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1 ings and conclusions of the Secretary concerning the effec2 tiveness of methods of reducing the quantity of agricultural 3 land being converted from agricultural uses to nonagricul4 tural uses, together with the Secretary's recommendations 5 for such legislation or administrative action as the Secretary 6 considers necessary to reduce the quantity of agricultural 7 land being so converted.

8 TITLE IV-TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM 9 SEC. 401. (a) The Secretary, acting through the Soil 10 Conservation Service of the Department of Agriculture, shall 11 provide to States and units of local government

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technical assistance concerning methods of protecting agricultural land and reducing the quantity

of such land being converted from agricultural uses to nonagricultural uses.

(b) As a part of the technical assistance provided under this section, the Secretary shall disseminate the latest information available concerning the study and other activities being carried out by the Secretary under title II of this Act

and concerning the demonstration projects being conducted under title III of this Act.

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TITLE V-GENERAL PROVISIONS

DEFINITIONS

SEC. 501. For purposes of this Act

(1) The term "agricultural land" means any land (including cropland, pastureland, rangeland, or forestland)

which

has the best combination of physical and chemical characteristics for producing food, feed, forage, fiber, and oilseed crops, or a specific high value food or fiber crop, and is also available for these uses and has the soil quality, growing season, and moisture supply needed to economically produce sustained high yields of crops when treated and managed, including water management according to acceptable farming methods. In general, agricultural lands have an adequate and dependable water supply from precipitation or irrigation, a favorable temperature and growing season, acceptable acidity or alkalinity and acceptable salt and sodium content. They are permeable to water and air. Agricultural lands are not excessively erodible or saturated with water for a long period of time, and they either do not flood frequently or are protected from flooding.

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(2) The term "State" means the several

States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth

of Puerto Rico, the Northern Marianna Islands,

American Samoa, the Trust Territory of the Pacific
Islands, or any territory or possession of the
United States.

(3) The term "unit of local government" means the government of a county, municipality, town, township, village, or other unit of general government below the State level (determined on the basis of the same principles as are used by the Bureau of the Census for general statistical purposes).

LIMITATIONS

SEC. 502. Nothing in this Act authorizes, or may be construed to authorize, the Federal Government or any department, agency, or official thereof

(1) to restrict or otherwise regulate in any way

the use of privately owned land;

(2) to deprive landowners of their rights to property or to income from the sale of property; or

(3) to abrogate, restrict, or in any way diminish existing authority and responsibilities of the various States and units of local government respecting land use, zoning, taxation, or any other aspect of the regulation, utilization, and disposition of public or private lands within their respective jurisdictions.

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EFFECTIVE DATE

SEC. 503. The provisions of this Act shall become effec

tive October 1, 1980.

AUTHORIZATIONS FOR APPROPRIATIONS

Sec. 504.

There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out the provisions of title III of this Act $15,000,000 for the fiscal year ending on September 30, 1981, $25,000,000 for the fiscal year ending on September 30, 1982, $20,000,000 for the fiscal year ending on September 30, 1983, and $500,000 for the fiscal year ending on September 30, 198.

and amend the title to read as follows:

To establish internal Federal policy concerning protection of certain agricultural land; require the Secretary of Agriculture to study and report on problems affecting agricultural land; establish a demonstration program relating to methods of protecting certain agricultural land from being used for nonagricultural purposes; and for other purposes.

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF H.R. 2551 AND

~STITUTE

H.R. 2551

THE AG. LAND PROTECTION ACT

A brief description of the apparent problem and the intent of this act to solve these problems.

AMENDMENT IN THE NATURE OF A SUBSTITUTE

Deleted with the intent to work this language into legislative history.

The substitute directs the Secretary to carry out the same function.

Technical changes to comply with changes in Title II. substantive changes otherwise.

No

Deleted Sec. 401 (a) (2) + (c)(1) financial assistance which is a duplication of Title 3 to some extend.

Title V

General Provisions

Deletes Sec. 504 (a) and (c) which provided funding

for Title II (Study Committee) and Title IV (technical Assistance