Conservation Programs Streamlined

June 13, 2002

USDA has streamlined and simplified the administrative concurrence processes for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), each of which benefits people, wildlife and the environment overall, the Department said.

"We are trying to cut the red tape to get the job done and enable producers to participate in our conservation programs in a timely manner," Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman said. "This kind of teamwork among USDA agencies is particularly critical as we implement the new Farm Bill. We will continue to look for ways we can improve our systems to help producers."

USDA's Farm Service Agency (FSA) and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), which administer CRP and EQIP respectively, worked together to streamline concurrence and will soon be issuing administrative guidance. The streamlined concurrence processes, which will save valuable time at the county level and reduce duplicative efforts, allow NRCS or FSA the flexibility to proceed without the formal approval of the other agency. This removes a time-consuming step in the implementation process and will allow the agencies to operate more efficiently.

This is important, says USDA, considering both agencies now are working to implement the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (2002 Act), which includes a number of new programs and benefits under the conservation title.

The 2002 act, signed into law May 13, provides more than $17 billion in funding for conservation. In addition, it increases the acreage that can be enrolled in CRP from 36.4 million to 39.2 million acres and increases EQIP funding to $6.1 billion.