Statute: Federal Crop Insurance Act, as amended, 7 U.S.C. 1501-1502

Direct or Indirect Linkage to Drought: Direct

Functions: Mitigation, Risk Management

Agencies (primary agency listed first): USDA--RMA, FCIC

Funding History (1985 to the present): In 1998, nearly $28 billion in protection was provided on over 181 million acres through more than 1.2 million insurance policies.

Type of Assistance / Examples: Financial assistance to manage risk for agricultural producers in order to improve the economic stability of agriculture. Crop insurance helps farmers to recover from crop losses, secure operating loans, andFinancial assistance to manage risk for agricultural producers in order to improve the economic stability of agriculture. Crop insurance helps farmers to recover from crop losses, secure operating loans, and aggressively market a portion of their crop. Recent changes in farm policy have increased the risk borne by individual producers; to help them acquire the risk management skills needed to compete and win in the global marketplace, RMA has been providing education and educational grants in production risk, legal risk, marketing risk, financial risk and human resources risk.

Integration with State, Tribal, or Local Government: No data

Effectiveness: No data

Program Limitations/ Recommendations: Losses from drought are calculated on a share, or producer/farm basis. To be eligible for payments, a farmer must have purchased crop insurance before the sales closing date established for the 70+ crop insurance programs covered.

Contact Name and Phone Number: Michael Hand (202) 720-3439 and/or Sharon Hestvik (202) 720-6685

Statute: Not applicable

Direct or Indirect Linkage to Drought: Indirect

Functions: Monitoring and Prediction

Agencies (primary agency listed first): USDA--FS;DOI--BLM, NPS, BIA, FWS, & OAS; DOC--NWS

Funding History (1985 to the present): All funds are annual appropriations; about 15 to 20% of program benefits drought activity: FY2000, $227K (1992-99, $227-337K); Weather stations FY2000, $300K (1989-99, $ unavailable).

Type of Assistance / Examples: Technical assistance as a means of monitoring and predicting conditions for wildland fires throughout the fire season. The data on 1000-hour fuel (i.e. large, dead fuel), moisture, and energy release component are most closely related to drought. National Fire-Danger Rating System uses daily input from some 1,500 weather stations that comprise the Fire Weather Network to run various models and algorithms to create maps, graphs, and tabular products, which yield predictions of fire danger.

Integration with State, Tribal, or Local Government: Information is provided to state, county, tribal, and local government entities.

Effectiveness: No data

Program Limitations/ Recommendations: Interpretation requires knowledge of spatial and temporal context of normal and drought conditions.

Contact Name and Phone Number: Patti Hirami (202) 205-1498

Statute: Not applicable

Direct or Indirect Linkage to Drought: Direct

Functions: Monitoring and Prediction

Agencies (primary agency listed first): USDA--FS; DOI--BLM, NPS, BIA, FWS, & OAS; DOC--NWS

Funding History (1985 to the present): No data

Type of Assistance / Examples: Technical assistance to produce maps of the conterminous U.S. and Alaska which display the Keetch-Byram (soil moisture) Drought Index. This soil/duff drought index ranges from 0 (no drought) to 800 (extreme drought), is based on a soil capacity of 8 inches of water, and includes factors such as maximum daily temperature and daily, antecedent, and annual precipitation.

Integration with State, Tribal, or Local Government: Information is provided to state, county, tribal, and local government entities.

Effectiveness: No data

Program Limitations/ Recommendations: 1. Designed for use in forested conditions. 2. Interpretation requires knowledge of spatial and temporal context of normal and drought conditions.

Contact Name and Phone Number: Patti Hirami (202) 205-1498 www.fs.fed.us/land/wfas

Statute: Not applicable

Direct or Indirect Linkage to Drought: Indirect

Functions: Monitoring and Prediction

Agencies (primary agency listed first): USDA--FS; DOI--BLM, NPS, BIA, FWS, and OAS; DOC--NWS

Funding History (1985 to the present): Funded since about 1992 at $30K/yr

Type of Assistance / Examples: Technical assistance to produce Greenness maps to assess the condition of live vegetation over time. Actively photosynthesizing biomass, or vegetation "greenness," is used to assess relative fire danger in forests and grasslands.

Integration with State, Tribal, or Local Government: Information is provided to state, county, tribal, and local government entities.

