Reclamation Lands Family Farm Act

Summary

Reclamation Lands Family Farm Act - Title I: Findings, Purposes, Definitions - States the purpose of this Act and sets forth definitions. Title II: Acreage Limitations and Equivalency - Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior, for purposes of administering the reclamation laws, to change the 160 acre limitation to 160 acres of class one land or its equivalent in lands of lesser productivity. Permits each qualified purchaser to purchase 160 additional acres for each dependent. Allows qualified family farmers without dependents and qualified family farmers of a cooperative family farm to purchase or lease up to 320 acres. Entitles an individual who is not a family farmer to purchase 160 acres provided such purchaser lives within 25 miles of the land. Title III: Excess Lands and Irrigation Rights - States that one year after the date of enactment water from any reclamation projects may only be delivered to project lands which comprise a family farm or which fall under specified categories, including, but not limited to, lands owned in projects or divisions authorized by Congress, and for which the owners have agreed to pay the costs of the delivered water. Provides for the disposition of excess reclamation project lands through a lottery or other impartial means. Title IV: Repayment or Project Costs - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to stipulate in any water right contract that all rates and assessments to be paid by the contracting entity or individual landowners shall be renegotiated every five years. Title V: Leasing of Certain Excess Lands - Directs the Secretary to purchase lands to be leased to those family farmers unable to purchase lands in reclamation projects and to lease agricultural excess land owned by the Navy at Lemoore Naval Air Station to family farmers. Title VI: Miscellaneous - Adds miscellaneous provisions including a requirement that explanations of the programs of this Act be freely available to the public.

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1 official file

• Introduced in Senate

  summary · EN · 21 March 1979

  Open at official source

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