On Tuesday, October 29, 278 national, regional, and state-based organizations delivered a letter urging House and Senate farm bill conferees to reattach basic conservation requirements to federal subsidies for crop insurance, and to include a nationwide Sodsaver provision in the final farm bill conference report.  The letter comes as farm bill conference begins with conferees’ opening remarks this Wednesday.

The Senate farm bill includes both provisions, while the House farm bill includes neither.

“Both of these provisions, included in the Senate bill, ensure that taxpayer dollars are not used to incentivize risky or environmentally destructive practices,” the 278 groups say.  “Conservation compliance and sodsaver are among the top farm bill priorities for our groups, and both will be determining factors as we consider our support for a final bill.”

Click here for the full letter and list of organizations.  You can also read about the latest grassland loss data from USDA by clicking here.