USDA to Assess Environmental Benefits of
Conservation Programs
- In-depth studies to be conducted in 20 watersheds
By Sean
Adams July 22, 2004
WASHINGTON, July 22--Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman
today announced a five-year effort to study the collective environmental
benefits of government conservation programs on agricultural land.
"The advantages of conservation programs are widely recognized,
from reducing soil erosion and enhancing water and air quality to promoting
wetland and wildlife habitat preservation and restoration," Veneman said.
"However, the environmental benefits of these programs have not been previously
measured at the national level. This effort will provide an accounting of the
benefits achieved through conservation programs."
Through the Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) the
Department of Agriculture will study the
environmental benefits of conservation practices implemented through 2002 Farm
Bill programs: the Environmental Quality Incentives
Program, Wetlands Reserve
Program, Wildlife Habitat
Incentives Program, Conservation Reserve Program,
Conservation Security
Program and Conservation
Technical Assistance.
CEAP is composed of two basic parts: a nationwide assessment of
conservation benefits and more in-depth studies of these benefits in 20
selected watersheds.
The national assessment will be reported annually starting in
2005. USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service's (NRCS) National Resources Inventory will be
used as the sampling basis for estimating the environmental benefits of
conservation practices, as well as farmer surveys and existing USDA computer
models.
In-depth studies within eight special-emphasis and 12 benchmark
watersheds (details below) will occur simultaneously with
the national assessment and other on-going watershed research efforts. NRCS
selected the special-emphasis watersheds to address specific concerns such as
manure management on animal feeding operations, water use on irrigated
cropland, drainage management, wildlife habitat and riparian restoration. These
watershed studies also should help develop performance measures for estimating
soil quality, water quality and wildlife habitat benefits for specific
conservation practices.
USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) has been conducting research on most of
the 12 benchmark watersheds for a considerable period of time and anticipates
that watershed-scale research and assessments will be continued over many
years.
In addition, the USDA Cooperative State Research, Education and
Extension Service in April 2004 issued a notice to accept applications for
competitive grants for additional CEAP watershed studies.
Additional information about CEAP can be obtained at
http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/technical/nri/ceap.
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