Van Hollen, Bennet, Stabenow, Coons Request to include funding for farm bill conservation programs in the fiscal year 2023 budget

May 06, 2022

Senators are also asking for $1 billion to continue to scale up conservation operations and help ensure farmers, ranchers and foresters can be part of the climate solution.

Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) joined Senators Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), and Chris Coons (D-Del.) in asking full funding for conservation of the Farm Bill. Fiscal Year 2023 Budget Programs. In their letter to the Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, the senators also request dollars to continue to augment the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS). ) Conservation operations to help ensure that farmers, ranchers and foresters can be part of the climate solution.

“Recognizing the importance of land-based solutions in the fight against climate change, there is a need for continued federal investments in United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) conservation programs,” wrote the senators. “We need significant investments in USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) personnel and resources to help farmers, ranchers, and foresters mitigate and adapt to climate change.”

In the recent FY22 omnibus spending bill, the Senate passed $904 million for NRCS conservation operations.

NRCS staff help implement several Farm Bill conservation programs that are essential in helping farmers, foresters and ranchers conserve land and water, protect water quality and improve water quality. soil health.

The senators continued: “As producers face increasing productivity and environmental challenges such as droughts, wildfires and floods, these programs help build resilience and support the economic viability of family farms. These programs also help growers implement climate-smart conservation practices and improve productivity. Maintaining full mandatory funding, as authorized in the 2018 Farm Bill, will maintain the productivity of working farms and ranches and benefit the environment.

In addition to Van Hollen, Bennet, Stabenow, and Coons, this letter is signed by U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Ben Cardin ( D-Md.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Angus King (I-Maine), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Tom Carper (D-Del.), Cory Booker (DN.J.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Sheldon Whitehouse (DR.I .), Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), Jeanne Shaheen (DN.H.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Tina Smith (D-Minn.).

The text of the letter is available HERE and below.

Dear President Baldwin and Member of the Hoeven Ranking:

Thank you for your work to fully fund Farm Bill conservation programs and increase conservation operations in the fiscal year 2022 omnibus appropriation bill. As your subcommittee considers its appropriation bill for In fiscal year 2023, we are writing to ask you to support full mandatory funding for the Farm Bill’s conservation programs and continue to increase conservation operations by providing $1 billion to it.

Earlier this month, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released its Sixth Assessment Report, which provides an updated global assessment of climate change mitigation progress and commitments. , and examines the sources of global emissions. The IPCC report makes it clear that land-based mitigation actions in the agriculture, forestry and other land use sectors represent some of the most important options currently available for emission reductions at large-scale and large-scale carbon dioxide removal and storage.

Recognizing the importance of land-based solutions in the fight against climate change, there is a need for continued federal investments in United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) conservation programs. We need significant investments in USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) personnel and resources to help farmers, ranchers, and foresters mitigate and adapt to climate change.

NRCS staff help implement a number of Farm Law Conservation programs such as the Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP), Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), Agricultural Conservation Easements Program (ACEP) and the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). These programs are essential to help farmers, foresters and ranchers conserve land and water, protect water quality and improve soil health. As producers face increasing productivity and environmental challenges such as droughts, wildfires and floods, these programs help build resilience and support the economic viability of family farms. These programs also help growers implement climate-smart conservation practices and improve productivity. Maintaining full mandatory funding, as authorized in the 2018 Farm Bill, will maintain the productivity of working farms and ranches and benefit the environment.

NRCS field staff are an invaluable resource to farmers and ranchers across the country, providing direct technical assistance and planning support for those wishing to enroll in the above programs. USDA’s ability to implement conservation programs is highly dependent on this on-the-ground technical assistance, or Conservation Technical Assistance (CTA). CTA provides landowners with unique, location-specific solutions so that farmers and ranchers can implement conservation practices on their land, while taking responsibility for ensuring maximum return on public investment. . It is essential that NRCS offices are well staffed to better serve the producers and foresters of our country so that we can better mitigate and adapt to climate change.

Less than adequate funding for technical assistance and personnel would severely limit the ability of farmers and ranchers to improve soil health, protect water quality, create and maintain habitat for fish and threatened, endangered or economically important wildlife, and to prepare for and manage drought and flooding. .

Once again, we urge you to fully fund the Farm Bill conservation programs and increase funding for conservation operations to $1 billion so that our farmers, ranchers and foresters can be part of the climate solution.

Sincerely,