[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 7, Volume 6]
[Revised as of January 1, 2008]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 7CFR625.9]

[Page 450]
 
                          TITLE 7--AGRICULTURE
 
   CHAPTER VI--NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF 
                               AGRICULTURE
 
PART 625_HEALTHY FORESTS RESERVE PROGRAM--Table of Contents
 
Sec. 625.9  10-year restoration cost-share agreements.

    (a) The restoration plan developed under Sec. 625.12 forms the 
basis for the 10-year cost-share agreement and is incorporated therein.
    (b) A 10-year cost-share agreement will:
    (1) Incorporate all portions of a restoration plan;
    (2) Be for a period of 10 years;
    (3) Include all provisions as required by law or statute;
    (4) Specify the requirements for operation and maintenance of 
applied practices;
    (5) Include any participant reporting and recordkeeping requirements 
to determine compliance with the agreement and HFRP;
    (6) Be signed by the participant. When the participant is not the 
fee title owner, concurrence from the fee title owner is required;
    (7) Identify the amount and extent of cost-share assistance that 
NRCS will provide for the adoption or implementation of the approved 
conservation treatment identified in the restoration plan; and
    (8) Include any other provision determined necessary or appropriate 
by the NRCS representative.
    (c) Once the participant and NRCS have signed a 10-year cost-share 
agreement, the land shall be considered enrolled in HFRP.
    (d) The State Conservationist may, by mutual agreement with the 
parties to the 10-year cost-share agreement, consent to the termination 
of the restoration agreement where:
    (1) The parties to the 10-year cost-share agreement are unable to 
comply with the terms of the restoration agreement as the result of 
conditions beyond their control;
    (2) Compliance with the terms of the 10-year cost-share agreement 
would work a severe hardship on the parties to the agreement;
    (3) Termination of the 10-year cost-share agreement would, as 
determined by the State Conservationist, be in the public interest.
    (e) If a 10-year cost-share agreement is terminated in accordance 
with the provisions of this section, the State Conservationist may allow 
the participants to retain any cost-share payments received under the 
10-year cost-share agreement in a proportion appropriate to the effort 
the participant has made to comply with the restoration agreement, or, 
in cases of hardship, where forces beyond the participant's control 
prevented compliance with the agreement.