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NRCS Chief Discusses USDA Conservation Proposals
HARRISBURG,
April 11, 2007-- Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Chief Arlen Lancaster
today visited the Dale Herr Farm in Lancaster County to discuss the
Administration’s farm bill proposals related to conservation.
“A key theme throughout the conservation title is simplification and
streamlining of programs, while increasing funding for conservation by $7.8
billion over ten years,” Chief Lancaster pointed out.
Under current law, there are six cost-share programs, all of which have separate
eligibility requirements, sign-up periods, regulations and applications. They
include the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), the Wildlife
Habitat Incentives Program, the Ground and Surface Water Conservation Program,
the Agricultural Management Assistance Program, Forest Land Enhancement Program,
and the Klamath Basin Program. The Administration proposes consolidating all six
into one program, under the EQIP umbrella, which can address multiple resource
issues. This would include a new Regional Water Enhancement Program. Funding for
this newly structured program would be increased by 30 percent or an additional
$4.25 billion over ten years.
The Regional Water Enhancement Program would allow producers to use a broad
range of conservation tools to address water quantity and/or quality issues on a
regional scale. Mandatory funding of $175 million annually would be available to
coordinate conservation solutions for
working agricultural landscapes, including crop, pasture, grazing and orchard
lands.
The Administration proposal supports reauthorizing the Conservation Reserve
Program (CRP) at its current acreage level. CRP would continue to focus on
retiring lands that provide the most significant environmental benefits.
However, priority would be given to the enrollment of whole fields that qualify
to produce perennial biomass crops for cellulosic energy production. Continuous
CRP enrollment and the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program would also
continue.
The Conservation Security Program (CSP) would be simplified by creating two
tiers of conservation achievement instead of three, by removing base,
maintenance, and cost-share payments. CSP would be enhanced to provide
incentives for higher levels of conservation practices. Under the proposal, CSP
enrollment would expand from 15.5 million acres to an
estimated 96.5 million acres over ten years. CSP would also be offered
nationwide on an annual basis, instead of in select watersheds. Funding for the
program would increase $500 million over ten years, which would take the program
to $8.5 billion during FY 2008-2017.
The three existing easement programs for working lands-the Farm and Ranchland
Protection Program, the Healthy Forest Reserve Program, and the Grasslands
Reserve Program--would become one new Private Lands Protection Program with a
shared goal of protecting farmland and open space. Funding would be increased by
$900 million over ten years.
Conservation compliance provisions would be broadened to discourage the
conversion of grassland to crop production. Between 1982-2002 acreage in
non-Federal grasslands fell by 24 million acres. A 'Sod Saver' provision would
help retain private grass and rangelands by making its conversion to cropland
ineligible for farm price and income support.
The Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) would be enhanced and expanded. The
enrollment cap would expand from 2.3 million acres to 3.5 million acres with an
annual goal of enrolling 250,000 acres. The easement function of the Emergency
Watershed Program and the WRP would be combined into one WRP. Mandatory funding
of more than $2 billion would be added to the program.
Likewise, the Emergency Watershed Protection Program and the Emergency
Conservation Program would become one new Emergency Landscape Restoration
Program. This would create a one-stop source for landowners and communities in
need of emergency conservation assistance following a catastrophic event.
To encourage participation in conservation programs by beginning and socially
disadvantaged farmers and ranchers, the Administration proposes designating 10
percent of conservation financial assistance to these groups. This will enable
beginning and socially disadvantaged producers, who typically farm smaller
acreages, to more effectively compete for conservation dollars.
Lastly, to spur the development of ecosystem service markets that would
establish a value for agriculture and forestry conservation practices, the
Administration would invest $50 million. These funds would be used to develop
uniform standards for quantifying environmental services, to establish credit
registries; and to offer credit audit and certification services. Ultimately
producers could earn credits for conservation efforts, which in turn could be
sold to achieve environmental goals such as sequestering carbon, protecting
endangered species and other measures that enhance the nation's environment.
The farm bill proposals released January 31 are based on comments and
suggestions received from farmers, ranchers and other stakeholders during 52
USDA Farm Bill Forums across the nation and received via mail and the Internet.
These proposals represent the final phase of a nearly two year process. To
access the full 183 page document or to access the proposals by title go to
www.USDA.gov/farmbill.
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