Establishing priorities, ranking consideration, and project selection.

CFR · 2024-01-01 · US · Title 7

(a) When evaluating easements or 30-year contract applications from landowners, NRCS, with advice from the State technical committee, may consider: (1) The conservation benefits of obtaining an easement or other interest in the land, including but not limited to— (i) Habitat that will be restored for the benefit of migratory birds and wetland-dependent wildlife, including diversity of wildlife that will be benefitted or life-cycle needs that will be addressed; (ii) Extent and use of habitat that will be restored for threatened, endangered, or other at-risk species or number of different at-risk species benefitted; (iii) Protection or restoration of native vegetative communities; (iv) Habitat diversity and complexity to be restored; (v) Proximity and connectivity to other protected habitats; (vi) Extent of beneficial adjacent land uses; (vii) Proximity to impaired water bodies; (viii) Extent of wetland losses within a geographic area, including wetlands generally or specific wetland types; (ix) Capacity of the wetland to improve water quality; (x) Hydrology restoration potential, which must comprise at least 50 percent of the points for conservation benefits. (2) The cost effectiveness of each easement; (3) Whether the landowner or another person or entity is offering to contribute financially to the cost of the easement or other interest in the land to leverage Federal funds; (4) The extent to which the purposes of this part would be achieved on the land; (5) The productivity

official document · source cfr-2024 · id 7:§ 1468.32