The Farm Bill Expired (again) and the Stakes are High for Hunters and Anglers
Congress did not pass this critical omnibus bill by the September 30, 2024, deadline. Here are six things that hunters and anglers need to know
We don’t make bigger investments in conservation than those in the Farm Bill. Totaling about $6 billion per year it is the single largest investment in conservation that the federal government makes on an annual basis.
Every five years, Congress drafts a new Farm Bill. It’s a massive piece of legislation that supports agricultural producers and ensures hungry families have food on their table. Tucked inside this legislation are crucial conservation programs that incentivize habitat creation, sustainable agriculture, and even access to private land for hunting and fishing. The reauthorization and improvement of these programs is a top priority, not just within the TRCP, but for our partners and the agriculture and nutrition communities.
The 2018 Farm Bill expired on September 30, 2023, and was eventually extended until September 30, 2024. Early this summer, there was a flurry of activity in the Agriculture Committees. Unfortunately, budget challenges and policy differences have so far prevented the consensus needed to pass any bill in a split Congress, and especially one that traditionally generates wide bipartisan, bicameral support.
Are we in new territory? What is, and what isn’t at stake for hunters and anglers? Here are six things you need to know:
The stakes are high.
Reauthorizing and updating Farm Bill programs is always important (I don’t think anyone would argue with me when I say the world is a different place than it was in 2018). But for hunters and anglers, and really anyone who cares about a sustainable food system, there is a major incentive to passing a Farm Bill now. The budget reconciliation bill, commonly known as the Inflation Reduction Act or IRA, included nearly $20 billion for climate-smart uses of Farm Bill conservation programs. Currently, all “Four Corners” of the Ag Committee (the Chair and Ranking Members of both the House and Senate Committees) are calling for the remainder of those funds to be incorporated into the Farm Bill baseline and used for conservation. The process for this is complicated, but the important part is that doing so would raise funding for Farm Bill conservation programs by nearly 25%. If Congress fails to act this year, that number will decrease considerably next year and beyond.
“Every day – or year – that goes by without a new Farm Bill, our nation’s ability to conserve habitat and increase sportsmen’s access through CRP and VPA-HIP will suffer. Right now, our opportunity to prioritize agriculture and conservation is greater than ever, as is the risk of letting partisan politics prevent us from supporting our farmers, ranchers, and private landowners with the tools and resources they need to put conservation on the ground.”
Andrew Schmidt, Director of Government Affairs for Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever
This is not new.
Although the challenges this Farm Bill is facing feel daunting, there is plenty of precedence for a delay. Congress is often late in passing Farm Bills. The longest recent process was for the Farm Bill that was signed in 2014 – discussions began in 2011, and it should have been reauthorized in 2012. Both the 2008 and 2018 Farm Bills were several months late as well.
This history of challenges may indicate that passing Farm Bills is getting more difficult, but it also demonstrates that while coalition efforts toward highly bipartisan bills might be slow, they are effective.
Several conservation priorities are safe until 2031.
In addition to providing supplemental funding, the Inflation Reduction Act reauthorized several conservation programs through 2031.
Even if a new Farm Bill or an extension isn’t passed, many practices that benefit hunters and anglers will continue through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), and Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP). Through these programs, wetlands will still be restored and protected, upland habitat will still be managed, and field buffers will still be planted to improve water quality.
Other conservation programs are left out.
Not all of the programs we care about have been spared. The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) has expired. It is one of our country’s most successful conservation programs and provides tremendous benefits for wildlife and habitat. Existing contracts will continue, but new acres can’t be enrolled. This means that the CRP will slowly, but steadily, shrink until either a new Farm Bill is passed, or the current bill is extended. This can lead to a loss of habitat for countless species across the country. Luckily, relatively few contracts are set to expire in the upcoming months, so the overall picture is a little less bleak.
Another key program for hunters and anglers, the Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program (VPA-HIP), also suffers from a delayed bill. Funding for VPA-HIP, a crucial Farm Bill program that has opened hundreds of thousands of private acres for walk-in access to hunting and fishing, has historically been distributed once per Farm Bill cycle. VPA-HIP received $10 million when the Farm Bill was extended last year, but without a new Farm Bill private land access programs across the nation will suffer from a lack of much-needed resources.