Effectiveness: Can be an effective predictive tool; however, 1) uses AVHRR satellite imagery that provides only coarse (1 km) resolution; 2) best viewed as time series to detect and monitor change; 3) clouds may totally or partially obscure certain portions of the images (need to calculate replacement values for pixels); 4) need to develop procedures to quantify change over large areas rather than pixel by pixel.

Program Limitations/ Recommendations: 1. Uses AVHRR satellite imagery. Provides only coarse (1 km) resolution. 2. Best viewed as time series to detect and monitor change. 3. Clouds may totally or partially obscure certain portions of the images.

Contact Name and Phone Number: Roberta Bartlette (406) 329-4828 www.fs.fed.us/land/wfas

Statute: 16 U.S.C. 3837

Direct or Indirect Linkage to Drought: Indirect

Functions: Mitigation

Agencies (primary agency listed first): USDA--NRCS; DOI--FWS. Other agencies, such as USDA's USFS and FSA and state wildlife agencies, participate as partners.

Funding History (1985 to the present): No data

Type of Assistance / Examples: Financial and technical assistance to restore and protect wetlands. Financial assistance is in the form of cost-share payments to establish wetland and wildlife practices, easement acquisition payments, and costs associated with filing the easement. Examples: Gives landowners options for managing their lands. They can voluntarily sell an easement to the property and restores wetland conditions. Provides the landowner with a fair price of the restrictions conveyed, creates enhances or restores the wetland and provides excellent wildlife habitat.

Integration with State, Tribal, or Local Government: Voluntary assistance for any private landowner with eligible land based on competitive selection.

Effectiveness: Funds are spent only on wetland restoration and protection.

Program Limitations/ Recommendations: The authorizing language provides that the purpose of the program is to restore and protect wetlands while placing priority on habitat for migratory birds and other wildlife. Compatible uses may only be authorized if such uses are consistent with the long-term protection and enhancement of the wetland and other natural values of the easement area. National policy prohibits the wetlands from being used as a water supply, such as for irrigation withdrawal. Total acreage enrollment limitation is 975,000 acres. Acreage cap is expected to be met in FY2000.

Contact Name and Phone Number: Leslie Deavers (202) 720-1067

Statute: CFR, Title 7, Volume 6, Parts 400 to 699, revised as of Jan. 1, 1998. From U.S. Govt. Printing Office via GPO Access, CITE: 7CFR612 Authority: 26 Stat. 653; Sec. 8, Reorg. Plan No. Iv of 1940, 54 Stat. 1234 (5.S.C. App. II); 5 FR 2421, 3 CFR 1938-1943 Comp. R. 1288. Source: 40 FR 12067, Mar. 17, 1975, unless otherwise noted.

Direct or Indirect Linkage to Drought: Direct

Functions: Communication, Monitoring and Prediction, Planning, Mitigation, Risk Management, Response

Agencies (primary agency listed first): USDA--NRCS, FS; DOC--NWS, NCDC, RCCs; DOI--NPS, BLM

Funding History (1985 to the present): 1999: $5,990,000. From 1990 to 1998 funding ranged from $5.4 mil. to 5.8 mil., increasing incrementally each year.

Type of Assistance / Examples: Technical assistance to monitor the climate and hydrologic elements necessary to produce water supply forecasts for the West.

1. Elements monitored include snowpacks, soil moisture and temperature, precipitation, air temperature, and associated climate information.

2. These data are combined with other water resource information, such as streamflows and reservoir storage, to forecast the seasonally variable water supplies (amounts and timing) and to make drought risk assessments. Examples: Near real time information is collected from remote mountain sites. The information is electronically transferred to a master station. The information provides scientists with information on the moisture contained in the snow on the mountain as well as precip and temperature information.

Integration with State, Tribal, or Local Government: The SS/WSF program activities are fully integrated with state, tribal and local governments. The program has funded specific enhancements to data collection efforts on tribal lands in AZ and NM to enhance water management activities.

Effectiveness: Recent GPRA results indicate 98% satisfaction with Snow Survey and Water Supply Forecasts. Water supply forecasts are produced annually (January to June) in partnership with the National Weather Service. During the 1999 forecast season, NRCS issued 6,835 seasonal water supply forecasts for 747 locations in 12 Western states. Snow Survey and Water Supply Forecasts are an integral part of the Weekly U.S. Drought Monitor, published by the USDA, DOC and National Drought Mitigation Center.

