Appearing before the Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Conservation, Climate, Forestry, and Natural Resources, TRCP director of water resources Alexander Funk encouraged lawmakers to quickly pass a bipartisan Farm Bill to address drought and climate impacts in western states.
On Wednesday June 26, the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership was honored by the opportunity to participate in a field hearing focused on the important role of the Farm Bill in advancing drought solutions held by the Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Conservation, Climate, Forestry, and Natural Resources.
“The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership thanks Senators Bennet and Marshall for convening a timely subcommittee hearing on the important role of the Farm Bill in advancing innovative drought solutions,” said Alexander Funk, TRCP’s director of water resources. “Drought impacts a wide range of fish and wildlife highly valued by hunters and anglers from trout to mule deer. Quickly passing a bipartisan Farm Bill that includes provisions that increase the pace and scale of voluntary, incentive-based drought resilience efforts is critical given the ongoing water-supply challenges facing western watersheds such as the Colorado River and Rio Grande.”
For many years, TRCP has worked with elected officials and state, Tribal, and federal agencies to support partnerships, policies, and funding that support critical investments in modernizing Western water infrastructure and nature-based solutions that enhance climate resilience and sustain healthy habitat for fish and wildlife. As part of the 2018 Farm Bill, the TRCP was instrumental in securing important victories for the Colorado River, including expanding eligibility for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) to include watershed-scale conservation and restoration projects and ensuring drought resilience is a key priority for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. However, despite the promise of this change, there have been significant challenges with implementation. Funk’s testimony focused on the long-time bipartisan support for this work and the need for Congress to quickly pass a bipartisan Farm Bill. This would ensure funding and technical assistance are available to increase the pace and scale of innovative drought adaptation and mitigation efforts benefitting agriculture, fish, and wildlife.
“The Farm Bill can play a vital role in addressing drought and climate impacts in western states and can do so through a “multi-title” approach, meaning that beyond the Conservation Title, there are opportunities with the Forestry, Research, Rural Development, and other titles to address key water-related challenges,” said Funk. “For example, most Westerners receive their water from forests. Forests are home to our natural water infrastructure – the source watershed streams, wetlands, and meadows that sustain drinking and irrigation water across the West. The Farm Bill presents an opportunity to enhance the conservation and restoration of these headwater forests through efforts such as strengthening the Water Source Protection Program, which allows the USFS to enter into agreements with water users to develop and implement source water plans and actions from fuels management to riparian restoration efforts, and the Watershed Condition Framework which provides for strategic restoration of forest watersheds.”
Funk also highlighted how the Conservation Title can play a greater role in addressing drought conditions, and that there are several opportunities to support western farmers and ranchers. The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), for example, can help address drought by restoring perennial cover on environmentally sensitive agricultural land, which reduces water loss to evaporation, and increases water infiltration. This same cover provides essential wildlife habitat and improves water quality. Improvements to the CRP in the next Farm Bill are needed to ensure these outcomes can be achieved.
Stressing the need for increased collaboration, Funk highlighted how, in early 2023, the USDA released a Western Water and Working Lands Framework that outlined the challenges and conservation approaches needed to support western farmers and ranchers, including modernization of irrigation infrastructure, improving water forecasts’ reliability, and restoring streams and wetlands. But, unlike other targeted USDA frameworks, the Western framework still lacks the dedicated resources needed to support implementation and encouraged Congress and USDA to continue working collaboratively to ensure adequate resources and capacity are available to implement these existing measures.
In closing, Funk emphasized that the TRCP and our hunting and fishing community partners stand ready to work with Congress to craft a Farm Bill for agriculture, fish, and wildlife.
Watch Funk’s testimony HERE

Learn more about the Farm Bill HERE.
Learn more about TRCP’s commitment to healthy habitat and clean water HERE.
The TRCP is your resource for all things conservation. In our weekly Roosevelt Report, you’ll receive the latest news on emerging habitat threats, legislation and proposals on the move, public land access solutions we’re spearheading, and opportunities for hunters and anglers to take action. Sign up now.