“The Farm Bill impacts all Americans by investing in conservation and natural resources. Its conservation programs drive beneficial practices across the country—creating wildlife habitat, improving water quality, repairing soil health and protecting human health. Our lawmakers have an opportunity to make a generational investment in these programs and lay a foundation for a more resilient future. But they must get the timing right to maximize their impact. Congress should seize the opportunity to protect our natural resources by passing a bipartisan Farm Bill this year.”
Kate Hansen, Agriculture Program Director for the Izaak Walton League of America
We’re on it.
The next few months will be critical for the Farm Bill and the conservation programs we cherish as hunters and anglers. Congress is out of session until after the November 5th election, so we won’t see action before then, and any post-election progress will compete with the appropriations process for lawmakers’ time. Passing a Farm Bill on such a short timeframe will be an uphill battle, but we will keep the pressure on Congress to get this bill passed and avoid a missed opportunity to fund conservation, and we will work to ensure that hunter and angler priorities are met.
You can help.
In the face of gridlock, conservation is, and should be, a shared priority regardless of party affiliation or ideology. Congress needs to hear that this is important to you. Take action here and stay up to date at trcp.org/farm-bill.
Funk’s Senate Testimony Emphasizes How Farm Bill Programs Advance Drought Solutions for Fish and Wildlife
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.
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.
Ag Committee Leaders Continue Spelling Out Plans for the Next Farm Bill
Farm Bill proposals gain momentum as Ag Committee leaders make tangible progress.
We’re now over halfway through a one-year extension of the 2018 Farm Bill, and several years of work have already gone into making sure the next Farm Bill is a good one for fish and wildlife, as well as hunters and anglers. Behind the scenes, this work has never stopped, whether we’re talking about Ag Committee Members, Congressional staff, or the conservation community. But from the outside, deadlock, gridlock, and election year politics have made getting a bill done this year look increasingly unlikely. But optimism persists and perseverance endures.
Recently we’ve been seeing tangible progress from the Ag committees. In the House, Chairman G.T. Thompson (R-Pa) passed his bill out of committee on May 24th. In the Senate, we have a detailed section-by-section breakdown of Chairwoman Stabenow’s (D-Mich) proposal and a framework from Ranking Member Boozman (R-Ark).
Before we get into the substance of each proposal, there are a few things to remember:
Farm Bills must be bipartisan to become law. With Democrats controlling the Senate and a Republican majority in the House, bipartisanship will be essential. These frameworks were produced by the Ag Committee Chair or Ranking member of their respective chamber, and disagreements exist between parties or among constituencies at this point. We can be certain that a final farm bill will look different and contain more points of compromise than these frameworks. Thankfully, Ag Committee leadership from both parties has a long history of navigating the challenges that come with bipartisanship.
Farm Bills are huge. All twelve titles (topic-based sections) of the Farm Bill impact hunters and anglers in one way or another, but Title II – Conservation and Title VIII – Forestry get most of our attention, and for good reason. Our review of proposals will focus on those two titles, but disagreements about other titles will need to be overcome for a bill to pass.
Negotiations will continue. Nothing in these proposals is set in stone. The first formal action was the House Ag Committee’s markup on May 23rd. In this markup, committee members offered amendments to the Chairman’s bill, spoke for or against individual provisions, and voted to advance the bill to a Floor vote, which is unlikely to happen before at least September. Changes are also likely through Floor amendments and during a Conference Committee between the House and Senate, once the Senate moves forward with a bill. All of this to say, what we’re seeing in these proposals is not necessarily what will become law.
A lot must be done in a short time. We are in an election year, and a presidential election year at that. While this will motivate some Members of Congress to show efficacy in getting a Farm Bill done, party conferences and campaigning also compress the legislative calendar. It is also likely that the Appropriations process will eat up a lot of floor time this summer. Odds are growing slimmer that Floor action on a farm bill will occur before the election, but a path toward passing a bill in this Congress still exists.
Farm Bill programs have a huge impact on hunters and anglers. Engaging in this bill is crucial, as policy and funding changes in this Farm Bill will impact fish and wildlife habitat and hunting and fishing access for the next five years and beyond. You can watch short explanations on how Farm Bill programs support hunters and anglers below:
You can watch short explanations on how Farm Bill programs support hunters and anglers below:
Keeping these dynamics in mind, let’s dig in. What exactly is in the proposals? How might they impact habitat, fish, wildlife, and our sporting traditions? Below, we run through a few of the key elements of the proposals from Ag Committee leadership.