Program Limitations/ Recommendations: Limitations: 1. Limited scope of application (Parent agency priority and resource assignments (human and fiscal) are insufficient to effectively implement existing data acquisition technology and data analyses / management on a national basis to meet known needs and opportunities). 2. Resources are limited in the general downsizing of USDA / agencies. 3. Program is unable to utilize opportunities to leverage considerable available partnered inkind and fiscal support without parent agency endorsement and robust infrastructure. 4. Disparate, non single-point national leadership prevents comprehensive and widely cost effective mitigation and response. Recommendations: Establish a new USDA Budget Line item specifically for drought monitoring and risk assessment. Identify funds to complete the SNOTEL network in the West to meet requests for new water supply forecast points and products. Expand the SCAN network to the entire United States for drought assessment. Augment NRCS state staffs to provide local interpretations and direct assistance with local drought and water supply issues.

Contact Name and Phone Number: Jon Werner, Director, National Water & Climate Center, (503) 414-3107, email jwerner@wcc.nrcs.usda.gov

Statute: Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act (1997, 1998, 1999) Pub. L. 105-18 and Pub. L. 105-174

Direct or Indirect Linkage to Drought: Direct

Functions: Mitigation, Response

Agencies (primary agency listed first): USDA--CCC, FSA

Funding History (1985 to the present): No data

Type of Assistance / Examples: Financial assistance for losses of eligible livestock from natural disasters occurring during specific periods.

Integration with State, Tribal, or Local Government: No data

Effectiveness: No data

Program Limitations/ Recommendations: Livestock producers must have possessed a beneficial interest in eligible livestock which were lost as a result of the disaster condition in the Presidential or Secretarial disaster declaration.

Contact Name and Phone Number: Rebecca Davis (202) 720-9882

Statute: Agriculture, Rural Development, and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1999 Act. Pub. L. 105-277. Regulations can be found at 7 CFR, Part 1439.

Direct or Indirect Linkage to Drought: Direct

Functions: Mitigation, Response

Agencies (primary agency listed first): USDA--CCC, FSA

Funding History (1985 to the present): No data

Type of Assistance / Examples: Financial assistance for grazing losses suffered by livestock producers in calendar year 1998 in counties that have suffered a 40 percent or greater loss of normal grazing as a result of a natural disaster.

Integration with State, Tribal, or Local Government: No data

Effectiveness: No data

Program Limitations/ Recommendations: Livestock producers in an approved county must have suffered at least a 40 percent loss of normal grazing for a minimum of 3 consecutive months for the producer's eligible livestock. Livestock must have been owned or leased for at least 3 months.

Contact Name and Phone Number: Lynn Tjeerdsma (202) 720- 6602

Statute: 7 U.S.C. 7333

Direct or Indirect Linkage to Drought: Direct and Indirect

Functions: Mitigation, Response

Agencies (primary agency listed first): USDA--CCC, FSA

Funding History (1985 to the present): Information on drought-related funding not available

Type of Assistance / Examples: Assistance is equivalent to the catastrophic risk protection otherwise available under Section 508 (b) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 508 (b)). Natural disasters, including drought, may result in payments to producers of eligible crops in an area suffering from prevented planting in excess of 35% or loss of yield in excess of 60%.

Integration with State, Tribal, or Local Government: Close linkage to the catastrophic level of crop insurance

Effectiveness: Effective program but underutilized. Following a natural disaster event or when the impact of an event is known, e.g. drought and excessive heat, a determination is made as to the geographic size and extent of the impacted area. If the impacted area comprises a minimum of 320,000 acres, produces annually $80 million worth of agricultural commodities, and contains at least five producers of crops which have suffered loss, a NAP "area" is recognized. Any crop in the recognized area which has at least a 35% loss is eligible for NAP payments. Any producer of the approved crop that has a 50% or greater loss can apply for NAP payments. Payments are calculated for losses in excess of 50% of an approved yield at 55% of approved market price.

Program Limitations/ Recommendations: Eligible crops include each commercial crop or other agricultural commodity, except for livestock, for which catastrophic risk protection under section 7 U.S.C. 1508(b) is unavailable and which is produced for food or fiber. Other eligible crops are specifically included. Payment limitation is $100,000 per person per crop year. Persons with qualifying gross revenues in excess of $2 million in most recent tax year prior to year of disaster are ineligible. Multiple benefit exclusion precludes assistance under NAP and other USDA benefits with some exceptions.

