Overview. This Act provides for a continuing appraisal of U.S. soil, water and related resources, including fish and wildlife habitats, and a soil and water conservation program to assist landowners and land users in furthering soil and water conservation.

Selected Definitions.   Secretary:  Secretary of Agriculture. Soil, water and related resources:  resources within the scope of the Secretary's programs. Soil and water conservation program:  a set of guidelines for attaining the purposes of the Act. § 2002.

Findings/Policy. Congress found that:   there is a growing demand on the soil, water, and related resources of the U.S. to meet present and future needs; in its concern for sustained use of the resource base, Congress has ensured that the Department of Agriculture possesses information, technical expertise and a delivery system for providing assistance to land users with respect to conservation and use of soils, plants, woodlands, watershed protection and flood prevention, water use and conservation, animal husbandry, fish and wildlife management, recreation, community development, and related resource uses; a coordinated resource appraisal program is essential to effective soil and water conservation. § 2001.

The purpose of Act is to ensure that programs administered by the Secretary for the conservation of soil, water and related resources is responsive to the long-term needs of the U.S. The policy of the U.S. is that federal and state cooperative arrangements on forestry, fish and wildlife, and soil and water conservation should be used to the fullest extent practical to achieve the purposes of this Act. The Secretary must promote the policies and purposes of the Act by:   continuously appraising the soil, water and related resources of the U.S.; developing and updating periodically a program for furthering the conservation, protection and enhancement of the soil, water and related resources of the U.S.; providing this information to Congress and the public through reports. § 2003.

Soil and Water Programs. The Act directs the Secretary to carry out a continuing appraisal of the U.S. soil, water and related resources, including data on:   the quality and quantity of these resources, including fish and wildlife habitats; the capability and limitations of these resources for meeting current and projected demands; changes in the condition of these resources; current federal and state laws, policies, programs and trends; the costs and benefits of alternative soil and water conservation practices; the costs, benefits and impact of alternative irrigation techniques. The Secretary must conduct and report to Congress four comprehensive appraisals by 1979, 1986, 1995 and 2005. § 2004

The Secretary must develop, in cooperation with state and national organizations and the public, a national soil and water conservation program. This program will serve as a guide for the Secretary in assisting land owners and land users, at their request, in soil and water conservation on private and non-federal lands. The program must give direction for future soil and water conservation efforts of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The initial program must be completed and reported to Congress by 1979, with updates completed by 1987, 1997 and 2007. § 2005.

The Secretary may formulate plans and provide technical assistance to property owners, government agencies and interstate river basin commissions to:   protect the quality and quantity of subsurface water; enable property owners to reduce their vulnerability to flood hazards; control the salinity in agricultural water resources. The Secretary must submit to Congress by February 1987 a report evaluating the plans and technical assistance provided. § 2005a.

In implementing this Act, the Secretary must use information and data available from other federal, state and local governments, and private organizations, and must coordinate activities with the resource appraisal and planning efforts of other federal agencies to avoid unnecessary duplication and overlap of planning and program efforts. The provisions of the Act terminate on December 31, 2008. §§ 2008 and 2009.

Appropriations Authorized. Congress authorized to be appropriated funds necessary to carry out the Act. § 2007.