Farm Conservation and Water Protection Act of 1989

Farm Conservation and Water Protection Act of 1989 - Title I: General Provisions - Sets forth findings and policies regarding low-input agricultural production systems as alternatives to high-input systems.

Subtitle A: Production Adjustment Programs - Amends the Agricultural Act of 1949 with regard to the 1990 crops of wheat, feed grains, upland cotton, and rice to consider as program crop acreage (for purposes of conservation use acreage farm crop acreage bases) the planting of legumes or small grain-legume mixtures as part of a resource-conserving crop rotation (erosion reduction, nitrogen fixing, agricultural chemical reduction).

Requires with regard to such crops that vegetative cover be planted on all conservation use acreage. Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to pay part of such costs, and requires the Secretary to pay 50 percent of such costs if an approved legume cover resource conserving crop rotation system is used.

Amends the Food Security Act of 1985 to direct the Secretary to enter into multiyear set-aside contracts with producers participating in production adjustment programs for each of the 1990 through 1995 crops of wheat, feed grains, upland cotton, and rice.

Subtitle B: FmHA Programs - Amends the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to expand the scope of soil and water conservation loans.

Makes the conversion to and maintenance of low-input agricultural production systems eligible for operating loans.

Subtitle C: Crop Insurance - Amends the Federal Crop Insurance Act to prohibit crop insurance discrimination against producers utilizing low-input agricultural production systems.

Directs the Secretary to report to the appropriate congressional committees regarding such producers' crop insurance needs.

Subtitle D: Low-Input Agricultural Production System Program - Directs the Secretary to: (1) establish a program to assist producers in adopting low-input agricultural production systems; and (2) develop related technical guides and provide grants for such purpose. Authorizes appropriations.

Requires: (1) a producer to develop a farm management plan in order to receive such assistance; and (2) the Agricultural Soil Conservation Service and the Agricultural Extension Service to certify plan compliance.

Requires the Secretary to make acreage limitation and price support adjustments for participating producers of the 1990 crops of wheat, feed grains, upland cotton, and rice. Provides specified Federal crop insurance premiums for such producers.

Directs the Secretary to: (1) submit to the appropriate congressional committees a technical guide report and annual program reports; and (2) disseminate program information through the Agricultural Extension Service and State extension services.

Title II: Conservation - Subtitle A: Wetland Protection and Restoration Program - Amends the Food Security Act of 1985 to direct the Secretary to establish a wetland restoration program based on permanent easement contracts and shared restoration costs. States that eligible land shall be wetland or converted wetland used as cropland not otherwise set aside in another Federal program (except for land in the conservation reserve program). Authorizes appropriations.

Sets forth provisions with respect to easement contracts and responsibilities of the Secretary and the owners.

Subtitle B: Wetland Conservation, Conservation Reserve Program, and Water Bank Program - Amends the Food Security Act of 1985 to extend through crop year 1995 and enlarge the conservation reserve program (CRP). Provides for the inclusion of tree acreage in the CRP, including highly erodible pasture land planted with trees.

Requires where appropriate (current law authorizes) the Secretary to establish shelterbelts, windbreaks, and other conservation practices including wildlife and riparian corridors.

Directs the Secretary to permit specified economic use options (livestock use, timber harvesting) if an owner agrees to permanently retire the cropland base and allotment history or give the Secretary a permanent conservation use easement of CRP land.

Expands the scope of the appeals procedure under the highly erodible land conservation, wetland conservation, and the conservation reserve programs.

Amends the Water Bank Act to permit the Secretary to enter into permanent conservation easement contracts under such Act.

Title III: Water Protection - Subtitle A: Well Testing Program - Directs the Secretary to establish a well testing program to test for pesticide and nitrate contamination.

Provides assistance for the development of groundwater protection plans and outreach programs in specified areas with pesticide-contaminated drinking water supplies.

Subtitle B: Sinkholes - Directs the Secretary to carry out through the 1991 crop year a pilot program to conserve soil and water resources on cropland containing naturally occurring sinkholes.

Title IV: Research and Extension - Expresses the sense of the Congress that the Agricultural Research Service and the Cooperative State Research Service should: (1) make low-input agricultural research a major priority; and (2) increase research in specified areas, including plant varieties, technology transfers, and pesticide residues.

Establishes within the Extension Service a Farmers Conservation Service which shall assist producers to implement low-input agricultural production systems.

Title V: Certified Organic Food - Directs the Secretary to establish an Organic Food Commission to determine the advisability of establishing a national program for organic food certification. Sets forth certification criteria.

Title VI: Farmland Protection - Amends the Farmland Protection Policy Act to direct the Secretary to appoint a Special Assistant to carry out the provisions of such Act.

Prohibits the conversion of farmland to nonagricultural uses by a Federal agency unless: (1) the Special Assistant and affected State and local governments review a project's effects on farmland and identify alternatives; and (2) no economically reasonable alternative exists.

Requires the Secretary to submit to the appropriate congressional committees an update of the National Agricultural Lands Study.