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Conservation and the Next Farm Bill – A Statement of
Principles
A Historic Opportunity
As American farmers face growing financial pressures from low crop
prices, there is a growing recognition that they can provide even more to
society than food and fiber. Farms have a crucial role to play in
improving water quality, offsetting climate change, containing urban
sprawl, and protecting environmental health and promoting ecological
diversity and wildlife habitat.
These efforts can be pursued in ways that benefit and support farmers and
rural communities that are suffering from serious economic stress. There
are proven programs and techniques for conserving and enhancing soil and
water quality, wildlife habitat, and natural landscapes that will be utilized
by greater numbers of farmers with adequate financial support and on-site
technical assistance.
The next Farm Bill represents a tremendous opportunity for achieving
these important societal goals. Specific aspects that will enable farmers,
ranchers, foresters, and other landowners to better maintain viable rural
communities and a healthy environment include increasing funding for
conservation, best management practices, and the technical assistance,
research and development necessary to implement them.
An Emerging Consensus
A broad new consensus is emerging among agricultural and environmental
groups across the country on the need to expand conservation programs in
the next Farm Bill.
The Lower Mississippi Valley Initiative (LMVI), a multi-state partnership
of government agencies and farm interests, has emphasized the need for a
comprehensive policy to achieve environmental quality and improve
agricultural economic viability. The LMVI states that “federal spending
for USDA conservation programs must be increased to meet society’s
environmental quality demands and match farmer, rancher, forester, and
landowners’ willingness to accept conservation challenges.”
The “Vision for Conservation in the 2002 Farm Bill” put forth by the
Farm Bill Task Force of the National Association of Conservation
Districts (NACD) emphasizes the value of conservation practices
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for all landowners that enhance quality of life, restore air and watershed
health, and contribute to safe and affordable food and fiber. The NACD
“Vision” statement notes that although conservation programs have been
successful in many respects, they have not achieved their full potential,
due to lack of funding for financial incentives and technical assistance.
“Revitalize Conservation Programs and Farm Communities in the Next
Farm Bill,” a statement by a coalition of thirty national and regional
environmental groups, has stated that without a new, broader approach,
farm spending will not benefit most farmers, consumers, or the
environment, and instead calls for increased funding for conservation
programs and stewardship incentives, as well as programs that support
research, marketing, and rural economic development.
All three documents recognize the need for an annual investment in
conservation and stewardship programs of between $8 and 10 billion.
The statement of goals and principles below, signed by environmental and
farm groups in Louisiana, has drawn from the above sources and others to
articulate a shared vision for priorities in the next Farm Bill.
Core Principles
1. Conservation and Environmental Protection
Since working lands – farms, ranches, and forests – cover more than
seventy percent of the continental United States, we can take a major leap
forward in meeting both our production and environmental goals by
increasing support for agriculture and forestry conservation programs in
the coming years. Conservation programs can also help farmers who do
not otherwise benefit from federal commodity support programs.
2. Keeping Farming Viable and Profitable
The next Farm Bill needs to support conservation and farm income at the
same time. The decrease in family farms and the increase in rural poverty
need to be reversed. Today’s farmers face decreased market opportunities
and lower prices. The next Farm Bill should support efforts to add value to
agricultural products, increase regional and local market opportunities for
farmers, expand research and development, and facilitate credit and
technical assistance to farmers.
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Economic stresses from low commodity prices and an aging farm
population are combining to result in a serious loss of farmland. Farms
that are sold are often developed, furthering the problem of urban sprawl
as well as a loss of cropland. By rewarding farmers for conservation
practices, and making sure benefits from federal programs also benefit
rural economies and small to medium-sized farms, the Congress and
administration can achieve greater regional equity, help small farmers
compete, strengthen rural communities, and make substantial progress on
a range of serious environmental problems. Funding should be available to
reward “good actors” already implementing high value conservation
practices on their land. Proven practices and programs should be
expanded, but there should also be incentives for innovation.
3. Multiple Benefits and Natural Services
Conservation of soil and water health, nutrient management, habitat
protection, and the offsetting conditions that may lead to climate change
are important services that farms can deliver to society even as they
produce food, fiber, and energy. Hence, the programs that promote and
support these goals should be seen as payments for natural services, and
not merely subsidies.
Although the cost of meeting these goals may seem high, the costs of
ignoring them will be far greater. Soil erosion increases water treatment
and dredging costs, while nutrient loading puts drinking water and
productive fisheries at risk. The costs of providing safe drinking water are
projected to cost municipalities $20 billion over the next two decades.
On the other hand, the retirement of marginal, highly erodible lands
through the Conservation Reserve Program has generated an estimated
$3.5 billion in water quality benefits alone.
