Termination agreement or notice. (1) The State Conservationist, NRCS, may, based on evidence of failure to comply with the terms of the grant agreement, issue a notice of intent to terminate the grant agreement. The notice of intent to terminate has the force and effect of extending or modifying the conditions of the suspend order. Any modification of the conditions of the suspend order shall be shown in the notice and discussed with the administering agency. The State Conservationist shall give not less than ten (10) days written notice to the administering agency (certified mail, return receipt requested) of intent to terminate the grant in whole or in part.

After the administering agency has been afforded an opportunity for consultation, the State Conservationist, NRCS, may request authorization from the Administrator, NRCS, to terminate the grant in whole or in part. If the Administrator, NRCS, concurs in the termination action, the proposed termination notice will be forwarded to the Administrator, EPA, for concurrence.

After the Administrators, NRCS and EPA, have been informed of any expressed views of the administering agency and concurred in the proposed termination, the State Conservationist, NRCS, may, in writing (certified mail, return receipt requested), terminate the grant in whole or in part.

Termination of all or part of the grant agreement may be carried out by either execution of a termination agreement by the State Conservationist, NRCS, or issuance of a grant termination notice by the State Conservationist, NRCS. The agreement or notice shall establish the effective date of termination of the grant, the basis for settlement of grant termination costs, and the amount and date of payment of any sums due either party.

Basis for termination. A grant may be terminated by NRCS for good cause subject to negotiation and payment of appropriate termination settlement costs. Cause for termination by NRCS includes:

Failure by the administering agency to make satisfactory progress toward achieving an adequate level of participation; or other evidence satisfactory to the NRCWCC, Administrator, EPA, and the Administrator, NRCS, that the administering agency has failed or is unable to perform in accordance with the provisions of the grant agreement; or

Failure through no fault of the administering agency to achieve an adequate level of participation; or other evidence satisfactory to the NRCWCC, Administrator, EPA, and the Administrator, NRCS, that the planned actions approved in the project application cannot be achieved.

Effect of grant termination. (1)(i) In those cases where cause for grant termination is based on the administering agency's failure or inability to perform (§ 634.17(b)(1)), upon termination, the administering agency must refund or credit to the United States that portion of the grant funds paid or owed to the administering agency and allocable to the terminated project work. Funds needed to meet unavoidable commitments may be retained. All other funds, including unexpended cost-sharing monies for existing RCWP contracts executed prior to the termination date, shall be refunded to the United States. The administering agency shall not make any new commitments or enter into any new RCWP contracts. The administering agency shall reduce the amount of other outstanding commitments insofar as possible and report to the State Conservationist, NRCS, the uncommitted balance of funds awarded under the grant. The allowability of termination costs will be determined in conformance with applicable Federal cost principles.

Upon termination of a grant agreement, existing RCWP contracts and their related obligations will immediately, and in no case later than 5 calendar days be transferred to the ASCS county office to assure continuity in payments to participants. The State Conservationist, NRCS, will immediately initiate action under § 634.15 to establish a new administering agency for completion of the project.

In those cases where cause for grant termination is based on failure to achieve the planned actions through no fault of the administering agency, the termination agreement and amended grant agreement are to permit the administering agency to fulfill the obligations of its existing RCWP contracts. The administering agency shall not make any new commitments or enter into any new RCWP contracts without NRCS approval.