Contact Name and Phone Number: G. Sean O'Neill (202) 720-9003

Statute: Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act (1997, 1998, 1999) Pub. L. 105-18 Pub. L. 105-174

Functions: Mitigation, Response

Agencies (primary agency listed first): USDA--CCC, FSA

Funding History (1985 to the present): No data

Type of Assistance / Examples: Financial assistance for eligible owners who replant or rehabilitate eligible trees or vines lost or damaged by natural disasters during the qualifying period.

Integration with State, Tribal, or Local Government: No data

Effectiveness: No data

Program Limitations/ Recommendations: Owners of eligible trees or vines must have suffered qualifying tree or vine losses of 20 percent or greater due to an eligible natural disaster.

Contact Name and Phone Number: Rebecca Davis (202) 720- 9882

Statute: Agricultural, Rural Development and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1999 Act. Pub. L. 105-277. Regulations can be found at 7 CFR Part 1477.

Direct or Indirect Linkage to Drought: Direct

Functions: Mitigation, Response

Agencies (primary agency listed first): USDA--CCC, FSA

Funding History (1985 to the present): No data

Type of Assistance / Examples: Financial assistance is available for single-year 1998 crop losses or multiple-year crop losses which resulted in crop insurance indemnity payments or payments under the Noninsured Crop Loss Disaster Assistance Program or ad hoc disaster program payment in at least 3 of the years from 1994 to 1998.

Integration with State, Tribal, or Local Government: No data

Effectiveness: No data

Program Limitations/ Recommendations: Producers must have suffered a qualifying 1998 crop loss due to a natural disaster or have received qualifying payments for crop losses in at least 3 of the years 1994 to 1998.

Contact Name and Phone Number: Rebecca Davis (202) 720- 9882

Statute: Internal policy

Direct or Indirect Linkage to Drought: Direct

Functions: Mitigation, Response

Agencies (primary agency listed first): USDA--FS

Funding History (1985 to the present): Information on drought-related funding not available

Type of Assistance / Examples: Provides authority to spend funds for fire pre-suppression and preparedness.

Integration with State, Tribal, or Local Government: Funds are distributed regionally to National Forests.

Effectiveness: Effective in mitigating drought conditions long before they occur.

Program Limitations/ Recommendations: Limited to appropriated funds

Contact Name and Phone Number: Jose Cruz (202) 204-1483

Statute: Federal Property Administration Act of 1948

Direct or Indirect Linkage to Drought: Indirect

Functions: Mitigation

Agencies (primary agency listed first): USDA--FS

Funding History (1985 to the present): Information on drought-related funding not available

Type of Assistance / Examples: Excess fire-fighting equipment is available to states to fight fires. The federal government retains title to the equipment.

Integration with State, Tribal, or Local Government: Program distributes equipment to state governments.

Effectiveness: Effective in mitigating drought conditions long before they occur.

Program Limitations/ Recommendations: No data

Contact Name and Phone Number: Jose Cruz (202) 204-1483

Statute: Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2101, 2103)

Direct or Indirect Linkage to Drought: Indirect

Functions: Mitigation

Agencies (primary agency listed first): USDA--FS

Funding History (1985 to the present): Information on drought-related funding not available

Type of Assistance / Examples: Financial and technical assistance to State Foresters

Integration with State, Tribal, or Local Government: Includes a new program to address wildland/urban interface areas. Fire prevention teams may be requested by states to the regional offices. States must compete and demonstrate capability to deliver services associated with the additional funding.

Effectiveness: Effective in mitigating drought conditions long before they occur.

Program Limitations/ Recommendations: Limited to resources/funds

Contact Name and Phone Number: Jose Cruz (202) 204-1483

(PL-566 & PL- 534)

Statute: a) Organic Administration Act of 1897 (Ch. 2, 30 Stat.11, as amended; 16 U.S.C. 473-475, 477-482, 551; (b) Watershed Protection and Prevention Act of 1954, P.L.83-566,68 Stat. 666 as amended, 16 U.S.C. 1001-1010; 33 U.S.C. 701b (note); and (c) the Emergency Flood Prevention Act (Agricultural Credit Act of 1978), 92 Stat. 434; 16 U.S.C. 2203

Direct or Indirect Linkage to Drought: Indirect

Functions: Mitigation

Agencies (primary agency listed first): USDA--FS, NRCS

Funding History (1985 to the present): NRCS funding in 1985-94 ranged from $161-$199 mil/yr; in 1995-99, ranged from $70-99 mil/yr; for 2000, $92 mil/yr. Specific drought funds have not been provided to the program.

