The regulations in this part will be administered under the general supervision and direction of the NRCS Chief.

NRCS may seek advice from the State Technical Committee on the identification of lands of statewide importance, development of a priority ranking process, and related technical matters.

NRCS may delegate at any time its wetlands reserve easement management responsibilities to other Federal or State agencies or conservation organizations that have appropriate authority, expertise and technical and financial resources, as determined by NRCS, to carry out such delegated responsibilities.

NRCS may delegate at any time its wetlands reserve easement monitoring and enforcement responsibilities to other Federal or State agencies that have the appropriate authority, expertise, and technical and financial resources, as determined by NRCS, to carry out such delegated responsibilities.

NRCS may consult Federal or State agencies, conservation districts, or other organizations in program administration. No determination by these agencies or organizations will compel NRCS to take any action which NRCS determines does not serve the purposes of the program established by this part.

The Chief may allocate funds for purposes related to: encouraging enrollment by beginning farmers or ranchers, socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers, limited resource farmers or ranchers, Indian tribes, and veteran farmers or ranchers as authorized by 16 U.S.C. 3844; special pilot programs for easement management and monitoring; cooperative agreements with other agencies and organizations to assist with program implementation; coordination of easement enrollment across State boundaries; coordination of the development of easement plans; or for other goals of the ACEP found in this part.

No delegation in the administration of this part to lower organizational levels will preclude the Chief from making any determinations under this part, re-delegating to other organizational levels, or from reversing or modifying any determination made under this part.

The Chief may modify or waive nonstatutory, discretionary provisions of this part if the Chief determines the waiver of such discretionary provision is necessary to further the purposes of ACEP under the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) authorized by Subtitle I of Title XII of the Food Security Act of 1985. The waiver must further ACEP purposes while also addressing whether the purpose and conservation objectives of the RCPP project(s) are consistent with the specific Wetland Reserve Easement (WRE) or Agricultural Land Easement (ALE) conservation purpose and objectives. No waiver will result in reducing the quality of wetland wildlife habitat that is restored under WRE, or the protection for agricultural viability under ALE.

To assist in RCPP implementation the Chief may also waive the applicability of the limitation in section 1001D(b)(2) of the Food Security Act of 1985 for participating landowners if the Chief determines that the waiver is necessary to fulfill RCPP objectives.