Loading....
Don't Let Vital Farm Conservation Funding Slip Away in 2020
The President’s FY 2021 budget proposes significant cuts to mandatory funding for USDA conservation programs. It threatens to:
- Cut annual funding for the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) by $40 million (from $450 million to $410 million annually), translating into fewer acres receiving permanent protection. ACEP is the federal government’s only program focused specifically on farmland and ranchland protection, offering matching funding for agricultural easements as well as the preservation of wetlands.
- Eliminate the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) which would deprive farmers of nearly $7.6 billion in incentives for managing, maintaining, and expanding conservation practices over the next ten years.
- Limit the Conservation Reserve Programs (CRP) payments to 80 percent of county rental rates, making the program which sets aside sensitive lands from agricultural use less attractive to farmers.
These programs are consistently popular with farmers and ranchers, with demand outpacing available funding.
It is now up to Congress to defend these vital conservation programs and to increase funding for USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service conservation technical assistance.
These programs help farmers and ranchers across the country permanently protect their land, develop conservation plans, and implement practices that improve productivity, water quality, and soil health as well as sequester carbon, protect wildlife habitat, and reduce impacts from flooding and other severe weather events.
In short, these programs are important! Tell your elected officials to seize this opportunity to stand up for farmers and ranchers.
Our future depends on it!
Don't Let Vital Farm Conservation Funding Slip Away in 2020
The President’s FY 2021 budget proposes significant cuts to mandatory funding for USDA conservation programs. It threatens to:
- Cut annual funding for the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) by $40 million (from $450 million to $410 million annually), translating into fewer acres receiving permanent protection. ACEP is the federal government’s only program focused specifically on farmland and ranchland protection, offering matching funding for agricultural easements as well as the preservation of wetlands.
- Eliminate the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) which would deprive farmers of nearly $7.6 billion in incentives for managing, maintaining, and expanding conservation practices over the next ten years.
- Limit the Conservation Reserve Programs (CRP) payments to 80 percent of county rental rates, making the program which sets aside sensitive lands from agricultural use less attractive to farmers.
These programs are consistently popular with farmers and ranchers, with demand outpacing available funding.
It is now up to Congress to defend these vital conservation programs and to increase funding for USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service conservation technical assistance.
These programs help farmers and ranchers across the country permanently protect their land, develop conservation plans, and implement practices that improve productivity, water quality, and soil health as well as sequester carbon, protect wildlife habitat, and reduce impacts from flooding and other severe weather events.
In short, these programs are important! Tell your elected officials to seize this opportunity to stand up for farmers and ranchers.
Our future depends on it!
There are no officials for you to contact on Twitter.
Sorry, we're not targeting any representatives in your district. But, you can still help!
Give today to American Farmland Trust today and help secure a future for food, farms, and families in your state.
Or, request a free No Farms No Food bumper sticker today!