NRCS Wetland Compliance and Appeals Reform Act

NRCS Wetland Compliance and Appeals Reform Act

This bill revises provisions related to the wetland certification program at the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) of the Department of Agriculture (USDA), including by

• prohibiting the NRCS from acquiring any permanent easement;
• prohibiting USDA from imposing penalties retroactively for newly determined wetlands;
• revising the appeals process of the NRCS for wetland certification requests;
• prohibiting USDA from using new rationale for a wetland determination if a person has previously successfully appealed a final wetland determination;
• establishing that USDA bears the burden of proof, by clear and convincing evidence, that a person has violated certain wetland conservation provisions;
• requiring USDA to establish oversight committees in each state that will oversee the appeals of wetland determinations; and
• requiring that each individual who interacts with the NRCS have the option to participate in a customer satisfaction survey provided by an independent survey company.