S.Amdt. 2364

1. Rewrites page 195, line 25 through page 196, line 16

   ReplacesPrinted page

   Removes page 195, line 25 through page 196, line 16 of the printed bill. See that page

   Inserted: life habitat under subsection (g).

   Inserted: (3) Water quantity improvement.--For each of fiscal years 2013 through 2017, at least 10 percent of the funds made available for payments under the program shall be used to provide payments to producers to conserve surface water and groundwater in accordance with subsection (h).

   Inserted: (5) by striking subsection (g) and inserting the following:

   Inserted: "(g) Wildlife Habitat Incentive Practice.--The Secretary shall provide payments under the program for conservation practices that support the restoration, development, and improvement of wildlife habitat on eligible land, including--

   Inserted: "(1) upland wildlife habitat;

   Inserted: "(2) wetland wildlife habitat;

   Inserted: "(3) habitat for threatened and endangered species;

   Inserted: "(4) fish habitat;

   Inserted: "(5) habitat on pivot corners and other irregular areas of a field; and

   Inserted: "(6) other types of wildlife habitat, as determined by the Secretary."; and

   Inserted: (6) in subsection (h), by adding at the end the following:

   Inserted: "(3) Use of funds.--

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   Inserted: "(A) Practices.--The Secretary shall promote surface water and groundwater conservation by providing assistance in the form of cost-share payments, incentive payments, and loans to producers to carry out eligible water conservation practices with respect to the agricultural operations of producers--

   Inserted: "(i) to improve irrigation systems;

   Inserted: "(ii) to enhance irrigation efficiencies;

   Inserted: "(iii) to convert to--

   Inserted: "(I) the production of less water-intensive crops;

   Inserted: "(II) dryland farming; or

   Inserted: "(III) long-term grassland rotation;

   Inserted: "(iv) to improve the storage of water through measures such as water banking and groundwater recharge;

   Inserted: "(v) to mitigate the effects of drought; and

   Inserted: "(vi) to carry out other measures that improve surface water and groundwater conservation, as determined by the Secretary, in the agricultural operations of the producers.

   Inserted: "(B) Allocation.--

   Inserted: "(i) In general.--Subject to clause (ii), in allocating funds under this paragraph, the Secretary shall ensure that not less than 50 percent shall be directed to groundwater conservation in multistate aquifers based on the magnitude of withdrawals from the multistate aquifers for irrigation during the prior year and the historic groundwater level reductions.

   Inserted: "(ii) Requirement.--In carrying out clause (i), the Secretary shall provide assistance to producers to carry out groundwater conservation practices in areas overlying those portions of multistate aquifers that have experienced the highest historic groundwater level reductions.".

   Original wording

   On page 195, strike line 25 and all that follows through page 196, line 16, and insert the following:

Read automatically from the Congressional Record. Check the original before relying on it.

As printed