Farm Bill Short on Conservation

August 8, 2001

The nation's 3,000 conservation districts are "sounding the alarm" on the House Agriculture Committee's farm bill proposal for conservation programs. An analysis of the legislation by the National Association of Conservation Districts claims the bill falls far short of addressing the "tremendous" conservation assistance needs that exist across the country and would seriously undermine the delivery of conservation assistance to producers.

How USDA addresses soil and water conservation objectives is spelled out in the conservation title of the farm bill. "It is imperative that Congress provide the necessary support for our nation's working lands because it is not just farmers and other land managers, but the public as a whole, that derive the environmental benefits of soil protection and clean water and air," said NACD Chief Executive Officer, Ernest Shea.

Although the House Agriculture Committee bill increases the funding for some current financial assistance conservation programs and authorizes three new programs, overall the bill would decimate the effectiveness of the nation's federal-state-local partnership that delivers private working lands conservation programs, NACD charged. The group claims the bill will cause the redirection of existing technical assistance to mandatory programs only, leaving vast areas of the nation and many of the nation's producers and communities without federally funded technical or financial assistance. "A well-funded technical assistance program is needed that reaches all landowners and operators regardless of whether they participate in cost share programs," Shea commented.

Many groups representing agricultural producers have been far more favorable in their comments about the bill, praising the legislation for substantially increasing conservation spending.

Conservation districts are calling for a new flexible and locally led incentive based program to complement the existing financial assistance and land retirement programs. A Conservation Incentive Program, as formulated by NACD, would reach far more producers, provide greater environmental benefits, and improve quality of life for both rural and urban communities. With greater likelihood of participation by producers, it would also reduce the need for regulatory programs.

Senate leaders have expressed strong support for a new incentive-based program and are signaling that conservation will be the centerpiece of their farm bill.

For more information on the House version of the farm bill are on NACD web site at http://www.nacdnet.org/govtaff/FB/fballdistrict.htm. For more information about NACD's proposed Conservation Incentives Program go to http://nacdnet.org/publications/IFC.htm.