Key Environmental Issues
There are a number of key environmental issues that the next Farm Bill
can address:
Water Quality
All states face serious problems from impaired waterbodies. It is estimated
that at least half of America’s rivers, lakes, and coastal bays are too
polluted for fishing, swimming, or drinking. The rich coastal fisheries off
Louisiana’s coast are at risk from nutrient loading upstream in the
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Mississippi River Basin, which fuels the large hypoxic zone in the Gulf of
Mexico.
Best-management and conservation practices can successfully control and
reduce runoff and nutrient loading to waterways. Yet on a national level,
at least two out of five farmers seeking federal support for such efforts are
rejected because federal programs lack sufficient funds to meet the
demands for participation.
There is a growing backlog of applicants for programs like the USDA
Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP), which utilize vegetative buffers and
wetlands to intercept, slow, and filter runoff, removing significant
amounts of nutrients, sediment, pesticides, and bacteria from water. There
are also significant opportunities to utilize market-based solutions to nonpoint source pollution, through the development of nutrient-trading
programs.
Climate Change
Agriculture is the economic sector most vulnerable to climate, and to the
changes projected to result from human-induced global warming.
Louisiana is among the states most vulnerable to drought, floods, and heat
waves, as well as the pest species and pathogens that would flourish in a
warming climate.
At the same time, agriculture can help implement cost-effective measures
to mitigate projected climate change impacts by capturing carbon dioxide
in the atmosphere and storing it in crops and soil. Sugar cane, one of
Louisiana’s leading crops, has one of the highest capacities for carbon
sequestration. Farmers can also take actions to reduce emissions of nitrous
oxides and methane. The federal government should help spur creative
solutions to the problem of climate change. The development of
greenhouse gas trading programs would allow participants to sell and
purchase reductions in greenhouse gases below existing baselines, with
adequate verification systems for carbon storage and trading, and
reduction credits for methane and nitrous oxide.
Energy
Agriculture can help meet the need for diverse energy sources through
production of bio-fuels. Production of ethanol is one value-added use of
crops, while development of energy-producing crops such as switch grass
and eastern gama grass can also help farmers find new markets for
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existing and new crops with little or no additional investment on their part.
More funding for research and technical assistance is necessary to make
this happen. Reduced energy use in agriculture can be achieved by
increasing the application of energy-saving conservation measures.
Urban Sprawl
By some estimates, approximately 3 million acres of farm, ranch, and
forest land have been converted to urban uses every year since 1992.
Uncontrolled urban sprawl imposes a variety of environmental and social
costs. Pavement generates more runoff that farmland, and rapid drainage
of urban stormwater into local streams can deprive them of the ability to
support aquatic life. The growth in urban runoff pollution can even offset
expensive improvements to sewage treatment systems. Sprawl also
fragments wildlife habitat.
Farms near urban centers serve as a primary source of fresh, locally-grown
food. Maintaining the mosaic of rural landscapes of farms and ranches that
can conserve sensitive landscapes and protect the health of soil and water
will require strong rural economies linked to consumers and markets.
Conservation and easement programs can help farmers who face
escalating land prices and development pressures.
Watershed Resource Planning
Improving water quality, increasing public interest in wetlands protection
and restoration, increasing wildlife habitat, and meeting needs of
agricultural, industrial, and municipal water supplies all require
watershed-based planning. Watershed planning requires availability of
multi-disciplinary technical assistance specialists to assist in development
of local plans, and there is a growing demand for these programs
throughout the country.
Goals for the Next Farm Bill
General goals:
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
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Increase funding levels for USDA conservation programs, especially for
technical assistance staff and resources;
Increase acreage and participation “caps” for USDA conservation
programs, especially for environmentally-sensitive lands;
Increase funding for research and education that focuses on alternative
crops, value-added uses, and environmental stewardship;
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Make the next Farm Bill more equitable, with increased resources for
small farms;
Make the next Farm Bill increase support for watershed-based planning.
Specific Goals:
Increase Funding for Conservation Programs
We call for expanded funding for the USDA agencies that are responsible
for federal conservation programs; in particular, for USDA’s Natural
Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), to provide technical assistance
to farmers and producers for implementation of conservation programs,
and the Farm Service Agency (FSA) for program administrative purposes.
The USDA NRCS and Land Grant Institutions’ Extension Services and
Experiment Stations have field offices throughout the country to work
with local soil and water conservation districts and private landowners, yet
lacks the staff and funding to respond to the level of demand for
education, outreach, research and technical assistance.
Achieving the important societal goals of supporting prosperous farms and
rural communities, as well as conserving air, soil, and water, and sensitive
habitats will require adequate federal funding at levels above the current
“caps.” Along with expanded funding, the acreage levels in these
programs need to be expanded to meet the opportunities provided by the
backlog of applicants.
