A bill to establish a national policy concerning agricultural land; to establish an Agricultural Land Review Commission; to establish a demonstration program for protecting agricultural land from being used for nonagricultural purposes; and for other purposes.
National Agricultural Land Policy Act - Title I: Objectives - Declares that it is the policy of the Federal Government, in cooperation with State and local governments, to use all practicable methods to retain and protect agricultural land, to reduce its conversion to nonagricultural uses, and to limit the encroachment of industrial activities.
Title II: Research Program - Establishes a three-year Agricultural Land Review Commission to study: (1) agricultural land in the United States; (2) the effects of industrial development, climate and other factors on the productivity of such land; (3) the acquisition of such land by persons not engaged in agricultural activities; and (4) methods of protecting such land, and of reducing the amount of it being converted to nonagricultural uses.
Authorizes the Commission to make grants to institutes of higher learning to do research pursuant to its study. Requires the Commission to report its findings, conclusions and recommendations to the President and to Congress.
Title III: Demonstration Programs - Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to pay up to 75 percent of the cost and to provide technical assistance to any State pilot project undertaken to demonstrate and test methods of reducing the amount of agricultural land being converted to nonagricultural uses. Requires all such projects to be completed within five years after enactment of this Act. Directs the Secretary to report his findings, conclusions and recommendations to the President and to Congress.
Title IV: General Provisions - Defines terms used in this Act.
Title V: Funding - Authorizes for Title II programs the appropriation of $15,000,000.
Authorizes for Title III programs the appropriation of $75,000,000 each for fiscal years 1979 and 1980, and $100,000,000 each for fiscal years 1981, 1982, and 1983.
Introduced in Senate
Referred to Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry.
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