The Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) is a comprehensive working lands conservation program designed… Read More →
Conservation, Energy & Environment
Obama Administration Tackles Biotechnology Regulatory Process
On Thursday, July 2, the Obama Administration released an executive memorandum requiring the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to reconsider and update their regulatory process for biotechnology products. The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy initially tasked these three federal agencies with oversight […]
Climate Change and Agriculture – Week in Review
Climate change has enormous implications for farmers and ranchers across the country, and, this week, several announcements provided new climate change adaptation and mitigation information for agriculture. The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) continues to advocate that this critical nexus between climate change and agriculture must be addressed through farm bill conservation programs, sustainable and organic […]
Millions Available to Help Connect Retiring Landowners with New Farmers
Access to farmland remains one of the most difficult challenges that new farmers face when looking to start farming. Fortunately, since 2008, there has been a federal incentive program that encourages retiring landowners to sell or lease long term to new and underserved farmers. The Transition Incentives Program (TIP) is an option for farmers and […]
High Tunnels Continue to Serve New Farmers
Jacob and Courtney Cowgill of Prairie Heritage Farm grow fresh vegetables, heritage turkeys, ancient and heritage grains, and lamb in Central Montana. Farming up where the Rocky Mountains meet the plains means that their land is exposed to fierce winds and long winters, presenting unique challenges for their Community Support Agriculture (CSA) and wholesale production in the […]
$17.5 Million Available for Restoration of Wetlands
On Monday, June 22, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the availability of $17.5 million for wetland restoration partnerships with state and local governments, Indian tribes, and non-profit organizations in fiscal year 2015. Proposals must be submitted to NRCS state offices by July 31, 2015. Projects will be funded through the Wetlands Reserve Enhancement […]
Conservation Options Communicated to CRP Contract Holders
On Wednesday, June 17, USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) wrote to all Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) participants with contracts that expire this year to tell them about their options going forward. For the second year in a row, the FSA letter highlighted some excellent conservation choices for farmers and landowners with 10 and 15 year […]
GMO Labeling Hearing Misses the Mark
With GMO labeling a heated issue at the state and federal level, the House Committee of Energy and Commerce hearing on “A National Framework for the Review and Labeling of Biotechnology in Food” drew quite a crowd. The House hearing, on Thursday, June 18, focused on Representative Mike Pompeo’s (R-KS) Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act, known as the […]
2016 Funding Bill Opens Payment Loophole, Cuts Conservation and Renewable Energy
On Thursday, June 18, the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee passed its funding bill for fiscal year (FY) 2016. Overall, the bill provides $20.65 billion in discretionary funding, $175 million less than last year’s enacted level and a whopping $1.1 billion less than the USDA request. The full House Appropriations Committee will now take up the […]
USDA Invests $6.7 Million in Rural Energy Projects
On Wednesday, June 10, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced an investment of $6.7 million in 544 renewable energy and energy efficiency projects through the farm bill’s Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). REAP grants and loans help farmers, ranchers, and small business owners reduce energy use and develop and install renewable energy sources. […]
Clean Water Rule – NSAC Analysis and Legislative Update
On May 27, 2015, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced it had finalized a rule to clarify the scope of the agency’s jurisdiction over “waters of the U.S.” under the Clean Water Act. The rule revises the existing definition of “waters of the US” for purposes of determining which bodies of water are subject […]
Digging into the Nation’s Leading Conservation Program – Part V
Yesterday we examined Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) participation trends for beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers as well as organic and transitioning-to-organic farmers across the country. We also looked at the distribution of contracts by funding amount, in order to determine how well CSP is serving farms and ranches of a variety of scales. […]
House Agriculture Committee Examines Implementation of Farm Bill Conservation Programs
On Thursday, June 11, the Conservation Subcommittee of the House Agriculture Committee held a hearing to examine the implementation of conservation programs by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). USDA is responsible for administering conservation programs authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill. These programs include the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), Environmental […]
Digging into the Nation’s Leading Conservation Program – Part IV
Yesterday we examined data from the 2014 Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) sign-up period in terms of the agricultural landscape, examining the types of land enrolled, crops produced, and livestock raised. Today we break down CSP participant numbers to highlight particular groups of farmers and ranchers enrolled, with a focus on the groups that stand to […]
House and Senate Vote to Stop Clean Water Rule and Cut Environmental Funding
On Wednesday, June 10, the House Subcommittee that funds the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Department of Interior (DOI) passed its fiscal year (FY) 2016 spending bill, voting to cut EPA funding and include a “policy rider” to stop EPA from administering its Clear Water Rule, also known as the Waters of the United States […]
Digging into the Nation’s Leading Conservation Program – Part III
Yesterday we examined statistics from the 2014 CSP sign-up period to illustrate how enrollment breaks down by state in terms of contracts awarded, acres treated, and funding obligated. To further understand what CSP looks like across the country, today we take a look at 2014 enrollments by the type of land treated, the crops produced, and […]
Digging into the Nation’s Leading Conservation Program – Part II
Yesterday we dug into data from the 2014 Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) sign-up period in order to highlight priority resource concerns, conservation activities, and the many ways that CSP participants can provide critical environmental benefits. In this post, we continue to present 2014 sign-up data and also provide some basic information on how CSP influences land management decisions on […]
Digging into the Nation’s Leading Conservation Program – Part I
The Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) is the nation’s largest conservation program by acreage and the only federal farm bill conservation program that requires a commitment to advanced conservation systems to participate. In this week-long blog series (parts 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5), we report on the progress that CSP has made in making land stewardship […]
Pollinator Conservation Crosses a National Threshold
We are pleased to run this guest post co-written by staff at the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, including Scott Hoffman Black, Executive Director, and Matthew Shepherd, Communications Director. The Xerces Society is an NSAC participating member group. The newly released National Strategy to Protect Pollinators and Their Habitat represents a threshold moment […]
Honey Bee Protection Proposal: New EPA Rule Limits Toxic Pesticides but Fails on Neonics
On Thursday, May 28, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a proposed rule that would create temporary pesticide-free areas and restrictions on pesticide application to mitigate exposure on contracted managed honeybees. As this language indicates, it specifically aims to protect “honey bee colonies that are under contract to provide pollination services.” This rule comes […]
Millions of Dollars Available to Support Biomass Crop Production for Bioenergy
On Monday, June 1, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the availability of $19.5 million for the production of energy crops and the harvest and delivery of forest or agricultural residues to qualifying energy facilities. Farmers can apply for funding through the Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP). BCAP was established by the 2008 Farm […]
Farm Conservation Client Gateway Now Open for Use!
On Wednesday, May 27, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) released their long anticipated online portal for conservation activities. This new Conservation Client Gateway, is a streamlined online approach to be used by farmers, ranchers, and private landowners who have or are looking to secure NRCS funding for conservation programs. This Client Gateway is a […]
New Conservation Reserve Program Sign Ups Unveiled by USDA
On Friday, May 29, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) made three announcements regarding the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP): first, USDA will hold a general sign up from December 1, 2015 through February 26, 2016; second, producers who have existing CRP contracts expiring in September 2015 can extend their contracts for one year; and third, […]
White House Pollinator Strategy Released
The importance of pollinators in food security and agriculture across the country has been a topic of national interest for the last few years. We can thank pollinators for every third bite of food we take, and our nation’s food supply is largely dependent on the health of pollinator insects, birds, bats, and other animals. […]