Ranking considerations and proposal selection.

CFR · 2024-01-01 · US · Title 7

(a) Before the State Conservationist can score and rank the parcels for funding, the eligibility of the landowner and the land must be assessed. (b) The State Conservationist will use national and State criteria to score and rank parcels. The national ranking criteria will be established by the Chief, and the State criteria will be determined by the State Conservationist, with advice from the State Technical Committee. The national criteria will comprise at least half of the ranking system score. (c) At least 30 days before the ranking of parcels, the State Conservationist will announce the date on which ranking of parcels will occur. A State Conservationist may announce more than one date of ranking in a fiscal year. (d) All parcels submitted throughout the fiscal year will be scored. All parcels will be ranked together in accordance with the national and State ranking criteria before parcels are selected for funding. (e) The parcels selected for funding will be listed on the agreements of the entities that submitted the parcels, and the agreements will be signed by the State Conservationist and the eligible entity. Funds for each fiscal year's parcels will be obligated with a new signature each year on an amendment to the agreement. Parcels funded on each fiscal year's amendment will have a separate deadline for closing and requesting reimbursement. (f) The national ranking criteria are: (1) Percent of prime, unique, and important farmland in the parcel to be protected; (2)

official document · source cfr-2024 · id 7:§ 1491.6