Prior-Converted Cropland Law and Legal Definition
According to 7 CFR 12.2 [Title 7Agriculture; Subtitle A Office of the Secretary of Agriculture; Part 12 Highly Erodible Land and Wetland Conservation; Subpart A General Provisions], prior-converted cropland is a converted wetland where the conversion occurred prior to December 23, 1985, an agricultural commodity had been produced at least once before December 23, 1985, and as of December 23, 1985, the converted wetland did not support woody vegetation and met the following hydrologic criteria:
(i) Inundation was less than 15 consecutive days during the growing season or 10 percent of the growing season, whichever is less, in most years (50 percent chance or more); and
(ii) If a pothole, playa or pocosin, ponding was less than 7 consecutive days during the growing season in most years (50 percent chance or more) and saturation was less than 14 consecutive days during the growing season most years (50 percent chance or more).