§ 702.2 - Definitions.

(a) The following definitions shall be applicable for the purposes of this part:

(1) Applicant means an entity who has offered to enter into a CRSC Contract in accordance with the provisions of this part;

(2) Actual cost means the direct costs of establishing a salinity reduction practice, and includes the cost of labor, supplies, and other necessary activities;

(3) Average cost means the cost, determined by averaging actual costs and current cost estimates, considered to be necessary for a participant to carry out a salinity reduction practice, a designated component of a salinity reduction practice, or a system of practices;

(4) Conservation District (CD) means a subdivision of a State organized pursuant to applicable State law. The term includes bodies variously known in the States as conservation district, soil conservation district, soil and water conservation district, natural resource district, resource conservation district, or natural resource conservation district;

(5) Components means measurable units of a salinity reduction practice which, when completed by the program participant, can be certified by the Soil Conservation Service (SCS) as reasonable, identifiable progress toward completion of the practice with respect to which cost-share payment is being made under the CRSC program;

(6) Conservation treatment means the combination of salinity reduction practices that will provide the salinity control treatment required to reduce seepage and improve irrigation water management in order to achieve the projected salt load reductions indicated in the applicable published USDA Salinity Control Report. Such treatment may include replacement of incidental fish and wildlife values foregone as a result of salinity control treatment applied by the participant under the CRSC program.

(7) CRSC Contract means the contract including the salinity control plan, entered into in writing between the local Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Committee (COC) and the participant which sets forth the terms and conditions for participation in the CRSC Program established in accordance with this part.

(8) Cost-effective means maximization of the CRSC Program on-farm and offsite benefits at the least Federal cost per unit of salinity reduction.

(9) Cost-share assistance means the providing of financial resources to assist program participants in establishing conservation treatment identified in participants’ contracts;

(10) Cost-share rate means a fixed amount of cost-share funds paid per unit for carrying out certain salinity reduction practices.

(11) Deputy Administrator means the FSA Deputy Administrator for State and County Operations, or designee.

(12) Entity means an individual or group of individuals, Indian tribe, partnership, firm, joint-stock company, corporation, association, trust, estate, irrigation district/company, or other public or nonpublic entity (except federal agencies), and wherever applicable, a State, a political subdivision of a State, or any agency thereof;

(13) Fish and wildlife values foregone means incidental fish and wildlife habitats that may be affected adversely by salinity reduction practices applied by the program participant;

(14) Irrigation district/company means a group of individuals (private or public) associated together in a locality, that has a vested interested in the operation of an irrigation distribution system that serve as a specific area. This definition includes irrigation districts, mutual water companies or districts, water conservancy districts, canal companies, and other similar entities;

(15) Lifespan means the period of time during which a salinity reduction practice is expected to effectively achieve or provide the results for which it was developed and implemented.

(16) Offsite benefits means those benefits which accrue downstream as a result of reduced salinity concentrations in the Colorado River by the salt load reductions achieved through implementation of the CRSC Program and/or its constituent practices and treatments;

(17) On-farm benefits means those benefits which accrue on a farm from improved irrigation systems and efficiencies, including reduced production costs, reduced labor costs, reduced operation and maintenance costs, and improved crop yields;

(18) Operation and Maintenance Agreement means the agreement entered into between the COC and the participant which sets forth the terms and conditions requiring the participant to use and maintain the salinity reduction practices for their effective lifespans as set forth in the agreement;

(19) Participant means any entity who has entered into an approved CRSC Contract with the COC to participate in the CRSC Program;

(20) Project implementation plan means a plan of operations developed by Farm Service Agency, Extension Service and Soil Conservation Service, in consultation with local officials for the purpose of implementing a project plan for a specific salt source area;

(21) Project plan means that plan of conservation treatment that is identified in the applicable USDA Salinity Control Report as the preferred plan for implementation of salinity reduction practices in a specific salt source area. The project plan will identify cost-effective salinity reduction practices, the land which should receive conservation treatment on a priority basis in relation to other land in the specific salt source area, and the levels of conservation treatment needed in the specific salt source area in order to achieve the most cost-effective salinity control objectives for the particular area to be achieved;

(22) Salinity control plan means the plan and schedule of operations that sets forth salinity reduction practices that must be establish on a specific unit of land. The salinity control plan shall be developed by the applicant with assistance from the SCS and must be approved by the CD;

(23) Salinity Reduction Practice (SRP) means a specific conservation practice designed to reduce salt loading from a salt source area or to replace incidental fish and wildlife values foregone that is identified in a project plan and project implementation plan for a salt-source area;

(24) Salt-source area means a geographical area within the Colorado River Basin that has been identified by SCS as a significant contributing source of salt to the Colorado River;

(25) Specifications means minimum quantity and quality requirements established by SCS to meet the standard for a specific conservation practice;

(26) State Conservationist means the SCS official in charge of agency operations within a state, as set forth in part 600 of this chapter;

(27) Technical assistance means use of personnel and financial resources to identify salt-source areas, develop project plans, prepare salinity control plans, contracts, and designs, supervise plan installation, and carry out research, demonstration, education, monitoring, and evaluation activities;

(28) USDA Salinity Control Report means a report that identifies salt source areas in the Colorado River Basin and establishes a cost-effective project plan for such areas designed to reduce the salinity levels in the Colorado River. The USDA Salinity Control Report is prepared and published by the Soil Conservation Service with provision for public comment;

(29) Technical guide means a document on file in the local SCS office containing technical information and specifications for the conservation of soil, water, plant, animal, and related natural resources specifically applicable to the area for which it is prepared.

(b) In the regulations in this part and in all instructions, forms, and documents in connection therewith, all other words and phrases shall, unless the context of subject matter otherwise requires, have the meanings assigned to them in the regulations governing reconstitutions of farms, allotments and bases, 7 CFR part 719.