[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 7, Volume 10]
[Revised as of January 1, 2007]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 7CFR1468]

[Page 690]
 
                          TITLE 7--AGRICULTURE
 
  CHAPTER XIV--COMMODITY CREDIT CORPORATION, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
 
PART 1468_CONSERVATION FARM OPTION--Table of Contents
 
                           Subpart B_Contracts
 
Sec.  1468.20  Application for CFO program participation.


    (a) Any eligible owner or producer within an approved pilot project 
area may submit an application for participation in the CFO to a service 
center or other USDA county or field office(s) of FSA or NRCS, where the 
pilot project area is located.
    (b) CCC will accept applications throughout the fiscal year. CCC 
will rank and select the offers of applicants periodically, as 
determined appropriate by the State Conservationist. The application 
period will begin after a pilot project area has been approved.
    (c) The designated conservationist, in consultation with the local 
work group, will develop ranking criteria to prioritize applications 
within a pilot project area which consists of more than one owner or 
producer. NRCS will prioritize applications from the same pilot project 
area using the criteria specific to the area. The FSA county committee, 
with the assistance of the designated conservationist and designated FSA 
official, will approve for funding the application in a pilot project 
area based on eligibility factors of the applicant and the NRCS ranking.
    (d) The designated conservationist will work with the applicant to 
collect the information necessary to evaluate the application using the 
ranking criteria. An applicant has the option of offering and accepting 
less than the maximum program payments allowed, offering to apply more 
conservation practices to the land in order to increase the likelihood 
of being enrolled. In evaluating the applications, the designated 
conservationist will take into consideration the following factors:
    (1) Soil erosion;
    (2) Water quality;
    (3) Wildlife benefits;
    (4) Soil productivity;
    (5) Conservation compliance considerations;
    (6) Likelihood to remain in conserving uses beyond the contract 
period, including tree planting and permanent wildlife habitat;
    (7) State water quality priority areas;
    (8) The environmental benefits per dollar expended; and
    (9) The degree to which application is consistent with the pilot 
project proposal.
    (e) If two or more applications have an equal rank, the application 
that will result in the least cost to the program will be given greater 
consideration.