2002 NS Agreement Cooperative Agreement – Acceptance of USDA Grant for Farmland Easements

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TEMPLATE 09/13/02 ~ Agreement No. COOPER.ATIVE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE LTNITED STATES OF AMERICA COMMODITY CREDIT CORPORATION and Orange County for the FARMLAND PROTECTION PROGRAM This Cooperative Agreement, made this day of , 2002 is entered into by and between the United States of America, acting by and through the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC), and Orange County for the implementation of the Farmland Protection Program (FPP). The CCC shall utilize the expertise and services of the various agencies of the United States Department of Agriculture, including the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) (hereinafter "the United States") and the Farm Service Agency (FSA). For purposes of this Cooperative Agreement, the term "Parties" refers collectively to the United States and Orange County. I. AUTHORITY. This Cooperative Agreement is entered into by the United States under the authorities of the Commodity Credit Charter Act, 15 U.S.C. 714 et seq.; Title II, Subtitle F, Section 2503 of the Farm Security and Rural Investrnent Act of 2002 (Public Law 107-171) and Title VII, Section 714 of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and related Agencies Appropriation Act of 2001 (Public Law 106-38~. The CCC administers the FPP under the general supervision of the Chief of the NRCS who is a Vice President of the CCC. II. BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE. Enacted on May 13, 2002, Section 2503 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to purchase conservation easements or other interests in land that are subject to a pending offers from a State, Tribal or units of local government or eligible nongovernmental organizations for the purpose of protecting topsoil by limiting non-agricultural uses of the land. To be eligible, the farm or ranch land must contain prime, unique, or other productive soil or historical or archaeological resources. For fiscal year 2002, the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 authorized up to $50,000,000 for the FPP. On May 30, 2002, CCC published a notice in the Federal Register requesting proposals for participation from Tribes, States, units of local government, and non-governmental organizations. See Federal Register Volume 67, Number 104, Notices Page 37756.