less than4  7d7 ,duties of the      
,secretary ,section #abch;,g of the     
,food ,security ,act of #aihe 7#af      
,u4,s4,c4 #chch;g7 is amended-- 7#a7 in 
subsection 7c77#b71 by striking all     
financial and all that follows through  
the period at the end and inserting the 
following3  all-- 7,a7 financial        
assistance1 including payments made     

under subsections 7d77#b77;,b71 7e71 and
 7f72  7,b7 technical assistance2 and   
7,c7 any other expenses associated with 
enrollment or participation in the      
program4  2  7#b7 in subsection 7d71 by 
adding at the end the following3  7#e7  
,payment for cover crop activities ,the 
amount of a payment under this          
subsection for cover crop activities    
shall be not less than #abe percent of  
the annual payment amount determined by 
the ,secretary under paragraph 7#b74  2 
7#c7 in subsection 7e7-- 7,a7 in the    
subsection heading1 by inserting and    
management-,intensive rotation grazing  
after rotations2  7,b7 by striking      
paragraph 7#b72  7,c7 by redesignating  
paragraphs 7#a7 and 7#d7 as paragraphs  
7#b7 and 7#a71 respectively2  7,d7 by   
moving paragraph 7#a7 7as so            
redesignated7 so as to appear before    
paragraph 7#b7 7as so redesignated72    
7,e7 in paragraph 7#a7 7as so           
redesignated7-- 7i7 by redesignating    
subparagraphs 7,a7 through 7,d7 and 7,e7

 as clauses 7i7 through 7iv7 and 7vi71  
respectively1 and indenting             
appropriately2  7ii7 by striking the    
paragraph designation and all that      
follows through the term in the matter  
preceding clause 7i7 7as so             
redesignated7 and inserting the         
following3  7#a7 ,definitions ,in this  
subsection3  7,a7 ,management-intensive 
rotational grazing ,the term            
management-intensive rotational grazing 
means a grazing system in which animals 
are regularly and systematically moved  
to fresh pasture in a manner that--  7i7
 maximizes the quantity and quality of  
forage growth2  7ii7 improves manure    
distribution and nutrient cycling2      
7iii7 increases carbon sequestration    
from greater forage harvest2  7iv7      
improves the quality and quantity of    
cover for wildlife2  7v7 provides       
permanent cover to protect the soil from
 erosion2 and  7vi7 improves water      
quality4  7,b7 ,resource-conserving crop
 rotation ,the term  2 and  7iii7 in    

subparagraph 7,b7 7as so designated7--  
7,i7 in clause 7iv7 7as so              
redesignated71 by striking and at the   
end2 and  7,,ii7 by inserting after     
clause 7iv7 7as so redesignated7 the    
following3  7v7 builds soil carbon2 and 
2  7,f7 in paragraph 7#b7 7as so        
redesignated71 by striking improve      
resource-conserving and all that follows
 through the period at the end and      
inserting the following3  improve1      
manage1 and maintain-- 7,a7             
resource-conserving crop rotations2 or  
7,b7 management-intensive rotational    
grazing4  2  7,g7 in paragraph 7#c7--   
7i7 by striking paragraph 7#a7 and      
inserting paragraph 7#b72 and  7ii7 by  
striking and maintain and all that      
follows through the period at the end   
and inserting or improve1 manage1 and   
maintain resource-conserving crop       
rotations or management-intensive       
rotational grazing for the term of the  
contract42 and  7,h7 by adding at the   
end the following3  7#d7 ,minimum amount

 of payment ,an additional payment      
provided under paragraph 7#b7 shall be  
in an amount that is not less than #bj  
per acre4  2  7#d7 by redesignating     
subsections 7f7 through 7i7 as          
subsections 7g7 through 7j71            
respectively2  7#e7 by inserting after  
subsection 7e7 the following3  7f7      
,payment for comprehensive conservation 
plan  7#a7 ,definition of comprehensive 
conservation plan ,in this subsection1  
the term comprehensive conservation plan
 means a conservation plan that meets or
 exceeds the stewardship threshold for  
each priority resource concern          
identified by the ,secretary under      
subsection 7a77#b74  7#b7 ,payment for  
comprehensive conservation plan ,the    
,secretary shall provide an additional  
annual payment to a producer that       
develops and implements a comprehensive 
conservation plan4  7#c7 ,amount of     
payment  7,a7 ,in general ,an additional
 annual payment under paragraph 7#b7    
shall be in an amount not less than     

