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Award Identifying Number: NEST Agreement Number: FISCAL YEAR 2014 STATEMENT OF WORK BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA COMMODITY CREDIT CORPORATION ACTING THROUGH THE NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE and the CABARRUS SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION DIS for the AGRICULTURAL CONSERVATION EASEMENT PROGRAM This Cooperative Agreement is entered into by and between the United States of America (the United States), acting by and through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (MRCS) on behalf of the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC), and the CABARRUS SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT (hereinafter whether singular or plural ENTITY) for the implementation of the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) Agricultural Land Easement (ALE) component. The CCC shall utilize the expertise and services of NRCS to administer this program and perform the duties set forth within this Cooperative Agreement. The term "Parties" as used herein refers collectively to the United States and the ENTITY. I. AUTHORITY. This Cooperative Agreement is entered into by the United States under the authorities of the Commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act, 15 U.S.C. 714 et seq. and Agricultural Conservation Easement Program, Subtitle H of Title XII of the Food Security Act of 1985, as amended by Section 2301 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (Public Law 113 -79) (the Act). In addition to these authorities, this Cooperative Agreement will be administered in accordance with the policies and procedures set forth in the FRPP regulation, 7 CFR part 1491 and NRCS National Bulletin 300_14_37. The CCC administers the ACEP under the general supervision of the Chief of the NRCS who is a Vice President of the CCC. II. BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE. .P� The Act authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to facilitate and provide funding for the purchase of Agricultural Land Easements on eligible land by an eligible entity from an eligible landowner. The Act authorized ACEP funding for fiscal years (FY) 2014 through 2018. WHEREAS, eligible entity means Indian Tribe, State government, local government, or a nongovernmental organization that has an agricultural land easement program that purchases agricultural Ian easements for one or more of the following two purposes: 1. protecting the agricultural use and future viability, and related conservation values, of eligible land by limiting nonagricultural uses of that land; or 2. protecting grazing uses and related conservation values by restoring and conserving eligible land. WHEREAS, eligible land means land determined by NRCS to be privately owned agricultural land, including land on a farm or ranch, that is subject to a written pending offer to purchase an agricultural land easement, meets one or more of the four criteria listed below, and meets one or more of the acceptable land uses identified in the Act: 1. has prime, unique, or other productive soil; NRCS Representative Initial Recipient Representative Initial Attachment number 1 F -7 Page 156