Chairman Thompson’s Overview
After a busy few weeks of Farm Bill proposals, House Ag Committee Chairman G.T. Thompson introduced his bill on May 21st. Titled the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024, Chairman Thompson’s bill represents several years of work. The Chairman and his staff, as well as Ranking Member David Scott (D-Ga.) and the rest of the Ag Committee Members, have traveled the country hearing from stakeholders, reviewed and discussed thousands of individual and coalition priorities, considered dozens of marker bills, and held several formal Committee hearings. On Thursday, May 23rd, the Committee debated this bill, proposed amendments, and ultimately advanced it to the House floor. Given the importance of the Farm Bill to hunters and anglers, and the difficulty of the task, we are excited to have a bill to review and formal committee action toward passing it.
The Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024 would:
Reallocate Inflation Reduction Act funding for conservation programs into the Farm Bill Conservation baseline.
This piece of the bill alone would be a huge win for hunters and anglers, and it has both bipartisan and bicameral support. It is also urgent, with the amount of funding available decreasing with time. There is still considerable disagreement about how this should be done, including to what extent climate mitigation remains a focus of these funds and which programs receive the bulk of the funding, but we remain hopeful that these disagreements will be resolved, and we can see the first meaningful increase to the Conservation Title in years.
Increase funding for the Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program to $150 million and provide program continuity.
The Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Improvement Program is the only federal program designed to incentivize landowners to allow public hunting and fishing. The TRCP and our partners have been leading the charge to reauthorize and plus-up VPA-HIP, as was proposed in the Voluntary Public Access Improvement Act, and we are thrilled to see that Chairman Thompson’s proposal does just that. This proposal provides for the continuity of VPA-HIP, which means that in future Farm Bills we would begin in a much stronger negotiating position thanks to the program having mandatory, dedicated funding.
Make multiple changes to the Conservation Reserve Program.
The Chairman’s bill appears to include changes proposed in several CRP marker bills, including the CRP Improvement Act. On the positive side, these changes would increase rental payment rates on marginal cropland, restore cost-share for mid-contract management activities, increase incentive payments, and increase payment limitations. These taken together are significant improvements. On the negative side, this bill would reduce rental rates for CRP reenrollments, allow early cancellation of contracts, and remove some of the wildlife focus of Grassland CRP, which could be detrimental to initiatives like Working Lands for Wildlife or the Migratory Big Game Initiative.
Support voluntary conservation easement programs.
Conservation easements provide the most durable habitat protection of any Farm Bill program, and landowner demand for them has long exceeded funding by a huge margin. Chairman Thompson’s bill makes multiple positive changes to easement programs, including increased funding across the board, creating a new Forest Conservation Easement Program with mandatory funding, improving management opportunities on existing wetland easements, and increasing cost-share for Agricultural Land Easements. One drawback of this bill is the removal of Buy-Protect-Sell authority, which would hinder the ability of some of our partners to permanently protect habitat.
Encourage a focus on wildlife migration corridors.
This bill includes several sections relevant to western wildlife (including big game) migration corridor enhancement, including allowing the Secretary of Agriculture to “support the development, restoration, and maintenance of habitat connectivity and wildlife corridors” in all USDA conservation programs. It would also add language specifically including the “restoration and enhancement of wildlife habitat connectivity and wildlife migration corridors” as a priority resource concern under the Regional Conservation Partnership Program and add rangeland research, including virtual fencing, as a High Priority Research and Extension Area. These priorities reflect the intent of the Habitat Connectivity on Working Lands Act that the TRCP and partners worked with Congressman Vasquez (D-N.M.) and Congressman Zinke (R-Mont.) to develop. As noted above, shifting the focus of Grassland CRP away from corridors would run counter to these goals, and the bill would not codify the USDA’s authority leverage benefits of different programs to support farmers, ranchers, and wildlife as proposed in the Habitat Connectivity on Working Lands Act.
Chairwoman Stabenow’s Summary
On May 1, Chairwoman Stabenow released detailed a section-by-section summary of her own proposal. There is currently no scheduled markup in the Senate Ag Committee, and it is likely that many of these proposals will not go into bill text exactly as they are written now. Even so, there are many provisions in this summary that hunters and anglers will be glad to see. Key provisions to watch include:
Reallocates Inflation Reduction Act funding for conservation programs into the Farm Bill Conservation baseline and permanently authorizes those programs.