We call for expanded funding and extended authorization for conservation
programs in the next Farm Bill, as well as for incentive programs for onfarm best management practices. These include the following programs:
The Conservation Technical Assistance Program (CTA) supports staff
necessary to assist agricultural producers and landowners plan and
implement site-specific, science-based conservation and environmental
protection practices and systems. CTA funding supports staff to assist
producers who may not be eligible for for cost-share programs, but must
comply with “swampbuster” provisions of the 1985, 1990, and 1996 Farm
Bills.
The Conservation Reserve and Wetlands Reserve Programs (CRP and
WRP) have not only increased wetland acreage and the retirement of
environmentally-sensitive lands, but have resulted in significant
rebounding of populations of migratory birds and waterfowl and
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expansion of upland wildlife habitats. Other benefits include pollution
abatement from runoff and enhanced flood protection.
The Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP), a voluntary
program for agricultural landowners, utilizes federal and state partnerships
to implement specific conservation and environmental enhancement
practices. Farmers receive annual rental payments and cost-share
assistance to establish long-term conservation cover growth on eligible
land.
The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), created to address
water quality problems, should be expanded with funding formulas for
rewards and incentives, and amended to support irrigation efficiency and
other innovative practices to reduce water use demands. Requests from
producers for assistance through EQIP have been overwhelming, far
exceeding the amount of funds available and putting greater demands on
an already overburdened NRCS conservation district delivery system.
EQIP has the potential to garner tremendous environmental benefits, as
well as to reach socially disadvantaged producers who have not
traditionally participated in USDA’s conservation programs. In addition to
increased funding levels, the technical assistance funding cap limits in
EQIP should be raised to levels that would allow NRCS to do service
plans for the life of contracts.
The Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP) provides cost-sharing to
landowners for developing habitat for upland wildlife, wetland wildlife,
endangered species, and other wildlife. WHIP has proven to be so popular
that it exhausted its funding authorization in two years. There still exists a
great demand for program participation. We call for extending
authorization and increasing funding for WHIP.
The Farmland Protection and Forest Legacy Programs have been funded
by Congress since 1992 to match state and local funds to help protect
thousands of acres of farms and forestlands, but the small level of funding
– less than $100 million since 1992 – have limited their impact.
The Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program has
supported small farmers through better research efforts. Small farms have
the ability to produce a broad range of products in environmentally
friendly ways. Environmental and health concerns on the part of
consumers are creating a growing market for these products.
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Goals and Benefits for Louisiana
We also urge that the new Farm Bill be structured to deliver benefits
specific to Louisiana’s needs:
Increase Conservation Program Benefits:
* Louisiana has been a leader in conservation programs such as WRP and
CRP, yet still faces a large backlog of applicants. While Louisiana
currently has over 137,000 acres under easements in WRP, potential
program demand has been estimated to be four times as much. This
program if expanded would also benefit significantly the nation’s carbon
sequestration efforts.
* Over the past four years, Louisiana has been able to fund only one out of
four EQIP applications received, and many applicants have opted not to
re-apply after several attempts.
* Louisiana lacks a statewide program to secure funds for the cost-share
required to implement the Farmland Protection Program.
* Louisiana has seen increased public demand for participation in WHIP,
FLP, and other conservation programs.
* Louisiana does not have an approved CREP program.
Meeting Other Critical Conservation Goals:
* Incentive-based programs that restore wetlands, reduce nutrient runoff,
and improve water quality are key elements in the federal-state Action
Plan for Reducing, Mitigating, and Controlling Hypoxia in the Northern
Gulf of Mexico;
* Louisiana’s sugar cane industry has significant potential to become a
leader in carbon-sequestration efforts;
*Watershed-scale planning is needed for high priority areas where nonpoint source pollution is a major part of total maximum daily load
(TMDL) targets;
* Conservation benefits need to be extended to the large number of
sharecroppers in Louisiana.
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Signatory Groups
Doug Daigle
Hypoxia Program Director
Mississippi River Basin Alliance
Bob Odum
Secretary
Louisiana Department of Agriculture
& Forestry
Brad Spicer
Mark Davis
Assistant Commissioner
Executive Director
Office of Soil and Water Conservation
Coalition to Restore Coastal La.
La. Department of Agriculture & Forestry;
La. Association of Soil and Water
Conservation Districts;
La. State Soil & Water Conservation Committee
Cynthia Sarthou
Executive Director
Gulf Restoration Network
Carlton Dufrechou
Executive Director
Lake Pontchartrain
Basin Foundation
Paul Davidson
Director
La. Black Bear Conservation
Committee;
La. Organic Association
Randy Lanctot
Executive Director
Louisiana Wildlife Federation
Supporting Organizations
Louisiana State University Agriculture Center
Louisiana Farm Bureau