Soil and water conservation: An overview

Abstract

Soil and water conservation topics are prominent in discussions of policy options forthe next farm bill, which the 110th Congress is considering. Major conservation topicsinclude where to set overall funding levels and levels for each program; what should bethe priorities for the conservation effort; and deciding whether any existing programs oractivities should be modified or eliminated and whether new programs or activitiesshould be added to the effort. Addressing these topics often pits supporters of commodityprograms and the traditional farm program benefits against those who would like to seean expanded conservation effort.The House passed its version of the farm bill on July 27, 2007 (H.R. 2419) by a voteof 231 to 191. Numerous options for conservation provisions were offered as thelegislation moved through the House, but the conservation title was passed largely asreported by the Agriculture Committee and modified by a chairman's mark. Thislegislation would increase funding for many conservation programs and add a number ofsmall new programs to the conservation portfolio while delaying further implementationof the Conservation Security Program until FY20 12. The Senate passed its version ofthis legislation on December 14 (H.R. 2419, amended) by a vote of 79 to 14, afteradopting a wide-ranging manager's amendment. This legislation would create a newConservation Stewardship Program that combines features of the Conservation Securityand Environmental Quality Incentives Programs. It would provide level funding for mostexisting conservation programs and create several new programs within existingprograms.The House- and Senate-passed versions differ in numerous ways that will have to beresolved by the conference committee; the most significant of these differences is that theHouse version allows no new signups in the Conservation Security Program (CSP) untilFY20 12 while the Senate version replaces the CSP with a new ConservationStewardship Program and requires that more than 13 million acres be enrolled annually.While the House bill would increase conservation funding by more than $4.5 billion andthe Senate bill would increase it by almost $4.8 billion, the differences in which programswould be increased, and by how much, must also be resolved.Congressional appropriators influence the scope and scale of conservation programsannually. The President signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008, on December26, 2007. It provides funding for the rest of FY2008. It makes several adjustments tofunding for conservation programs (for example, limiting funding for the EnvironmentalQuality Incentives Program to $1.0 billion), extends funding for three farm bill programsthat expired at the end of FY2007 through March 15, 2008, and includes a 0.7% acrossthe-board rescission. © 2009 Nova Science Publishers, Inc.