Type of Assistance / Examples: Technical assistance includes: 1. Water use conservation and restrictions at government-owned offices, garages, employee housing, fire retardant bases, livestock watering tanks and irrigation of pasture. 2. Construction and operation of water storage ponds for wildfire suppression. 3. Measurements of snowpack, rainfall, streamflow, groundwater levels, air temperature and other meteorological parameters at hydroclimatic stations on national FS lands in over 500 locations, often in support of NRCS and NOAA programs.

Integration with State, Tribal, or Local Government: No data

Effectiveness: No data

Program Limitations/ Recommendations: No special funds, staffs, or agency priority are normally assigned to drought mitigation or response until drought becomes very severe.

Contact Name and Phone Number: Steve Glasser (USFS)-(202) 205-1172; Russell Collett (NRCS) (202) 720-8770

Statute: The Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938, as amended by the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996

Direct or Indirect Linkage to Drought: Direct

Functions: Response

Agencies (primary agency listed first): USDA--FSA

Funding History (1985 to the present): Specific drought funds have not been provided to the program.

Type of Assistance / Examples: Financial assistance is available to producers who produce Segregation 2 or Segregation 3 peanuts marketed as additional loan peanuts, to upgrade the production from additional loan to quota loan through a Disaster Transfer, on a farm on which the poundage quota was not harvested because of drought, flood, or other natural disaster conditions beyond a producers control. Peanuts transferred under this provision will be supported at 70 percent of the quota support rate on 25 percent of the effective quota.

Integration with State, Tribal, or Local Government: No data

Effectiveness: No data

Program Limitations/ Recommendations: Peanuts transferred under this provision are supported at 70 percent of the quota support rate in lieu of 100 percent in previous legislation and transfers cannot exceed 25 percent of the farms effective quota.

Contact Name and Phone Number: Tonye Gross, Branch Chief, Peanuts Branch, (202) 720-4319 e-mail Tonye_Gross@wdc.fsa.usda.gov

Statute: The Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938, as amended by the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996

Direct or Indirect Linkage to Drought: Direct

Functions: Response

Agencies (primary agency listed first): USDA--FSA

Funding History (1985 to the present): Specific drought funds have not been provided to the program.

Type of Assistance / Examples: Financial assistance is available to producers in the fall of the year to transfer the balance of the quota remaining on the marketing card, if the producer made a good-faith effort to produce a normal crop on the acreage devoted to peanuts and the poundage was not produced due to conditions beyond the producer's control such as drought, flood, or other natural disaster, to any other farm in the State where the quota was established to market the production on the receiving farm.

Integration with State, Tribal, or Local Government: No data

Effectiveness: No data

Program Limitations/ Recommendations: Must meet 90 percent planting requirement to be eligible.

Contact Name and Phone Number: Tonye Gross, Branch Chief, Peanuts Branch (202) 720-4319 e-mail Tonye_Gross@wdc.fsa.usda.gov

Statute: Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938, as amended

Direct or Indirect Linkage to Drought: Direct

Functions: Response

Agencies (primary agency listed first): USDA--FSA

Funding History (1985 to the present): Specific drought funds have not been provided to the program.

Type of Assistance / Examples: Tobacco acreage/quota may be transferred to another farm(s) in the same or any other nearby county/state if such acreage cannot be planted or replanted due to a natural disaster.

Integration with State, Tribal, or Local Government: No data

Effectiveness: No data

Program Limitations/ Recommendations: None

Contact Name and Phone Number: Tom Burgess, Branch Chief, Tobacco Branch (202) 720-4318 e-mail Tom_Burgess@wdc.fsa.usda.gov.

Statute: Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938, as amended

Direct or Indirect Linkage to Drought: Direct

Functions: Response

Agencies (primary agency listed first): USDA--FSA

Funding History (1985 to the present): Specific drought funds have not been provided to the program.

Type of Assistance / Examples: The allotment/quota established for a farm may be transferred to another farm by lease under natural disaster conditions.

