1. (a) Establishment The Secretary shall establish a regional conservation partnership program to implement eligible activities on eligible land through—

   1. (1) partnership agreements with eligible partners; and
   2. (2) contracts with producers.

2. (b) Purposes The purposes of the program are as follows:

   1. (1) To use covered programs to accomplish purposes and functions similar to those of the following programs, as in effect on the day before February 7, 2014:

      1. (A) The agricultural water enhancement program established under section 3839aa–9 of this title.
      2. (B) The Chesapeake Bay watershed program established under section 3839bb–4 of this title.
      3. (C) The cooperative conservation partnership initiative established under section 3843 of this title.
      4. (D) The Great Lakes basin program for soil erosion and sediment control established under section 3839bb–3 of this title.
   2. (2) To further the conservation, restoration, and sustainable use of soil, water, wildlife, and related natural resources on eligible land on a regional or watershed scale.

   3. (3) To encourage eligible partners to cooperate with producers in—

      1. (A) meeting or avoiding the need for national, State, and local natural resource regulatory requirements related to production on eligible land; and
      2. (B) implementing projects that will result in the installation and maintenance of eligible activities that affect multiple agricultural or nonindustrial private forest operations on a local, regional, State, or multistate basis.

(Pub. L. 99–198, title XII, § 1271, as added Pub. L. 113–79, title II, § 2401, Feb. 7, 2014, 128 Stat. 744.)