On Tuesday, November 18, USDA’s Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program released the results of the 2013-2014 Cover Crop Survey, which assesses the benefits, challenges, yield impacts, and scale of adoption of cover crops. The North Central Region of the SARE program worked with the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) to survey more than 1,924 […]
Conservation, Energy & Environment
WOTUS Walk-through: NSAC’s Comments on the EPA’s Controversial Proposed Rule
The twice-extended public comment period for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Army Corps of Engineers’ (Corps) proposed rule defining “waters of the United States” under the Clean Water Act came to a close last Friday, November 14. NSAC contributed to the dialogue around the proposed rule by submitting comments seeking greater clarity for agricultural producers, […]
USDA Releases Guidance Documents for Conservation Initiatives
In the final days of October, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) provided its state NRCS offices with national guidance on when and how to administer various conservation initiatives for fiscal year (FY) 2015. The initiatives are funded through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and Agricultural Management Assistance (AMA) program. An October 23 directive […]
Conservation Stewardship Program Rules Revised
New rules governing the Conservation Stewardship Program have been published and are open for public comment. … Read More →
NRCS Releases Second Revision of Cover Crop Termination Guidelines
On Wednesday, October 29, the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) issued a second revision to the Cover Crop Termination Guidelines document that was first issued in June of 2013. This second revision modifies the rules for grazing a cover crop, adds a definition of a cover crop, and defines when a cover crop is considered […]
USDA Begins Certification Process for Conservation Compliance
On Friday, October 31, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) published a revised certification document, known as an AD-1026 form, that will allow farmers who receive crop insurance premium subsidies to certify that they are in compliance with highly erodible land (HEL) and wetland conservation requirements, collectively known as “conservation compliance.” In conjunction with the […]
USDA announces $4 million in funding to promote bee habitat
On October 29, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced $4 million in Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) funding for financial and technical assistance to help farmers promote and protect honey bee health and habitat. The funding is a renewal and expansion of the $3 million in EQIP money set aside this year for pollinator protection. The EQIP funding […]
EPA Advisory Board Backs Scientific Basis for “Waters of the U.S.” Rule
On Thursday, October 23, the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Science Advisory Board (SAB) released its 103-page review of the agency’s hydrology connectivity report. The report, Connectivity of Streams and Wetlands to Downstream Waters: A Review and Synthesis of the Scientific Evidence, reviews and synthesizes hydrology literature and is largely the scientific basis for the EPA and […]
USDA Creates New Website for Climate Hubs
On Wednesday, October 22, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) launched a new website dedicated to its regional climate change “hubs,” which the Department created in 2013. USDA maintains seven hubs–Pacific Northwest, Southwest, Northern Plains, Southern Plains, Midwest, Southeast, and Northeast–and three sub-hubs–Caribbean, Northern Forests, and California. USDA created the three sub-hubs where “special aspects […]
NSAC Helps Deliver Soil Health Vision Statement to USDA
On Friday, October 17, more than 40 national organizations, companies, and foundations delivered a joint vision statement for soil health and cover crops to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) joined with the National Association of Conservation Districts and American Soybean Association to issue a press release and deliver the letter […]
60 Members of Congress and 17 Non-Profit Groups Urge EPA to Limit Neonicotinoid Pesticides
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is getting pressure from environmental and sustainable agriculture organizations and members of Congress to investigate and restrict the use of neonicotinoids, a class of pesticides linked to declining pollinator populations. Neonicotinoids are being cited as one of several factors contributing to Colony Collapse Disorder in bees, leading to sharp […]
Congress Extends 2014 Funding Levels through December 11
On Thursday, September 18, the Senate passed a short-term funding extension, known as a “continuing resolution” (CR), to fund the federal government through December 11. The CR extends fiscal year (FY) 2014 funding levels as well as policy provisions known as appropriations “riders.” The House passed this temporary funding measure earlier this week, and the […]
House Agriculture Committee Holds Hearing on Soil Health
On Thursday, September 18, the House Agriculture Committee held a hearing entitled, “The Benefits of Promoting Soil Health in Agriculture and Rural America,” to examine the steps that farmers, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), state and local government agencies, and non-governmental organizations are taking to improve soil health on farms and ranches. The hearing […]
$68 million in Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Projects Announced
On Thursday, September 18, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a $68 million investment in 540 renewable energy and energy efficiency projects across the country through the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). The majority of the money, over $56 million, was distributed as loans. Another $12 million was awarded as grants. Of the 540 projects […]
New GE Corn and Soybean Varieties Approved
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) approved three new genetically engineered (GE) crops for commercial sale in a Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) Record of Decision (ROD) published on the agency’s website on Tuesday, September 16. APHIS approved three petitions from Dow AgroSciences to grant nonregulated status to a […]
Conservation Innovation Grant Recipients Announced
On Monday, September 15, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced 47 new Conservation Innovation Grant (CIG) awards, totaling $15.7 million. Recipients include universities, soil and water conservation districts, tribal organizations, resource conservation and development councils, and non-profit organizations. Roughly half of this year’s CIG awards focus on soil health. The CIG program is administered […]
Pesticides in U.S. Waters Remain High for Both Agriculture and Urban Use
A recently published study by researchers at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) sheds light on how pesticide applications on land are impacting aquatic life in the nation’s rivers and streams. The study compares pesticide concentrations across two decades to note trends in the temporal and geographic distribution. The study, published in Environmental Science & Technology […]
House Votes to Halt Clean Water Act Rulemaking Process
On its second day back in session after a five-week August recess, the House of Representatives voted 262-152 on Tuesday, September 9 to pass H.R. 5078, a bill that would prohibit the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Army Corps of Engineers (the Corps) from finalizing and implementing the proposed Waters of the United States (WOTUS) […]
$328 Million for Agricultural Conservation Easements Awarded
On Monday, September 8, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack announced $328 million in funding for 380 conservation easement projects as part of the Natural Resource Conservation Service’s (NRCS) Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP). The projects will protect and restore 129,000 acres of farmland, grasslands, and wetlands across all 50 states. The 2014 […]
4 Important Policy Decisions that Will Impact Farmers, Food, and the Environment in 2015
Taking a look at Congress’ work over the next few months, here are four appropriations decisions that will have a major impact on farmers, food, and the environment…. Read More →
Release: Deadline Approaches to Renew Conservation Stewardship Program Contracts
The contract renewal window for 2010 Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) enrollees closes September 12. … Read More →
Senators Seek Clarification on “Waters of the US”
On Thursday, July 31, thirteen senators submitted a letter to leaders of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on the “Waters of the US” (WOTUS) proposed and interpretive rule. There has been a lot of attention lately around how the farming community would be […]
USDA Climate Report Misses Sustainable Systems
On Thursday, July 31, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) released a report, Quantifying Greenhouse Gas Fluxes in Agriculture and Forestry: Methods for Entity-Scale Inventory, which provides scientific methods for quantifying the changes in greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and carbon storage from various land management and conservation activities. The report is designed to aid […]
Q&A on the “Waters of the US” Proposed and Interpretive Rule
There has been a lot of attention lately on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as it engages with the farming community on the proposed rule to define “Waters of the U.S.” The so-called WOTUS rule would define which bodies of water fall under EPA’s Clean Water Act jurisdiction. In an accompanying post, we provided an update […]