Integration with State, Tribal, or Local Government: No data

Effectiveness: No data

Program Limitations/ Recommendations: Farm's expected production of burley and flue-cured tobacco is less than 80 percent of the farm's effective quota. Acreage planted on the transferring farm was sufficient to produce the farm's effective quota.

Contact Name and Phone Number: Tom Burgess, Branch Chief, Tobacco Branch (202) 720-4318 e-mail Tom_Burgess@wdc.fsa.usda.gov.

Statute: Section 401 of the Agricultural Credit Act of 1978 (92 STAT. 420-434), as amended by the Disaster Assistance Act of 1989, Section 502

Direct or Indirect Linkage to Drought: Direct

Functions: Mitigation

Agencies (primary agency listed first): USDA--FSA, NRCS

Funding History (1985 to the present): Specific drought funds have not been provided to the program.

Type of Assistance / Examples: Financial assistance to make cost-share payments to agricultural producers who carry out emergency measures to control wind erosion on farmlands or to rehabilitate farmlands damaged by wind erosion, floods, hurricanes or other natural disasters when, as a result of the foregoing, new conservation problems have been created that (1) if not treated, will impair or endanger the land; (2) materially affect the productive capacity of the land; (3) represent damage that is unusual in character and, except for wind erosion, is not the type that would recur frequently in the same area; and (4) will be so costly to rehabilitate that federal assistance is or will be required to return the land to productive agricultural use.

Integration with State, Tribal, or Local Government: No data

Effectiveness: No data

Program Limitations/ Recommendations: ECP is limited to funds which are generally made available by emergency supplemental appropriation, and staff available to handle requests. There is no annual appropriation.

Contact Name and Phone Number: Robert Stephenson, Director, Conservation and Environmental Protection Division (202) 720-6221

Statute: Title XII of the Food Security Act of 1985 as amended (16 USC 3831)

Direct or Indirect Linkage to Drought: Direct

Functions: Mitigation

Agencies (primary agency listed first): USDA--FSA, NRCS, FS, ERS; EPA; DOI--FWS

Funding History (1985 to the present): Specific drought funds have not been provided to the program.

Type of Assistance / Examples: Financial and technical assistance to cost-effectively reduce water and wind erosion, protect the nation's long-term capability to produce food and fiber, reduce sedimentation, improve water quality, create and enhance wildlife habitat, and other objectives including encouraging more permanent conservation practices and tree planting. Under the CRP, Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) will enter into contracts with eligible participants to convert eligible lands to a conserving use for a period of not less that 10 years and not more than 15 years in return for financial and technical assistance.

Integration with State, Tribal, or Local Government: No data

Effectiveness: No data

Program Limitations/ Recommendations: Limited to CRP participants. Emergency haying and grazing must be conducted in a manner protective of all CRP stakeholders and purposes, including soil erosion control, water quality, and wildlife.

Contact Name and Phone Number: Robert Stephenson, Director, Conservation and Environmental Protection Division (202) 720-6221

Statute: Section 388 of the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996

Direct or Indirect Linkage to Drought: Indirect

Functions: Monitoring and Prediction

Agencies (primary agency listed first): USDA--NRCS, CCC

Funding History (1985 to the present): Specific drought funds have not been provided to the program.

Type of Assistance / Examples: Technical assistance: Each farm under a purchased agricultural conservation easement (PACE) is required to have a conservation plan. Part of that conservation plan should contain a drought section that includes mitigation actions, should a drought occur.

Examples: Landowners may be able to sell development rights on their property in areas eligible for this program.

Integration with State, Tribal, or Local Government: No data

Program Limitations/ Recommendations: Limited CCC technical assistance funds are available for maintaining the conservation plans for farms under the FPP.

Contact Name and Phone Number: Fen C. Hunt (202) 720-7671

Statute: Watershed Protection and Flood Protection Act (Public Law 83-566)

Direct or Indirect Linkage to Drought: Indirect

Functions: Mitigation

Agencies (primary agency listed first): USDA--NRCS

Funding History (1985 to the present): No data

Type of Assistance / Examples: Technical and financial assistance in dealing with watershed protection and flood prevention; the Flood Control Act of 1944 authorizes USDA to undertake emergency measures for runoff retardation and soil erosion protection as needed to safeguard lives and property from floods and the products of erosion on any watershed where fire or other natural element or force had caused a sudden impairment of the watershed.

Examples: A local town can request assistance from USDA under this program to address flooding, watershed management, municipal and industrial water needs, etc. Technical and financial assistance may be available to help the community address their needs.

