EFFECTS ON STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTAL PLANNING PROCESSES Functional planning.-The county committees' annual programs are in terms of broad policy, administrative procedures, conservation practices offered, and setting the cost-sharing ratios, and do not constitute required positive programs of actual projects to be undertaken. Projects are planned on a farm-by-farm basis, or when appropriate, on a broader area basis covered by pooling agreements. Conservation practices tying in with small watershed projects and area redevelopment projects may be approved by the county committee to further the watershed and overall economic development plans respectively. ASC State committees are directed to give particular consideration to the furtherance of watershed conservation programs sponsored by local people and organizations in the allocation of ACP cost-sharing funds to counties. This additional cost-sharing assistance serves as an incentive to the implementation of watershed plans.53 In the agricultural conservation program, each practice can be planned on its own, or consistent with existing plans, so long as it furthers the purpose of the program. Plans for a broad area of jurisdiction (other than the county committee's annual program) are not prerequisite to grants under this program, but are encouraged. On the other hand, complete conservation plans for the individual farms to be aided are required before the cropland conversion program grants can be made, and these plans must be consistent with the local soil conservation district program and with Soil Conservation Service technical assistance. Comprehensive planning.-Comprehensive urban development planning is not required, but if it does exist inconsistent conservation and adjustment projects would not be approved by ASCS. More and more comprehensive plans are being prepared in the form of overall economic development programs, designed to comply with requirements of the Area Redevelopment Act and to prepare for the still-to-beactivated rural renewal and resource conservation and development programs. Relation between planning and action programs. For the agricultural conservation program, each project on an individual farm or under pooling agreements must be approved for assistance by the county committees, in accordance with an annual program adopted by it, which in turn is in accordance with annual State and National programs.54 Certain ACP practices of a technical nature must also be found needed and practical by the Soil Conservation Service (or a cooperating forestry agency in the case of forestry practices) and must be carried out in accordance with SCS or Forest Service standards.55 Under the cropland conversion program, the county committees and individual farmers or ranchers must enter into long term agreements, based on farm conservation plans developed in cooperation with local soil conservation districts and with technical planning aid from the Soil Conservation Service. 63 U.S. Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service, "Agricultural Conservation Program National Bulletin-1963" (Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1963), sec. 2B. 416 U.S.C.A. 590h-4. U.S. Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service, "Agricultural Conservation Program National Bulletin-1963," p. 5. Federal review of planning. Each conservation practice for which such responsibility is assigned is reviewed for adequacy in detail by the appropriate technical service (SCS or Forest Service) personnel, as well as by ASCS personnel. There are no systematic reviews of urban development plans. EVALUATION OF ORGANIZATION AND PLANNING REQUIREMENTS In areas of the urban-rural fringe where the chances of urban development on what is now farmland are real, the long term value of conservation practices and land use adjustments depends very greatly upon local government planning and plan implementation activities, including zoning and subdivision control. Conversely, these agricultural programs can aid the implementation of open space, recreation, and flood prevention objectives of the local urban development plans, if they are properly coordinated with such plans. These are advantages that would be lost if agricultural assistance is withdrawn completely from fringe areas, rather than from just those properties in such areas which are to be urbanized in the near future. Thus there are mutual advantages to be gained from integrating agricultural conservation and land use adjustment programs with local government planning processes in and near urban areas. DOCUMENTATION U.S. Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service, "ASCS Handbook: Cropland Conversion Program," 1-LU. Washington: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Feb. 1, 1963. U.S. Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service, "Agricultural Conservation Program National Bulletin-1962." Washington: U.S. Government Printing office, 1961. U.S. Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service, "Agricultural Conservation Program National Bulletin-1963." Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1963. U.S. Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service, "Agricultural Conservation Program-Maryland Handbook for 1962." Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1961. U.S. Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service, "Agricultural Conservation Program-Oklahoma Handbook for 1962." Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1961. U.S. Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service, "Regulations Governing, ASC County and Community Committees," Handbook 1-CA (reprinted from Federal Registers of March 23, 1961 (26 F.R. 2451) and June 22, 1961 (26 F.R. 5555)). U.S. Agricultural Conservation Program Service, "Agricultural Conservation Program Service Handbook" (1-ACPS). Washington: U.S. Department of Agriculture, looseleaf, continuously updated. U.S. Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service, "ACP Participation in Organized Watersheds" (Notice ACP-19). Washington: U.S. Department of Agriculture, June 26, 1962. U.S. Department of Agriculture, "Secretary's Memorandum No. 1448, Revised, Rural Areas Development Program." Washington: September 21, 1962. U.S. Department of Agriculture, "Secretary's Memorandum No. 1518. Development and Administration of Cropland Conversion Programs under Section 101, Food and Agriculture Act of 1962." Washington: November 2, 1962. U.S. Department of Agriculture, "You and the USDA," PA-542. Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1963. II. FARM STORAGE FACILITIES DESCRIPTION OF PROGRAM Loans are available to producers of price support commodities for the purchase of needed on-the-farm storage facilities. This program was established pursuant to section 4 (h) of the Commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act,56 as follows: *** to encourage the storage of grain on farms, where it COORDINATION WITHIN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT The Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service of the Department of Agriculture and the Commodity Credit Corporation cooperate in the administration of the farm storage facility loan program. ASCS furnishes the field agencies, while CCC initiates regulations and makes the loans. EFFECTS ON THE ORGANIZATION OF GOVERNMENTS IN AREAS RECEIVING AID Types of units affected.-Farm storage facility loans may be made to producers of price support commodities (farmers, companies, and non-Federal governmental units) who are eligible for price support for the commodities they produce, in any State of the United States. The program is carried out in the field by the State and county agricultural stabilization and conservation committees. Applications for facility loans are submitted to the county committee which is authorized to service the agricultural programs with respect to the farm or farms to which the loan application relates. The loan applications are reviewed by the county committees, but the actual loans are made by the CCC. The county committees are established and operated under Federal regulations.58 Area of jurisdiction.-The county committees generally have jurisdiction only within single counties. Cooperation between jurisdictions.-Two or more eligible borrowers may join together in the purchase and erection or construction of an 15 U.S.C.A. 714b. 57 U.S. Commodity Credit Corporation, "Farm Storage Facility Loan Program Regulations" (reprinted from the Federal Register of Nov. 1, 1962), p. 1. 58 U.S. Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service, "Regulations Governing ASC County and Community Committees," Handbook 1-CA (reprinted from the Federal Register of Mar. 23, 1961 (26 F.R. 2451), and June 22, 1961 (26 FR 5555)). eligible structure.59 County committees may cooperate with each other, but the county committees cannot join together. EFFECTS ON STATE AND LOCAL GOVERMENTAL PLANNING PROCESSES Functional and comprehensive planning.-There are no Federal requirements for State or local governmental planning or for consistency with other programs of Federal, State, and local governmental units. Relation between planning and action programs.-Federal standards for storage capacity, safety, permanence of construction, assurance against conversion to other use, and financing are applied by the county committees in their review of the loan applications. No reviews from other State and local public agencies are federally required. Federal review of planning. There are no Federal requirements for review of State and local planning processes in connection with the farm storage facility program. EVALUATION OF ORGANIZATION AND PLANNING REQUIREMENTS The farm storage facility program has the most rudimentary organization and planning requirements of any program in the survey, with the possible exception of the shared revenue and rural housing programs. Although it is not obvious that any great harm will result from this situation, it would be only prudent to seek local and metropolitan planning reviews of proposed facilities in areas which are urban or have potential for urban development in the foreseeable future where appropriate planning agencies exist. As a result of such reviews, for instance, storage facilities serving a number of farmers might be located on a farm in an agricultural or open space area affirmed by a metropolitan plan, instead of on a farm in the direct path of urban growth. DOCUMENTATION U.S. Commodity Credit Corporation, "Farm-Storage Loan Program Regulation." Reprinted from the Federal Register of November 1, 1962 (27 FR 10647). U.S. Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service, "Regulations Concerning ASC County and Community Committee," Handbook 1-CA. Reprinted from the Federal Register of March 23, 1961 (26 FR 2451), and June 22, 1961 (26 FR 5555). U.S. Commodity Credit Corporation, "Farm Storage Facility Loan Program Regulations," pp. 1, 2. JJ. LAND CONSERVATION AND UTILIZATION DESCRIPTION OF PROGRAM The land conservation and utilization program provides loans to supplement other financial aids for the purposes of planning and carrying out a program to revitalize or accelerate the economic opportunities in rural areas through resource conservation and utilization, and through the attraction of industry, improvement of housing and community facilities, and the development of recreational opportunities. However, loans to establish industrial parks or private industrial or commercial enterprises are specifically prohibited. The program was authorized by section 102 of the Food and Agriculture Act of 1962 (7 U.S.C.A. 1010), but no funds had been appropriated as of January 1963. These loans are expected to become a basic part of the financing for the rural renewal program of the Farmers Home Administration and for the resource conservation and development projects of the Soil Conservation Service. The renewal program will emphasize revitalization and fuller employment, while the development projects will emphasize acceleration of conservation and resource development activities. Both programs are designed to improve farm and rural income and standards of living. All the loans will be made by the Farmers Home Administration. COORDINATION WITHIN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT Since the land conservation and utilization program was not founded or operating at the time this information was gathered, interagency working relationships were not fully developed. The Secretary of Agriculture has, however, given responsibility for developing such relationships as are necessary or desirable to the Farmers Home Administration (for rural renewal) and to the Soil Conservation Service (for resource conservation and development).60 EFFECTS ON THE ORGANIZATION OF GOVERNMENTS IN AREAS RECEIVING AID Types of units affected. The loans may be made to "State and local public agencies designated by the State legislature or the Governor." 61 This is interpreted to include semipublic or private nonprofit corporations authorized by State law to perform the purposes for which the loans are made. For the resource conservation and development program, soil conservation districts are encouraged to exercise leadership at the local level, while for the rural renewal program the local rural areas development committees are expected to show leadership. 60 U.S. Department of Agriculture, "Secretary's Memorandum No. 1517, Rural Renewal Program" (Washington: Nov. 2, 1962), p. 2; and U.S. Department of Agriculture, "Secretary's Memorandum No. 1515, Resource Conservation and Development Projects" (Washington: Nov. 2, 1962), p. 2, respectively. Food and Agriculture Act of 1962, sec. 102(c). |