Chairwoman Stabenow was instrumental in passing the Inflation Reduction Act and making that investment permanent would be another major achievement. Permanently authorizing conservation programs puts us in a stronger position in the next Farm Bill and lessens the impact of any future Farm Bill expiration.
Provides substantive updates to the Conservation Reserve Program.
The proposal includes multiple positive changes to the CRP, including several components of the bipartisan CRP Improvement Act, which the TRCP and partners have supported for years. The Chairwoman is also proposing to raise the acreage cap by 2 million acres and increase rental rates, improve cost-share, and provide opportunities for longer term conservation in the CRP.
This initiative, recently expanded to Montana and Idaho, combines USDA conservation programs to ensure that working lands and public lands provide a seamless route for migrating big game like elk, mule deer, and pronghorn. Codifying these authorities ensures that this model can be applied long term and in new areas.
Improves and funds the Water Source Protection Program.
The Water Source Protection Program provides the U.S. Forest Service with resources to work with water users to increase the pace and scale of watershed restoration efforts, including the restoration of streams and wetlands, which in turn enhances resilience to drought and wildfire and benefits fish and wildlife that depend on healthy headwaters.
Furthers investment in nature-based solutions and better on-farm decision making.
Most of the provisions we’ve noted also serve as nature-based climate solutions, furthering agriculture’s role in sequestering and storing carbon while delivering wildlife habitat and food security. The proposal also enhances agricultural data protection and access to help farmers and researchers know how adopting conservation practices will impact their farm’s resilience and profitability. Additionally, it provides loan guarantees to help rural private forest landowners earn and sell carbon credits on working forests.
Reauthorizes the Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program at $50 million over five years.
As discussed above, VPA-HIP reauthorization is a top TRCP priority, and we appreciate the challenge of finding funding for a program without baseline in a Farm Bill. However, given the importance of VPA-HIP to hunters and anglers and bipartisan support in both chambers for increased funding, we were disappointed to see this program held flat.
Ranking Member Boozman’s Framework
On June 12th, Senate Ag Ranking Member John Boozman (R-Ark) released his own Farm Bill framework, providing a clearer picture of Senate Republicans’ vision for the next five years of food and ag policy. Although we have less detail on this framework, it appears to line up well with Chairman Thompson’s bill. Based on this framework, Ranking Member Boozman’s bill would:
Reallocate Inflation Reduction Act funding for conservation programs into the Farm Bill Conservation baseline.
Astute readers will notice that this provision is included in all three proposals so far. This would be a huge win for hunters and anglers, and is estimated to raise the Conservation title baseline by approximately 25%. It is also urgent, with the amount of funding available decreasing with time. We remain hopeful that the next Farm Bill will bring a meaningful increase for conservation funding.
Provide permanent baseline and increase funding for the Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program.
Without bill text, we can’t say for sure how much funding VPA-HIP would receive under Ranking Member Boozman’s proposal, but we are thrilled to see the program highlighted for reauthorization and increased funding, and look forward to the potential for permanent baseline.
Prioritize the stewardship of Wetland Reserve Easements.
Conservation easements provide the most durable benefits of any Farm Bill program, and there is a need for increased resources in this Farm Bill to ensure that these easements continue to provide quality wildlife habitat and other ecological benefits in perpetuity. Meeting this need would be a great outcome in this Farm Bill.
Supports several positive forest management programs and authorities.
Listed updates include bolstering the Water Source Protection Program and the Watershed Condition Framework, expanding Good Neighbor Authority to counties and Tribes, and enhancing prescribed fire training and activities. Individually these updates should all be positive, and taken together, they would provide serious benefits habitat for forest-dependent fish and wildlife. Ranking Member Boozman’s proposal would also provide mandatory funding for a new Forest Conservation Easement Program, another TRCP priority.
There is a long way to go before we see the impact of these proposals on the ground. The TRCP thanks House and Senate Ag Committee leadership for their work toward a bipartisan Farm Bill that supports habitat and access.
You can help. Conservation is, and should be, a shared priority regardless of party affiliation or ideology. Congress needs to hear that this is important to you. Take action here.
Legislation Update: Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024
House Committee advances Farm Bill with benefits for habitat and access.