Integration with State, Tribal, or Local Government: Requires sponsors that have legal authority to obtain property rights, water rights and permits, and provide operation and maintenance.

Effectiveness: Project purposes only include agricultural water management, groundwater recharge, and municipal and industrial water supply.

Program Limitations/ Recommendations: Projects must contain benefits to agriculture, including rural communities, that account for at least 20% of total benefits. Cost-share rates vary, depending on the purpose. Some rates are set at the discretion of the Secretary of Agriculture. Recent declines in Congressional appropriations for the Small Watershed Program have led to a significant backlog of unfunded, authorized projects. As of the beginning of FY 1999, the backlog is in excess of $1.5 billion.

Contact Name and Phone Number: Director, Watersheds and Wetlands Division, (202)-720-3534

Statute: NRCS and CTA established by Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 6962) which combined the authorities of the former Soil Conservation Service (Soil Conservation Act of 1935) with seven cost-share programs for natural resource conservation.

Direct or Indirect Linkage to Drought: Indirect

Functions: Mitigation, Response

Agencies (primary agency listed first): USDA--NRCS

Funding History (1985 to the present): Specific drought funds have not been provided to the program.

Type of Assistance / Examples: Technical assistance to implement the following: state and local financial assistance programs; other state, local and federal conservation initiatives; technology development; disaster preparedness; technical assistance training for NRCS, state and local personnel, and administration. Technical assistance provided is in the form of soil erosion control, grazing entities, water conservation quantity and quality, wildlife habitat development, soil survey interpretations and data collection and interpretation.

Examples: Private landowners and or operators can apply for technical assistance to help the individual develop and implement a drought plan as well as address other resource concerns.

Integration with State, Tribal, or Local Government: No data

Effectiveness: No data

Program Limitations/ Recommendations: Only technical assistance is available and no financial assistance is included for landowners to implement conservation measures.

Contact Name and Phone Number: Director, Conservation Operations Division (202) 720-1845

Statute: The program operates under the basic authority of P.L. 74-46, Apr, 27, 1935, Ch., 85, Sec. 1, 49 Stat. 163, 16 U.S.C. 590 [a-f]. Other authorities include: 7 CFR Part 613, P.L. 95-192, P.L. 74-210 (7 U.S.C. 1010-1011), and 7 U.S.C. 6962.

Direct or Indirect Linkage to Drought: Indirect

Functions: Mitigation

Agencies (primary agency listed first): USDA--NRCS

Funding History (1985 to the present): Specific drought funds have not been provided to the program.

Type of Assistance / Examples: Technical assistance through plant science technology to NRCS field offices for transfer to end users (e.g., landowners and land managers). The program functions in this capacity by providing vegetative solutions for natural resource problems. It develops plant releases (i.e., materials) and information technology on how to establish and manage plant species.

Examples: Landowners, working with their local conservation districts, can test drought tolerant species of grasses to see if they are well suited for their particular farm.

Integration with State, Tribal, or Local Government: Technology is provided to NRCS field offices for transfer to end users (e.g., landowners & land managers).

Effectiveness: Drought conditions are ameliorated but not eliminated. Suitable planning and management must be implemented before drought occurs.

Program Limitations/ Recommendations: The program emphasizes field testing to determine a plant's value and restoration techniques. It is limited to conservation cooperators' properties in conjunction with conservation districts, State Agricultural Experiment Stations, State Crop Improvement Associations and other federal and state agencies. Plants or seed are not provided to the general public, and the public is not eligible to participate in the program.

Contact Name and Phone Number: Rick White (202) 720-2587

Statute: Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2101, 2103)

Direct or Indirect Linkage to Drought: Indirect

Functions: Response

Agencies (primary agency listed first): USDA--NRCS

Funding History (1985 to the present): Specific drought funds have not been provided to the program.

Type of Assistance / Examples: Technical and financial assistance available nationwide in counties designated as potentially suitable for production of timber products. The program pays up to 65 percent of the costs of tree planting, timber stand improvements, and related practices on nonindustrial private forest lands.

Integration with State, Tribal, or Local Government: No data

Effectiveness: No data

Program Limitations/ Recommendations: Maximum payment limitation for FIP is $10,000 per individual per fiscal year

Contact Name and Phone Number: Robert Molleur (202) 720-6521