From wildlife habitat to clean water, here’s the lens TRCP applies to every page of Farm Bill text.

Between the House-passed Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 and the recently released discussion draft of the Senate Agricultural Act of 2026 – each over 800 pages of bill text – TRCP and our partners have our work cut out for us, examining Farm Bill proposals and evaluating their likely impacts on hunters, anglers, and the fish and wildlife we rely on. But what are we actually looking for in these proposals? What drives whether we support or oppose a given provision?  

If you’ve never thought much about the Farm Bill, you’re not alone – it’s easy to assume a bill about agriculture has nothing to do with hunting and fishing. But the Farm Bill funds a suite of voluntary, incentive-based conservation programs – things like the Conservation Reserve Program, Environmental Quality Incentives Program, Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program, and Agricultural Conservation Easement Program, among dozens of others in the conservation title – that quietly shape the habitat, water, and access hunters and anglers depend on every season, while also helping the farmers, ranchers, and foresters who steward that land keep it productive and healthy for generations to come. It really comes down to five priorities we use as our lens on every page.  In no particular order, here they are:

1. Wildlife Habitat

If there is good wildlife habitat on a farm or ranch in this country, it’s probably there because a landowner made a conscious decision to maintain it. Farm Bill programs make that decision easier for landowners by providing financial and technical assistance to create, enhance, or maintain habitat. When we look at Farm Bill proposals, we’re looking for ideas that increase the pace and scale of this habitat work. 

2. Clean Water

Hunters, especially upland and waterfowl hunters, have long understood that Farm Bill conservation programs lead to better opportunities. What’s often been missed is that these same programs often have even bigger impacts on water quality and quantity – and therefore fish populations. We want clean, clear lakes, rivers, and streams, not just in wilderness areas or at the tops of mountains, but across the country. Farm Bill impacts on water are a top priority as we evaluate proposals. 

3. Access

Most hunters and anglers rely on private land access. Sometimes that comes from generational landownership, friends and family, or good old-fashioned door knocking. But often -and especially for new or relocated hunters and anglers – that isn’t enough. We evaluate every Farm Bill provision for its access impacts, both positive and negative. 

4. Habitat Connectivity

Even in places with plenty of public land, wildlife relies on private lands for food, water, and safe passage. Farm Bill programs can help make sure pronghorn and mule deer can reach winter forage and mallards have quality nesting and stopover sites. We evaluate proposals to make sure they live up to that potential. 

5. Production for the Long Haul

Agriculture produces much of the food, fiber, and fuel the U.S. – and the world – relies on, and that production matters to all of us. Ag and forestry production also provides an economic incentive to maintain open spaces. But we can’t let today’s production come at the expense of tomorrow’s. Healthy soil and clean water aren’t just good for farmers and ranchers – they’re good for the habitat and fisheries downstream. When we review Farm Bill provisions, we’re looking for policies that leave the next generation of farmers, ranchers, and foresters with the same – or better – resources than we have today. 

These five lenses are how we turn over 1,600 pages of legislative text into a position. The Farm Bill may never get the airtime of a public lands fight or a hunting season opener, but it shapes more than most sportsmen and women realize. As both bills move through committee and floor votes this year, we’ll keep breaking down what’s at stake for hunters and anglers. 

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. 

The Hunter & Angler’s Guide to the Farm Bill

We know it can be challenging to break through the alphabet soup of program acronyms to understand why the reauthorization and improvement of Farm Bill conservation programs is a top priority. In The Hunter & Anglers Guide to the Farm Bill, we demystify the Farm Bill and the crucial conservations programs that sportsmen and women should care about.

Today, the House of Representatives passed the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, a meaningful step forward for hunters, anglers, farmers, ranchers, and the working lands we all depend on.

We are now closer to a comprehensive ag policy update than we have been since 2018. Today, the House of Representatives passed the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 on a 224-200 vote, with bipartisan support. A lot has happened in agricultural conservation policy since the 2018 Farm Bill. Key programs have been extended and received major funding boosts, first through the Inflation Reduction Act and then made permanent in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. But without a Farm Bill, there has been no opportunity to improve the underlying structure that makes these programs work. 

“We’re grateful to Chairman Thompson, Ranking Member Angie Craig, and members on both sides of the aisle who worked to advance conservation priorities that benefit hunters, anglers, wildlife habitat and the farmers, ranchers, and landowners who steward these lands every day. This bill recognizes that healthy, productive working lands are good for everyone,” said Aaron Field, TRCP’s director of private lands conservation. “This is one step in a longer journey – negotiations will continue and a Senate process awaits – but we’re encouraged by the bipartisan commitment to building a Farm Bill that works for sportsmen, sportswomen, and working lands alike.”

Before we summarize the key provisions of this bill, there are a few important dynamics to keep in mind.

Keeping these dynamics in mind, what exactly is in this bill?  Farm Bills cover a wide range of issues—from nutrition assistance and agricultural research to trade, risk management, and livestock disease—so a comprehensive analysis of the entire 800-page bill is beyond the scope of this blog. Instead, we focus on several provisions most likely to affect habitat and access for hunters and anglers. Let’s dig in. 