After a busy few weeks of Farm Bill proposals, House Ag Committee Chairman G.T. Thompson released a discussion draft on May 17th and formally introduced his bill on May 21st. Titled the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024, Chairman Thompson’s bill represents several years of work. The Chairman and his staff, as well as Ranking Member David Scott (D-Ga.) and the rest of the Ag Committee Members, have traveled the country hearing from stakeholders, reviewed and discussed thousands of individual and coalition priorities, considered dozens of marker bills, and held several formal Committee hearings. On Thursday, May 23rd, the Committee debated this bill, proposed amendments, and ultimately advanced it to the House floor. Given the importance of the Farm Bill to hunters and anglers, and the difficulty of the task, we are excited to have a bill to review and formal committee action toward passing it.
Before we summarize some key provisions of Chairman Thompson’s bill, there are a few important points to remember:
Farm Bills must be bipartisan to become law. With Democrats controlling the Senate and a Republican majority in the House, bipartisanship will be essential. The details of this bill were chosen by Chairman Thompson and his staff, and although there are clearly bipartisan priorities reflected in it, it will take considerable support from outside the Chairman’s party for this bill to pass. Major sticking points include changes within the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, limitations to the Secretary of Agriculture’s authority within the Commodity Credit Corporation, and how Inflation Reduction Act conservation funding would be incorporated.
Negotiations will continue. Work on this Farm Bill began as soon as, or even before, the 2018 bill was signed. Although five years seems likely plenty of time to resolve differences, there is a lot of negotiation to go. The May 23rd markup was a big step, but further debate will happen as the bill moves forward to the House floor. Beyond that, Senate Ag Chairwoman Stabenow (D-Mich.) and Ranking Member Boozman (R-Ark.) are working on their own bill in the Senate. Taken together, this means that any individual provision in Chairman Thompson’s bill has a long way to go before it becomes law, and many are likely to change.
Time’s getting short. We are in an election year, and a presidential election year at that. While this will motivate some Members of Congress to show efficacy in getting a Farm Bill done, party conferences and campaigning also compress the legislative calendar. Floor time is already becoming difficult to find, especially for large and complex bills. The months of May and June will be critical if we’re going to get a bill done.
Farm Bill programs have a huge impact on hunters and anglers. Engaging in this bill is crucial, as policy and funding changes in this Farm Bill will impact fish and wildlife habitat and hunting and fishing access for the next five years and beyond. You can find explanations about how Farm Bill programs support hunters and anglers here.
Keeping these dynamics in mind, let’s dig in. What exactly is in this bill? Below, we run through a few of the key elements of the proposal from Chairman Thompson. Remember here that Farm Bills cover topics as varied as nutrition support, agricultural research, trade, risk reduction, livestock disease, and more, so a comprehensive analysis of the entire bill (over 950 pages) is beyond the scope of the TRCP. We focus below on a few of the pieces we believe would have the biggest impact on habitat and access for hunters and anglers.
The Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024 would:
Reallocate Inflation Reduction Act funding for conservation programs into the Farm Bill Conservation baseline. This piece of the bill alone would be a huge win for hunters and anglers, and it has both bipartisan and bicameral support. It is also urgent, with the amount of funding available decreasing with time. There is still considerable disagreement about how this should be done, including to what extent climate mitigation remains a focus of these funds and which programs receive the bulk of the funding, but we remain hopeful that these disagreements will be resolved, and we can see the first meaningful increase to the Conservation Title in years.
Increase funding for the Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program to $150 million and provide program continuity.The Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Improvement Program is the only federal program designed to incentivize landowners to allow public hunting and fishing. The TRCP and our partners have been leading the charge to reauthorize and plus-up VPA-HIP, as was proposed in the Voluntary Public Access Improvement Act, and we are thrilled to see that Chairman Thompson’s proposal does just that. This proposal provides for the continuity of VPA-HIP, which means that in future Farm Bills we would begin in a much stronger negotiating position thanks to the program having mandatory, dedicated funding.
Make multiple changes to the Conservation Reserve Program. The Chairman’s bill appears to include changes proposed in several CRP marker bills, including the CRP Improvement Act. On the positive side, these changes would increase rental payment rates on marginal cropland, restore cost-share for mid-contract management activities, increase incentive payments, and increase payment limitations. These taken together are significant improvements. On the negative side, this bill would reduce rental rates for CRP reenrollments, allow early cancellation of contracts, and remove some of the wildlife focus of Grassland CRP, which could be detrimental to initiatives like Working Lands for Wildlife or the Migratory Big Game Initiative.
