U.S. General Accounting Office

Survey on Food Security Act Conservation Compliance

Wetland Conservation Violations

32.	Did your county have any wetland conservation violations in calendar years 1998-2001?
	(CHECK ONLY ONE ANSWER)
	1.		Yes
	2.		No (Click here to go to question 42.)
	3.		No response

33.	Since January 1, 1997, of the USDA farm program participants who have violated wetland conservation provisions in your county, about what percent lost any benefits?
	(CHECK ONLY ONE ANSWER)
	1.		0 to less than 5%
	2.		5 to less than 10%
	3.		10 to less than 20%
	4.		20 to less than 30%
	5.		30 to less than 50%
	6.		50% or more
	7.		Don't know

34.	Of the wetland violations referred to or received by the Farm Service Agency (FSA) in your county, about what portion are granted a good faith exemption by the FSA county committee?
	(CHECK ONLY ONE ANSWER)
	1.		All or almost all
	2.		More than half
	3.		About half
	4.		Less than half
	5.		None or almost none
	6.		Don't know

35.	How often are decisions to grant wetland good faith exemptions by the Farm Service Agency county committees in your county properly supported?
	(CHECK ONLY ONE ANSWER)
	1.		Always or almost always
	2.		Most of the time
	3.		About half of the time
	4.		Some of the time
	5.		Never or almost never
	6.		No basis to determine

36.	In your opinion, what level of technical improvements could be made to the tools, techniques, or procedures to complete certified wetland determinations?
	(CHECK ONLY ONE ANSWER)
	1.		Very great improvement
	2.		Great improvement
	3.		Moderate improvement
	4.		Some improvement
	5.		Little or no improvement
	6.		No response

37.	To what extent are certified wetland determinations made on a less than whole tract basis?
	(CHECK ONLY ONE ANSWER)
	1.		Very great extent
	2.		Great extent
	3.		Moderate extent
	4.		Some extent
	5.		Little or no extent
	6.		No response

38.	Consider the geographical area where you provide assistance. Of the tracts that are in violation of wetland conservation provisions, about what percent have not been reported?
	(CHECK ONLY ONE ANSWER)
	1.		0 to less than 5%
	2.		5 to less than 10%
	3.		10 to less than 20%
	4.		20 to less than 30%
	5.		30 to less than 50%
	6.		50% or more
	7.		No response

39.	If you find a converted wetland on lands owned or operated by a USDA program participant, how often do you do the following?
	(CHECK ONE FOR EACH PRACTICE)

		Always or almost always	Most of the time	About half of the time	Some of the time	Never or almost never	No response
39a	Notify the person by sending a certified wetland determination, detailing the potential violation
39b	Inform the person orally, not in writing, detailing the potential violation
39c	Work with the person to restore or obtain a mitigation exemption for the wetland in order to maintain benefits
39d	Decide if any other exemption applies to this wetland conversion

Legislative Effects

40.	In your county, how did each of the following changes in the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (farm bill) strengthen or weaken monitoring of wetland conservation compliance?
	(CHECK ONE FOR EACH CHANGE.)

		Significantly strengthened	Strengthened	Neither strengthened nor weakened	Weakened	Significantly weakened	Don't know	No response
40a	Instituted good faith exemption allowing graduated reductions in program benefits for wetland conservation violations
40b	Instituted minimal effects exemption
40c	Instituted mitigation exemption for restoring a prior converted wetland
40d	Instituted requirement for agreement between NRCS and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on mitigation plans and technical determinations
40e	Instituted new trigger mechanism for swampbuster violations
40f	Required additional farm program benefits be subject to denial for violations of wetland conservation
40g	Revised definition of a wetland to include three conditions that must be present
40h	Other (please specify in text box below)

	If you responded "Other" above, please specify below.

41.	In your county, how did each of the following changes in the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 (farm bill) strengthen or weaken monitoring of wetland conservation compliance?
	(CHECK ONE FOR EACH CHANGE.)

		Significantly strengthened	Strengthened	Neither strengthened nor weakened	Weakened	Significantly weakened	Don't know	No response
41a	Instituted more options for mitigation including enhancement or creation of wetlands
41b	Eliminated graduated reductions in program benefits for compliance violations
41c	Eliminated the requirement for agreement between NRCS and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on mitigation plans and technical determinations
41d	Revised good faith exemption by removing the 1-in-10 year rule and allowed for compliance grace period
41e	Other (please specify in text box below)

	If you responded "Other" above, please specify below.