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Shining Light on Farm & Food Policy for 20 Years.
Wednesday, December 18, 2024
The House on Tuesday passed a bill that would reauthorize a slate of conservation grant programs that fund Chesapeake Bay restoration efforts, assistance for producers that lose livestock to endangered predators, and wetlands conservation projects.
Those in the agriculture industry believe that conservation programs will be largely unaffected by the incoming second Trump administration, with the fate of remaining Inflation Reduction Act conservation funding in the hands of Congress.
Along the campaign trail, President-elect Donald Trump had vowed to repeal parts of the Biden administration's landmark climate law, the Inflation Reduction Act. Now facing a second Trump administration, industry groups are hopeful broad bipartisan support for biofuels and conservation programs in Congress means these initiatives will remain in place.
Some 69 million acres were enrolled in the Conservation Stewardship Program in fiscal 2023, or about 8% of all U.S. farmland, according to a report by the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition.
USDA is seeking public comment on the implementation of the SUSTAINS Act, which incentivizes the private sector to support conservation programs through matching agency funds.
The Agriculture Department will be awarding $90 million for 53 projects aimed at developing new technologies and approaches for conservation efforts, Secretary Tom Vilsack said Thursday.
The Conservation Reserve Program would undergo some major changes under House Agriculture Committee Republicans' proposed farm bill draft, but they won't be seen in the acreage cap, according to text unveiled today in preparation for a committee markup next week.
House and Senate agriculture committee leaders are providing glimpses into their intentions for the future of farm bill conservation programs through dueling proposals and, while some details are limited, they suggest notable changes to longstanding programs like the Conservation Reserve Program as well as the creation of new ones.
The Agriculture Department is accepting proposals for Regional Conservation Partnership Program projects as it looks to dole out $1.5 billion in funding for the program this fiscal year, Secretary Tom Vilsack said Wednesday.
Farmers, ranchers, foresters and other landowners are beginning to realize the benefits of carbon markets, and companies are working to balance dreams of the marketplace with reality.
