National Association of Conservation Districts

National Association of Conservation Districts

NACD's mission is to serve conservation districts by providing national leadership and a unified voice for natural resource conservation.

Farm Bill

The farm bill, also known as the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008, is the most influential piece of legislation that affects agriculture in America. A new farm bill is re-authorized approximately every five years, directing farm program policy including conservation. The 2008 Farm Bill was enacted on June 18, 2008. The Conservation Title, title II, is one of fifteen titles that make up the omnibus legislation.

Farm bill conservation programs help producers enhance soil and water quality, improve wildlife habitat, can assist with compliance with federal and state environmental rules, protect agricultural and grass lands and provide various other benefits.

The 2002 Farm Bill provided a significant boost to conservation efforts throughout the country. The 2008 bill builds upon the funding commitment from the 2002, providing and additional $4 billion in spending on conservation programs.

NACD’s participation in the 2008 Farm Bill development process and interaction with Congress has spanned the previous three years. NACD will continue to be engaged in the implementation of the farm bill, providing appropriate comments to USDA on rules and regulations.

NACD will continuously update this page with information on the implementation of the 2008 Farm Bill, as more information on the schedule of USDA activities become available.


Recent NACD Activity

For additional NACD legislative activity regarding this issue, see the NACD Input page.


NACD Farm Bill Resources

Energy Provisions Comparison Chart, July 15, 2008 | PDF |

Forestry Provisions Comparison Chart, July 11, 2008 | PDF |

2008 Farm Bill Implementation Briefing Paper, July 11, 2008 | HTML | PDF |

2008 Farm Bill Comparison Chart, June 10, 2008 - Side by side comparison of the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 and 1985 Food Security Act as amended/current law. | PDF |

2007 NACD Farm Bill Issue Paper | HTML | PDF |

NACD Farm Bill 2007 Core Statements, February 7, 2007

NACD Farm Bill Principals, August 21, 2006 | HTML | PDF |

Obligations to States, County by County, for select Farm Bill Programs (2006 data)


Partners

Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) - NRCS is responsible for a majority of the conservation programs contained in the Farm Bill.  Conservation program details, funding and status can be found on their website.

Farm Service Agency - FSA is responsible for on of the oldest and most well known conservation program—the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP).  Information on CRP, continuous sign-up and new provisions of the Farm Bill as well as other assistance programs can be found on their website.

The U.S. Forest Service - FS is responsible for several forestry related provisions of the Farm Bill.  New requirements include a State Wide Assessment and strategies for forest resources.  Additional information can be found on their website.

Great Lakes Basin Program for Sediment and Erosion Control  - The Great Lakes Basin Program for Sediment and Erosion Control is authorized in the Farm Bill to provide funding for conservation related activities in the Great Lakes region.  Additional information can be found on their website.

National Watershed Coalition - Select watershed programs are included in the Farm Bill.  Watershed efforts are lead by the National Watershed Coalition, which coordinates activities for individual conservation districts and other partners.