Key Conservation Provisions in The Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 would: 

Shift Funding Among Title II Programs 

This bill has been informally called “Farm Bill 2.0”, in recognition that many priorities were accomplished through the budget reconciliation process last summer. As part of that package, Congress made the remaining conservation funding from the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act permanent. This represented a major investment in Title II programs and shifted the balance among several programs, particularly the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) and the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). However, Chairman Thompson’s team has consistently stated their intention to reallocate those resources to support policy improvements and new programs in this Farm Bill. Priority programs differ among members of the hunting and fishing community—and even more among the broader ag conservation community— but TRCP’s priority throughout this process has been ensuring that conservation funding remains conservation funding, and this bill meets that criterion.

Reauthorize the Conservation Reserve Program 

Chairman Thompson’s 2024 bill included major changes to the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), some of which were clearly beneficial to habitat and others potentially problematic. This time CRP is simply reauthorized for five years. This puts the program back on the same reauthorization schedule as the rest of Title II and avoids complications associated with repeated expirations and extensions. However, it is also a missed opportunity to make needed improvements to the program. Ideally, the bill would increase payment limitations, restore cost share for mid-contract management, and remove rental rate limitations, among other improvements. Still, leaving CRP largely unchanged gives the Senate significant latitude to pursue these updates, many of which have already been proposed in the bipartisan CRP Improvement and Flexibility Act. Congressman Jim Costa (D-Calif.) offered an amendment reflecting this legislation with support from Representatives Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.), Sharice Davids (D-Kan.), and Randy Feenstra (R-Iowa), but it was withdrawn after the Chairman committed to continuing work toward solutions.  

Support Voluntary Conservation Easement Programs

This bill would have substantial impacts on conservation easement programs. One of the most significant is the creation of a new Forest Conservation Easement Program with mandatory funding filling a gap in current easement opportunities and supporting working forest conservation. The bill also makes several adjustments that expand management opportunities on new and existing wetland easements, helping ensure these wetlands continue to provide quality habitat for generations.  

Simplify the Regional Conservation Partnership Program 

The Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) has tremendous potential to deliver conservation in innovative, partnership-driven ways, but the program has long been hampered by barriers that frustrated partners and limited its impact.  Chairman Thompson’s bill returns the RCPP to an earlier structure, that more closely connects projects to “covered programs” like EQIP.  It also aims to shorten approval timelines and reimburse partner administrative expenses. While the covered program model has both advantages and drawbacks, efforts to streamline the RCPP are welcome, as is the addition of wildlife corridors and habitat connectivity to the program’s purposes. 

Encourage Habitat Connectivity Across Programs

In addition to the language within RCPP, the bill encourages the Secretary of Agriculture to “encourage the use of conservation practices that support the development, restoration, and maintenance of habitat connectivity and wildlife corridors” in all conservation programs. The impact of this provision will vary depending on the priorities of any given Secretary but given the importance of corridors for species like Western big game, the direction is encouraging.  

During the committee markup, Congressman Gabe Vasquez (D-NM), offered an amendment based on the Habitat Connectivity on Working Lands Act he is leading with Congressman Ryan Zinke (R-Mont.) The amendment includes several provisions supporting migration corridors and habitat connectivity. One of the most significant aims to codify the USDA’s ability to use EQIP or the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) on the same acres, but for different purposes, as Grassland CRP. This approach – often referred to as a “program stack,” where multiple conservation programs can be used together on the same acreage – is a key component of the Migratory Big Game Initiative, which has proven successful in Wyoming and elsewhere. The amendment was adopted by voice vote and generated positive comments from members of both parties including Chairman Thompson and Congressman Frank Lucas (R-OK). It was also great to hear Ranking Member Craig comment on the importance of “developing conservation programs with an eye toward restoring wildlife habitat and habitat connectivity.”

Leave Access Funding Unchanged 

Chairman Thompson has long been an advocate for the Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program (VPA-HIP). In 2024, the committee tried to include $150 million for the program, a funding level called for by the Voluntary Public Access Improvement Act and dozens of conservation organizations. However, this current bill does not include funding for VPA-HIP. Fortunately, thanks in large part to Chairman Thompson’s efforts, VPA-HIP received $70 million over seven years in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act last summer. While important, that funding level is unlikely to expand the program’s impact.  

Strengthen Tools for Enhancing Forest and Watershed Health 

The bill provides several new tools aimed at improving forest health and watershed function, with benefits for water quality, fish and wildlife, and resilience to wildfire and drought. Notable provisions include reauthorization of the U.S. Forest Service’s Water Source Protection Program, expanded use of good neighbor agreements, and additional improvements to watershed health and drinking water sources within the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program. 

Contain Potentially Problematic Fire Management Restrictions 

While proactively addressing wildfire risk is important, the bill also includes provisions that could limit the U.S. Forest Service’s ability to manage wildfire effectively. These include requirements to suppress certain fires within 24 hours of detection and additional limitations on prescribed fire. Although these provisions apply only in certain areas and conditions, relying primarily on suppression has not historically been an effective wildfire strategy, and experienced land management professionals are better equipped than Congress to make these decisions.  

There are many other provisions in this bill that we will continue to follow, and there is still a long road before its impacts are felt on the ground. The TRCP thanks both House and Senate Agriculture 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. 

Top photo: @NickMKE on Flickr.

The Hunter & Angler’s Guide to the Farm Bill

We know it can be challenging to break through the alphabet soup of program acronyms to understand why the reauthorization and improvement of Farm Bill conservation programs is a top priority. In The Hunter & Anglers Guide to the Farm Bill, we demystify the Farm Bill and the crucial conservations programs that sportsmen and women should care about.