[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 7, Volume 11]
[Revised as of January 1, 2003]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 7CFR1781.3]

[Page 1070]
 
                          TITLE 7--AGRICULTURE
 
    CHAPTER XVII--RURAL UTILITIES SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
 
PART 1781--RESOURCE CONSERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT (RCD) LOANS AND WATERSHED (WS) LOANS AND ADVANCES--Table of Contents
 
Sec. 1781.3  Authorities, responsibilities, and delegation of authority.

    (a) NRCS provides technical and financial assistance to sponsoring 
local organizations for developing WS and RCD area plans and for 
individual RCD measures or projects and watershed works of improvement. 
The watershed work plan for developing, operating, and maintaining 
watershed works of improvement must be agreed upon by sponsoring local 
organizations and NRCS. When approved, it is the basis for extending 
technical and cost sharing assistance from watershed funds. The RCD area 
plan is prepared for the development of the RCD area by sponsoring local 
organizations with assistance from NRCS and other agencies, endorsed by 
the Governor or by the agency designated by the Governor, and accepted 
by the Secretary of Agriculture or his delegate. It includes objectives, 
planned courses of action, and RCD measures or projects to be developed. 
It is amended as necessary to include continuing activities and needs in 
the RCD area.
    (b) RUS receives and processes applications for WS loans and NRCS WS 
advances and RCD loans and makes and services such loan and advances. WS 
loans are made by RUS from either Public Law 534 (78th Cong.) funds 
authorized in the Flood Control Act of 1944 (33 U.S.C. 701 et seq.) or 
Public Law 566 (83rd Cong.) funds authorized in the Watershed Protection 
and Flood Prevention Act of 1954 (68 Stat. 666) to cover a part or all 
of the local cost for a watershed work of improvement.
    (c) WS loans and WS advances may be made to project sponsors in 
watershed project areas for which:
    (1) A watershed work plan has been approved administratively or by 
resolutions adopted by the Committee on Agriculture and Forestry of the 
Senate and by the Committee on Agriculture of the House of 
Representatives; and
    (2) Federal assistance has been authorized for the installation of 
works of improvement by the Administrator of NRCS.
    (d) RCD loans may be made in areas authorized for RCD program 
assistance by the Secretary of Agriculture and for which an RCD plan 
design or area plan has been accepted by the State NRCS Conservationist.
    (e) Delegation of authority. The Rural Development State Director is 
authorized to approve WS and RCD loans subject to limitations in RUS 
Staff Instruction 1780-1 and conditions of this part. The Rural 
Development State Director is authorized to relegate authority in 
accordance with this part to the Chief, Community Programs; or other 
members of the State Office staff.
    (f) NRCS is responsible for providing technical and financial 
assistance to sponsoring local organizations for planning and developing 
WS and RCD areas. This includes development of WS and RCD plans and WS 
works of improvement and RCD measures or projects.
    (g) RUS is responsible for making and servicing WS loans and 
advances and RCD loans.
    (h) The NRCS-RUS Agreements in RUS Bulletin's 1781 and 1781-2 
include further responsibilities and functions of NRCS and RUS in WS and 
RCD areas.