Wetland reserve easements

(a) Easements Section 1265C(b) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3865c(b)) is amended— (1) in paragraph (1)(D), by striking tribes and inserting Tribes and landowners who are socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers; and (2) by inserting after paragraph (3)(C) the following: (D) Pooling of applications The Secretary may evaluate and rank offers from landowners who are socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers separately from offers from other landowners.. (b) Easement restoration Section 1265C(c)(1) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3865c(c)(1)) is amended by striking subsection (f) and inserting subsection (g). (c) Easement stewardship Section 1265C of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3865c) is amended— (1) by redesignating subsections (d) through (g) as subsections (e) through (h), respectively; and (2) by inserting after subsection (c), the following: (d) Easement stewardship (1) In general The Secretary shall provide financial assistance to owners of eligible land enrolled under this section for the repair, necessary maintenance, and enhancement activities described in the wetland reserve easement plan developed for the eligible land under subsection (g)(1). (2) Evaluation of stewardship need The Secretary shall— (A) regularly assess land enrolled under this section to identify maintenance and management needs, including any needed repair or enhancement of existing structural practices, in accordance with the applicable wetland reserve easement plan; (B) consistent with the purposes of the program, create, execute, and update as necessary based on the assessments carried out under subparagraph (A), a stewardship strategy for— (i) prioritizing and addressing the needs identified under subparagraph (A); and (ii) projecting the amount of annual funding needed for financial and technical assistance to address such needs; and (C) establish a 5-year schedule to address such needs. (3) Payments In carrying out paragraph (1), the Secretary shall make payments in an amount that is not more than 100 percent of the eligible costs, as determined by the Secretary. (4) Report Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report that includes— (A) an inventory of the existing stewardship needs of all wetland reserve easements, based on the assessments carried out under paragraph (2); (B) the stewardship strategy created under paragraph (2)(B); (C) the amounts the Secretary plans to allocate to address such stewardship needs, based on projections made pursuant to paragraph (2)(B)(ii); and (D) the planned use of compatible uses under subsection (b)(5)(C), contracts or agreements under subsection (e)(2), or wetland reserve easement plans under subsection (g)(1) to ensure that each such stewardship need is addressed.. (d) Assistance Subsection (e) of section 1265C of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3865c), as so redesignated, is amended— (1) in the header, by striking Technical assistance and inserting Assistance; and (2) by amending paragraph (2) to read as follows: (2) Contracts or agreements The Secretary may enter into 1 or more contracts or agreements with a Federal, State, or local agency, a nongovernmental organization, an Indian Tribe, or a private entity to carry out necessary restoration, enhancement, maintenance, repair, assessment, or monitoring of a wetland reserve easement if the Secretary determines that the contract or agreement will advance the purposes of the program.. (e) Wetland reserve enhancement option Subsection (f) of section 1265C of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3865c), as so redesignated, is amended— (1) by striking The Secretary and inserting the following: (1) In general The Secretary; and (2) by adding at the end the following: (2) Funding Of the funds made available to carry out this section, the Secretary shall reserve not less than 15 percent to carry out this subsection..

(a) Easements Section 1265C(b) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3865c(b)) is amended— (1) in paragraph (1)(D), by striking tribes and inserting Tribes and landowners who are socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers; and (2) by inserting after paragraph (3)(C) the following: (D) Pooling of applications The Secretary may evaluate and rank offers from landowners who are socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers separately from offers from other landowners.. (b) Easement restoration Section 1265C(c)(1) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3865c(c)(1)) is amended by striking subsection (f) and inserting subsection (g). (c) Easement stewardship Section 1265C of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3865c) is amended— (1) by redesignating subsections (d) through (g) as subsections (e) through (h), respectively; and (2) by inserting after subsection (c), the following: (d) Easement stewardship (1) In general The Secretary shall provide financial assistance to owners of eligible land enrolled under this section for the repair, necessary maintenance, and enhancement activities described in the wetland reserve easement plan developed for the eligible land under subsection (g)(1). (2) Evaluation of stewardship need The Secretary shall— (A) regularly assess land enrolled under this section to identify maintenance and management needs, including any needed repair or enhancement of existing structural practices, in accordance with the applicable wetland reserve easement plan; (B) consistent with the purposes of the program, create, execute, and update as necessary based on the assessments carried out under subparagraph (A), a stewardship strategy for— (i) prioritizing and addressing the needs identified under subparagraph (A); and (ii) projecting the amount of annual funding needed for financial and technical assistance to address such needs; and (C) establish a 5-year schedule to address such needs. (3) Payments In carrying out paragraph (1), the Secretary shall make payments in an amount that is not more than 100 percent of the eligible costs, as determined by the Secretary. (4) Report Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report that includes— (A) an inventory of the existing stewardship needs of all wetland reserve easements, based on the assessments carried out under paragraph (2); (B) the stewardship strategy created under paragraph (2)(B); (C) the amounts the Secretary plans to allocate to address such stewardship needs, based on projections made pursuant to paragraph (2)(B)(ii); and (D) the planned use of compatible uses under subsection (b)(5)(C), contracts or agreements under subsection (e)(2), or wetland reserve easement plans under subsection (g)(1) to ensure that each such stewardship need is addressed.. (d) Assistance Subsection (e) of section 1265C of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3865c), as so redesignated, is amended— (1) in the header, by striking Technical assistance and inserting Assistance; and (2) by amending paragraph (2) to read as follows: (2) Contracts or agreements The Secretary may enter into 1 or more contracts or agreements with a Federal, State, or local agency, a nongovernmental organization, an Indian Tribe, or a private entity to carry out necessary restoration, enhancement, maintenance, repair, assessment, or monitoring of a wetland reserve easement if the Secretary determines that the contract or agreement will advance the purposes of the program.. (e) Wetland reserve enhancement option Subsection (f) of section 1265C of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3865c), as so redesignated, is amended— (1) by striking The Secretary and inserting the following: (1) In general The Secretary; and (2) by adding at the end the following: (2) Funding Of the funds made available to carry out this section, the Secretary shall reserve not less than 15 percent to carry out this subsection..