(a) To participate in RCWP, a landowner or operator must enter into a contract in which he or she agrees to apply his or her water-quality plan. Any person who controls, or shares control, of the farm, ranch, or other land for the proposed contract period (5 to 10 years) must sign the contract.

(b) Cost-sharing payments cannot be provided for any measure that is initiated before the contract is approved by the administering agency.

(c) The participant must furnish satisfactory evidence of his or her control of the farm, ranch, or other land. The administering agency is to determine the acceptability of the evidence and maintain current ownership evidence in the contract file.

(d) RCWP contracts shall include the basic contract document, special provisions as needed, the participant's water-quality plan, schedule of operations, and any other data necessary.

(e) NRCS or its designee shall approve the technical adequacy of the RCWP contract and obtain the required signature of the participants. The NRCS or its designee will provide the contract to the administering agency for certification of fund availability and for execution.

(f) Participants shall install best management practices according to the specifications that are applicable at the time measures are installed.

(g) NRCS will provide technical assistance to participants for installing BMPs. The State Conservationist, NRCS, or its designee may enter into contracts with qualified soil conservation districts or others to provide technical assistance.

(h) The RCWP contract is to require BMPs to be operated and maintained by the participant at no cost to that administering agency.

(i) The contract period is to be not less than 5 and not more than 10 years. A contract is to extend for at least 1 year after the application of the last cost-shared BMPs. All contract items are to be accomplished prior to contract expiration.

(j) A land owner or operator may enter into a contract jointly (pooling ageement) with other land owners or operators to solve mutual water quality problems. Each participant must enter into an RCWP contract to treat water quality problems not covered by the joint arrangement.

(k) Participants may use all available sources of assistance to accomplish their water-quality objectives. They are responsible for:

(1) Accomplishing the water-quality plan;

(2) Keeping the administering agency informed of their current mailing address;

(3) Obtaining, having in hand, and maintaining any required permits and landrights necessary to perform the planned work;

(4) Applying or arranging for the application of BMPs, as scheduled in the plan, according to approved standards and specifications;

(5) The operation and maintenance of BMPs installed during the contract period; and

(6) Obtaining the authorities, rights, easements, or other approvals necessary to maintain BMPs in keeping with applicable laws and regulations.

(l) Unless otherwise approved by the Administrator, NRCS, and Administrator, EPA, the administering agency shall not enter into any new RCWP contracts after five (5) years of elapsed time from the date when RCWP funds are first made available to begin the project.

(m) Contracts may be terminated due to hardship by mutual agreement if the administering agency and the State Conservationist, NRCS, determine that such action would be in the public interest.