A. The Oklahoma Conservation Commission is hereby authorized to establish and administer a conservation cost-share program as funds become available. The conservation cost-share program shall provide monies to eligible persons for the purpose of implementing conservation or best management practices on such eligible land as described in conservation management plans according to rules promulgated by the Commission.

B. The Commission shall promulgate rules governing the cost-share program.

C. To implement the program, the Commission shall require conservation districts to enter into contracts for eligible projects on eligible land detailing the eligible person's responsibilities.

D. For purposes of the conservation cost-share program:

1. "Eligible person" means any individual, partnership, corporation, legally recognized Indian tribe, estate, or trust who as an owner, lessee, tenant, or operator participates in the care and/or management of land within a conservation district;

2. "Eligible land" means:

a.privately owned land within the state,

b.land owned by the state or a political subdivision of the state,

c.land owned by corporations which are partly owned by the United States,

d.land temporarily owned by the United States or a corporation wholly owned by it, which were not acquired or reserved for conservation purposes, including lands administered by the Farm Service Agency, the U.S. Department of Defense, or by any other government agency,

e.any cropland farmed by private persons which is owned by the United States or a corporation wholly owned by it, and

f.noncropland owned by the United States on which practices are performed by private persons where such practices directly conserve or benefit nearby or adjoining privately owned lands of the persons performing the practices and such persons maintain and use such federally owned noncropland under agreement with the federal agency having jurisdiction thereof; and

3. "Eligible projects" means conservation practices determined to be needed by a conservation district to:

a.improve or protect water quality,

b.reduce soil erosion,

c.accomplish both the objectives described in subparagraphs a and b of this paragraph, or

d.reduce feral swine population by use of electronic hog traps.

Added by Laws 1998, c. 271, § 3, eff. July 1, 1998. Amended by Laws 2019, c. 308, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 2019.