Conservation Programs Flashcards
How does conservation fare in the new Farm Bill?
conservation compliance added back to insurance
cuts of $4-5B per over 10 years (decreases acreage enrollment)
consolidation of programs
higher caps on contracts
fewer farms getting contracts
What is NRCS?
Natural Resources Conservation Service
a federal-state partnership
does the Web Soil Survey, National Resources Inventory and National Cartography & Geospatial Center
What did NRCS used to be called?
Soil Erosion Service
Soil Conservation Service
Soil Conservation District Act
How does NRCS operate at the state level?
prioritize areas and implement programs
state technical committees
What are the general categories of land use?
cropland, grassland pasture and range, forest-use land, special uses, miscellaneous land, urban land
special - federal and state parks, wildlife refuges, rural transit, public facilities, farmsteads, farm roads
What is land cover?
What the land looks like from the surface.
How has cropland use changed over time?
fewer acres in use, less idle cropland, less summer fallow and pasture
What four crops have dominated cropland use over the last 50 years?
corn, soybeans, hay, wheat
What is most conservation spending for?
land retirement and working lands programs
What is the historical context for land retirement?
initially concerned with controlling surplus production, shifted to primarily worried about controlling erosion in the 1980s
What did the 1936 Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act do?
encouraged a shift to soil conserving crops
What did the 1956 Agricultural Act create?
the soil bank conservation reserve
When was CRP created?
1985 Farm Bill
Conservation Reserve Program - primary mechanism for moving land into retirement now
amended in 1990 and 1996
What is CRP concerned with?
removing highly erodible and marginal lands from production
not concerned with prime farmland
Why does USDA survey soils?
to understand the crop production resource base
through the soil series and soil mapping units
What is HEL?
highly erodible lands
defined in 1985 Farm Bill - land capability classes IV - VIII OR erosion excessively greater than T
defined by Federal Register - ratio of RUSLE:T
What is T?
the tolerable soil loss
What is the soil erosion index?
EI = (R*K*L*S)/T R = rainfall K = susceptibility factor L = slope length S = slope steepness
EI >= 8 is HEL
How is CRP administered?
Farm Service Agency does enrollment
NRCS & Extension do technical assistance
What does the CRP program look like?
10-15 year duration
eligible if land is HEL or environmentally sensitive that is or was recently cropped
applications ranked on an environmental benefits index
payment is the rental rate + 1/2 the cost of conservation measures
What are the eligibility requirements for CRP?
previous use - cropping AND capable of being planted OR marginal pasture which could be used as riparian buffer
EI >= 8 OR expiring CRP acreage OR in conservation priority area
What are the categories of CRP payments?
rental payments
maintenance incentive payments
cost-share assistance
other incentive payments
What do conservation easement programs do?
maintain land in a certain type of use
What are different conservation easement programs?
Farm and Ranch Land Protection Program
Grassland Reserve Program
Wetland Reserve Program
*consolidated under 2014 Farm Bill - now Agriculture Conservation Easement Program (ACEP)
What is FRPP?
Farm and Ranch Land Protection Program
provides matching funds to help purchase development rights to keep land in ag use
lots of easements where many people live (NE)
1996 FB
spent $119-171 from 2009-2012
What is GRP?
Grassland Reserve Program
1985 FM
provides assistance to land owners and operators to protect grazing uses and related conservation values on eligible private range and pasture land
What is WRP?
Wetlands Reserve Program
1985 FB
provides technical & financial assistance to private landowners and tribes to restore, protect and enhance wetlands in exchange for retiring land
1.9 M acres currently enrolled
How is GRP beneficial?
supports grazing operations
maintains and improves plant and animal biodiversity
protects lands under threat of conversion
What are the enrollment options for WRP?
permanent easement - USDA pays 100%
30-year easement - USDA pays 75% of easement value and restoration costs
restoration cost-share agreement - USDA pays up to 75% of restoration costs; no easement placed
What are working lands programs?
they maintain production while improving conservation
practice-based
What is EQIP?
Environmental Quality Incentives Program 1996 FB private land only provides technical and financial assistance 60% of funding for livestock practices
What is CSP?
Conservation Stewardship Program 2008 FB paid based on conservation performance - hard to measure (not cost share) operation-level, must enroll all acreage self-assessment
What are the national priority areas for conservation (EQIP)?
impaired water quality
conservation of ground and surface water resources
air quality improvements
reduction of soil erosion and sedimentation
improvement or creation of wildlife habitat
How does EQIP work?
land owners or operators are eligible
identify conservation objectives and help develop a plan (includes some cross-compliance)
contract terms of 1-10 years
cost-share program (typically 75/25 split)
up to 90% for underserved populations
payment is after implementation and certification
What are the payment limitations for EQIP?
$450,000 for all contracts entered into during a 6 year period
tech. asst. excluded from limit
organic production - $40,000/yr or $80,000 for 6 year period
*limits raised in 2014 FB
How does EQIP decide what to fund?
air quality, domestic animals, fish and wildlife, plant conditions, soil conditions, soil erosion, water quality
scores based on EBI and conservation practice physical effects (combines impacts on land, labor, capital and risk)
What are the eligibility requirements for CSP?
farm of record with FSA comply with requirements on HEL and wetlands control over land enroll all eligible land land must meet "stewardship threshold"
What are the payment limits for CSP?
$40,000 per operation per year $200,000 over 5 years amounts based on conservation points paid more for additional activities than existing ones EQIP pays for practice implementation
What is the Regional Conservation Partnership Program?
new in 2014 FB
consolidates several programs
CCPI, AWEP, Chesapeake Bay Watershed Initiative, Great Lakes Watershed Initiative, Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program
What is CCPI & AWEP?
Cooperative Conservation Partnership Initiative
Agricultural Water Enhancement Program
2008 FB
same approved practices as EQIP
cost share (25-75-90%)
funded from EQIP, WHIP, CSP, non-government sources
1-5 year contracts
What makes CCPI & AWEP different from other programs?
partly rely on cooperative participation
applications approved for projects across state lines
organizations serve as intermediaries between NRCS and farmers
leverages funding, tech support, resources
What is CEAP?
Conservation Effects Assessment Program
multi-agency (NRCS and ARS)
quantify environmental benefits
topic areas include wetlands, grazing lands, croplands, wildlife
How many projects did CCPI have in 2010?
26 projects, 14 states, $6.6 M
ex) restore trout habitat in the Chesapeake
How many projects did AWEP have in 2010?
28 projects, 9 states, $19.7M
What is the purpose and priority watersheds of AWEP?
promote ground and surface water conservation
Everglades, Ogallala, Puget Sound, Red River, Sacramento River Basin, Upper Mississippi Basin, Eastern Snake Plains Aquifer
mitigate effects of drought and climate change
improve irrigation systems and efficiency
restoration and plan development
