PURPOSE: This rule establishes commission guidelines for allocation of funds available for the Missouri State Soil and Water Conservation Cost-Share Program.

1. (1) General Availability of Funds. State costshare funds are available only to landowners located in soil and water conservation districts which have agreed to locally administer the program and have executed a memorandum of understanding or a cooperative working agreement with the commission setting forth the terms of assistance. To be eligible, a landowner must have a conservation plan approved by the district. Acceptable formats for preparing conservation plans are determined by the commission.

2. (2) Annual Allocation of Funds. All funds allocated to the cost-share program for any fiscal year shall be apportioned by the commission to the participating districts by considering the character of the districts’ soil and water conservation needs according to criteria developed by the commission.

   1. (A) Special Allocations. The commission may withhold funds from the general allocation for the purpose of providing cost-share for special projects which the commission considers necessary and of high priority for the saving of soil and water on Missouri’s agricultural land.
3. (3) Termination of the Memorandum of Understanding or Cooperative Working Agreement. In the event that the memorandum of understanding or cooperative working agreement is terminated by any district or by the commission, the commission may withdraw funds assigned to that district.

AUTHORITY: sections 278.070, 278.080, and 278.110, RSMo 2016.* Original rule filed Aug. 12, 1980, effective Jan. 1, 1981. Emergency amendment filed July 29, 2009, effective Aug. 8, 2009, expired Feb. 25, 2010. Amended: Filed Sept. 26, 2007, effective May 30, 2008. Amended: Filed May 23, 2018, effective Jan. 30, 2019. *Original authority: 278.070, RSMo 1943, amended 1961, 1969, 1980, 2008, 2009; 278.080, RSMo 1943, amended 1961, 1980, 1986, 1995, 2000, 2001; and 278.110, RSMo 1943, amended 1961, 1980.