Support voluntary conservation easement programs. Conservation easements provide the most durable habitat protection of any Farm Bill program, and landowner demand for them has long exceeded funding by a huge margin. Chairman Thompson’s bill makes multiple positive changes to easement programs, including increased funding across the board, creating a new Forest Conservation Easement Program with mandatory funding, improving management opportunities on existing wetland easements, and increasing cost-share for Agricultural Land Easements. One drawback of this bill is the removal of Buy-Protect-Sell authority, which would hinder the ability of some of our partners to permanently protect habitat.
Encourage a focus on wildlife migration corridors. This bill includes several sections relevant to western wildlife (including big game) migration corridor enhancement, including allowing the Secretary of Agriculture to “support the development, restoration, and maintenance of habitat connectivity and wildlife corridors” in all USDA conservation programs. It would also add language specifically including the “restoration and enhancement of wildlife habitat connectivity and wildlife migration corridors” as a priority resource concern under the Regional Conservation Partnership Program and add rangeland research, including virtual fencing, as a High Priority Research and Extension Area. These priorities reflect the intent of the Habitat Connectivity on Working Lands Act that the TRCP and partners worked with Congressman Vasquez (D-N.M.) and Congressman Zinke (R-Mont.) to develop. As noted above, shifting the focus of Grassland CRP away from corridors would run counter to these goals, and the bill would not codify the USDA’s authority leverage benefits of different programs to support farmers, ranchers, and wildlife as proposed in the Habitat Connectivity on Working Lands Act.
There are many other pieces of this bill we will be following, and there is a long way to go before we see its impact on the ground. The TRCP thanks both House and Senate Ag Committee leadership for their work toward a bipartisan Farm Bill that supports habitat and access.
Learn more about Farm Bill conservation programs here
Top photo by Nicholas Putz
You can help. Conservation is, and should be, a shared priority regardless of party affiliation or ideology. Congress needs to hear that this is important to you. Take action here.
How the Farm Bill Can Support Wildlife Migration on Private Land
The bipartisan, bicameral Habitat Connectivity on Working Lands Act would allow USDA to leverage Farm Bill conservation programs to benefit wildlife habitat connectivity and migration corridors in partnership with farmers, ranchers, and landowners.
In the Western U.S., where public lands regularly intermix with privately owned parcels, the ability to extend conservation efforts beyond fence lines is critical to conserving big game migration corridors and wildlife habitat connectivity. To access critical food sources throughout the year, animals like mule deer, antelope, and elk must be able to travel freely across the landscape utilizing historic migration corridors. When these routes lose functionality or habitat, wildlife faces great risks. Expanding voluntary efforts to improve wildlife habitat on private and working lands is crucial to ensuring that the next generation of sportsmen and sportswomen can experience the wonder of the outdoors.
Farm Bill conservation programs can play a pivotal role in corridor conservation, yet for many landowners and agricultural producers, inflexible program policies, bundles of red tape tied to conservation practices, and prohibitive restrictions on farm and ranch operations limit both the appeal and conservation outcomes of these programs.
“The farms and ranches of the West provide much of the essential habitat that wildlife need to survive. Most landowners care deeply about wildlife and yet the costs associated with supporting wildlife can jeopardize their ability to stay in business,” said Lesli Allison, CEO of the Western Landowners Alliance. “As more and more land is developed, the pressure is increasing on the remaining intact private lands to provide food and shelter for many different species. The bipartisan Habitat Connectivity on Working Lands Act ensures ranchers and farmers have access to the full suite of tools and resources to conserve and steward these lands for the benefit of people and wildlife.”
For example, producers enrolling in the Grassland Conservation Reserve Program (GRCP) currently forfeit eligibility to receive cost-share and assistance through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) to address other resource concerns like invasive species, erosion, plant diversity, and wildlife habitat. That is a significant barrier to western farmers and ranchers who look to the Farm Bill for help in their efforts to create and enhance habitat for wildlife, while improving the economic viability of their operation.
