Farm Bill

Challenge:

The conservation title of the Farm Bill is the single-largest source of federal funding for conservation on private lands in our country. This periodically renewed legislation provides an unparalleled opportunity for sportsmen to partner with the farming and ranching community to encourage conservation of fish and wildlife habitat. Programs like the Conservation Reserve Program, Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program and Wetlands Reserve Program have made millions of acres on America’s farms and ranches more attractive to fish and wildlife. Sportsmen in particular have seen firsthand the increases in the numbers of game species and other wildlife since their inception.

Every five years when the Farm Bill’s renewal is considered by Congress, American hunters and anglers must fight to ensure that these critical conservation programs are strongly funded.

Strategy:

The Agriculture and Wildlife Working Group, a coalition of representatives from the TRCP and the nation’s leading conservation and sportsmen organizations, is focused on the critical process of implementing the 2008 Farm Bill programs. The United Stated Department of Agriculture recently rolled out the Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program, or "Open Fields," awarding almost $12 million to 17 states to increase hunting and fishing opportunities on private lands.

Congress will likely begin debate on the next Farm Bill in 2011, and the TRCP and our partners already have begun developing recommendations to improve on the successes in the 2008 bill. The TRCP will issue a revision of the Growing Conservation in the Farm Bill report, which provided a set of recommendations to policymakers on Farm Bill conservation programs for the 2008 legislation. Our recommendations will focus on sustaining and expanding vital conservation programs like the Conservation Reserve Program.

Action:

The AWWG will issue recommendations early in 2011 and begin meeting with policymakers to make sure the next Farm Bill maintains and improves upon the conservation successes of the 2008 legislation. Given the tight budget, we’ll be working to inform policymakers of the importance of funding for Farm Bill conservation programs. Programs like the Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program often are oversubscribed, so every dollar put toward these programs is an important addition to fish and wildlife habitat around the country. The TRCP also will continue championing the VPA-HIP program and seeking to increase funding for states to increase their access programs. Become a TRCP partner and check back often to learn how you can help.

The TRCP also is working with our partners and industry groups to develop certification standards for biofuels and biomass production that balance the conservation and improvement of fish and wildlife habitat with the harvest of bioenergy resources. The TRCP helped craft recommendations that were submitted to the USDA regarding the development of bioenergy programs and their potential impacts on fish and wildlife habitat. As biomass production programs move forward, the TRCP will continue working with our conservation partners and the USDA to ensure no net loss of fish and wildlife habitat during development of this energy resource.

Useful Links

• Growing Conservation in the Farm Bill (PDF)
• An overview of 2008 Farm Bill Programs

Additional Media

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