#a1jjj and not greater than #c1jjj per  
year4  7,b7 ,criteria ,the ,secretary   
shall determine the amount of payment   
under subparagraph 7,a7 based on-- 7i7  
the number of priority resource concerns
 addressed in the comprehensive         
conservation plan2 and  7ii7 the number 
of types of land uses included in the   
comprehensive conservation plan4  2 and 
7#f7 in subsection 7j7 7as so           
redesignated71 by striking subsection   
7f7 and inserting subsection 7g74  #d4  
,environmental ,quality ,incentives     
,program  7a7 ,purposes ,section        
#abdj7d7 of the ,food ,security ,act of 
#aihe 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #chci;aa7#d77 is   
amended by striking livestock1 pest or  
irrigation management and inserting     
crops and livestock1 pest management1   
irrigation management4  7b7             
,establishment and administration  7#a7 
,in general ,section #abdj;,b of the    
,food ,security ,act of #aihe 7#af      
,u4,s4,c4 #chci;aa-#b7 is amended-- 7,a7
 by redesignating subsections 7c7       

through 7i7 as subsections 7d7 through  
7j71 respectively2  7,b7 by inserting   
after subsection 7b7 the following3  7c7
 ,program coordination ,the ,secretary  
shall coordinate management of the      
program and the conservation stewardship
 program under subchapter ,b of chapter 
#b to facilitate the ability of a       
participant in the program to enroll in 
the conservation stewardship program    
after meeting the stewardship threshold 
for not less than #b priority resource  
concerns4  2 and  7,c7 in paragraph     
7#d77;,b7 of subsection 7e7 7as so      
redesignated7-- 7i7 in clause 7i7--     
7,i7 by striking ,not more than and     
inserting ,the ,secretary shall provide 
not less than2  7,,ii7 by striking may  
be provided2 and  7,,iii7 by striking   
the purpose of and inserting all costs  
relating to2 and  7ii7 in clause 7ii71  
by striking #ij-;day and inserting      
#ahj-;day4  7#b7 ,conforming amendments 
,section #abdj;,b of the ,food ,security
 ,act of #aihe 7#af ,u4,s4,c4           

#chci;aa-#b7 is amended-- 7,a7 in       
paragraph 7#b7 of subsection 7g7 7as so 
redesignated71 by striking subsection   
7g7 and inserting subsection 7h72 and   
7,b7 in paragraph 7#b7 of subsection 7h7
 7as so redesignated71 by striking      
subsection 7f7 and inserting subsection 
7g74  #e4 ,funding and administration   
7a7 ,commodity ,credit ,corporation     
,section #abda of the ,food ,security   
,act of #aihe 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #chda7 is  
amended--  7#a7 in subsection 7a7-- 7,a7
 in the matter preceding paragraph 7#a71
 by striking fiscal year #bjai and      
inserting each of fiscal years #bjai    
through #bjbc2 and  7,b7 in paragraph   
7#e71 by striking practicable-- in the  
matter preceding subparagraph 7,a7 and  
all that follows through the period at  
the end of subparagraph 7,e7 and        
inserting practicable1 #a1gej1jjj1jjj   
for each of fiscal years #bjai through  
#bjbc1 of which not less than           
#ejj1jjj1jjj for each fiscal year shall 
be for management activities that assist

 producers that protect sources of      
drinking water42  7#b7 in subsection    
7b71 by striking fiscal year #bjai and  
inserting each of fiscal years #bjai    
through #bjbc2 and  7#c7 in subsection  
7h77#a7--  7,a7 in the matter preceding 
subparagraph 7,a71 by striking #bjah and
 inserting #bjbc2 and  7,b7 by striking 
#e percent each place it appears and    
inserting #ae percent4  7b7 ,acreage    
limitations ,section #abdd7;f77#a7 of   
the ,food ,security ,act of #aihe 7#af  
,u4,s4,c4 #chdd7;f77#a77 is amended--   
7#a7 in subparagraph 7,a7--  7,a7 in the
 subparagraph heading1 by inserting     
,conservation ,reserve ,program before  
,enrollments2  7,b7 by striking #be and 
inserting #ae2 and  7,c7 by striking and
 wetland reserve easements under section
 #abfe;,c and inserting 1 except that   
any land included in that program in a  
county greater than #ae percent of the  
cropland of which is included in that   
program on the day before the date of   
enactment of the ,give ,our ,resources  

the ,opportunity to ,work ,act of #bjah 
may continue to be so included until the
 date on which the contract covering the
 land expires42 and  7#b7 in            
subparagraph 7,b71 by striking #aj and  
inserting #ae4  #f4 ,report on land     
access1 tenure1 and transition ,not     
later than #a year after the date of    
enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary  
of ,agriculture1 in consultation with   
the ,chief ,economist1 shall submit to  
,congress and make publicly available a 
report identifying--  7#a7 the barriers 
that prevent or hinder the ability of   
beginning farmers and ranchers and      
historically underserved producers to   
acquire or access farmland2  7#b7 the   
extent to which ,federal programs1      
including agricultural conservation     
easement programs1 land transition      
programs1 and financing programs1 are   
improving--  7,a7 farmland access and   
tenure for beginning farmers and        
ranchers and historically underserved   
producers2 and  7,b7 farmland transition

 and succession2 and  7#c7 the          
regulatory1 operational1 or statutory   
changes that are necessary to improve-- 
7,a7 the ability of beginning farmers   
and ranchers and historically           
underserved producers to acquire or     
access farmland2  7,b7 farmland tenure  
for beginning farmers and ranchers and  
historically underserved producers2 and 
7,c7 farmland transition and succession4