The USDA spends several billion dollars a year on voluntary land stewardship programs. With the 2018 farm bill on the horizon, two members of the House Agriculture Committee have unveiled legislation that would require the USDA to evaluate and report on the impact of the soil and water projects it bankrolls.
Ohio Democrat Marcia Fudge, one of the sponsors of the bill, said that by tracking the outcome of land stewardship projects, the legislation will provide vital information to defend and enhance the conservation toolbox. Co-sponsor John Faso, a New York Republican, said the bill “would ensure that USDA will continue to improve existing conservation programs and practices” and provide farmers with the best possible approaches to reducing soil erosion, preserving water quality, and protecting wildlife habitat.
Federal stewardship programs, which address a range of conservation issues, include the long-term Conservation Reserve, which idles fragile land; the green-payment Conservation Stewardship Program; the Environmental Quality Incentives Program to reduce farm runoff; and the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program, which preserves farmland. The bill is supported by the American Farmland Trust, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, and the National Wildlife Federation.