Recognizing this, the USDA launched its Migratory Big Game Initiative (MBGI) in 2022 through a partnership with the state of Wyoming. Under the partnership, the USDA tested an innovative application of Farm Bill conservation programs to support farmers and ranchers stewarding key habitat for migratory big game species in Wyoming. Through the partnership, producers in WY are eligible to receive cost-share and technical assistance through EQIP to improve habitat and remove barriers to migrating wildlife in tandem with annual rental payments through GCRP that relieve development and conversion pressure on working lands in priority migration areas in exchange for improved livestock management.
This partnership has proven as successful as it is innovative. In Wyoming, conservation program enrollments in priority corridors jumped 264% compared to pre-partnership levels. Despite that, USDA is unable to expand this model nationwide under the MBGI without a change to the 2018 Farm Bill. That is where the bipartisan Habitat Connectivity on Working Lands Act introduced by Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Representatives Ryan Zinke (R-Mont.) and Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.) comes in.
“Western ranchers work daily to combat ecological challenges, improve water access, and `conserve millions of acres of healthy habitat for their herds and for native wildlife species. This bipartisan bill makes practical updates to successful, existing conservation programs to maximize the benefits of working lands for our native wildlife,” said Kaitlynn Glover, executive director of the Public Lands Council.“We appreciate Congressman Zinke and Congressman Vasquez’s work to incentivize and leverage ranchers’ investment in wildlife conservation.”
The Habitat Connectivity on Working Lands Act codifies the MBGI model and would allow USDA to leverage the unique benefits GRCP and EQIP together nationwide. It also spurs USDA research on virtual fencing technologies, includes conservation and restoration of wildlife habitat connectivity as a critical conservation area under the Regional Conservation Partnership Program, and provides greater incentives through EQIP for the adoption of conservation practices that conserve or restore wildlife habitat connectivity.
This bill builds on the MBGI program model popular with farmers and ranchers, allowing them to better tailor Farm Bill conservation programs to their operation’s specific needs. And it is good for wildlife, as Farm Bill conservation programs can be more precisely targeted for specific benefits, like improving habitat connectivity.
“Farmers and ranchers have an immense opportunity to help wildlife endure and thrive for future generations,” said Aviva Glaser, senior director for agriculture policy at the National Wildlife Federation. “This common-sense, bipartisan legislation will help farmers, ranchers, and landowners support the wildlife that migrate through their fields, pastures, and forests — and the hunters, anglers, birders, and outdoor recreationists that enjoy them. Congress should include this common sense, no-cost proposal in the 2024 Farm Bill and strengthen U.S. Department of Agriculture voluntary conservation programs.”
TRCP is excited about the Habitat Connectivity on Working Lands Act because it helps complement successful public land corridor conservation efforts with the long track-record of voluntary, incentive-based conservation on private land promoted through the Farm Bill. We appreciate the leadership of Senator Heinrich and Congressmen Zinke and Vasquez in introducing this legislation and hope to see this common-sense bill included in the Farm Bill as a clear win-win for agricultural producers and wildlife.
Working lands provide key habitat for migratory fish and wildlife, including big game like elkand mule deer. USDA’s voluntary conservation programs need to work together to supportfarmers and ranchers who create and enhance this habitat, and the next Farm Bill is ouropportunity to make that happen.” said Becky Humphries, CEO at the Theodore RooseveltConservation Partnership. “The Habitat Connectivity on Working Lands Act removesunnecessary barriers to working lands stewardship. The TRCP thanks Senator Heinrich andCongressmen Zinke and Vasquez for their leadership on this bill and urges its inclusion in the Farm Bill.”
Learn more about Farm Bill conservation programs here
Photo: Josh Metten
You can help. Conservation is, and should be, a shared priority regardless of party affiliation or ideology. Congress needs to hear that this is important to you. Take action here.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
CHEERS TO CONSERVATION
Theodore Roosevelt’s experiences hunting and fishing certainly fueled his passion for conservation, but it seems that a passion for coffee may have powered his mornings. In fact, Roosevelt’s son once said that his father’s coffee cup was “more in the nature of a bathtub.” TRCP has partnered with Afuera Coffee Co. to bring together his two loves: a strong morning brew and a dedication to conservation. With your purchase, you’ll not only enjoy waking up to the rich aroma of this bolder roast—you’ll be supporting the important work of preserving hunting and fishing opportunities for all.
$4 from each bag is donated to the TRCP, to help continue their efforts of safeguarding critical habitats, productive hunting grounds, and favorite fishing holes for future generations.
