A number of actions at the end of 2011 and early 2012 may result in a changed landscape for biofuels in 2012. EPA Sets Renewable Fuel Standards for 2012 On January 9, EPA issued a final rule with standards for the Renewable Fuel Standards Program (RFS2) in 2012. A link to the final rule, a […]
Conservation, Energy & Environment
It’s Time: Help us Speak up for Sustainable Agriculture
Check out our Path to the 2012 Farm Bill blog series for updates on the 2012 Farm Bill process – and be sure to sign up for NSAC Action Alerts to stay in the loop on speaking out and taking action! The summer’s bounty may feel far away, but even in January, farmers and ranchers […]
2012 Conservation Stewardship Program Sign-Up Period Extended
INFORMATION ALERT 2012 Conservation Stewardship Program Sign-Up Extended On Friday, December 9, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced that the fiscal year (FY) 2012 ranking period cutoff for the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) is January 13, 2012. Given the busy holiday season time frame, on January 10 NRCS extended the ranking period cutoff date […]
NRCS Funding New Mississippi River Basin Initiative Projects
On January 3, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) issued a notice that it is accepting proposals for new projects under the Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative (MRBI). Proposals are due March 19, 2012. Under the MRBI, NRCS provides financial assistance to farmers in areas covered by MRBI projects who undertake conservation practices specified […]
Deadline for FY2012 CIG Pre-Proposals due January 31
On Wednesday, January 4, USDA issued a press release to remind program applicants that the deadline to submit a pre-proposal for a fiscal year (FY) 2012 Conservation Innovation Grant (CIG) is January 31. You can download the FY 2012 CIG Announcement of Program Funding from USDA’s CIG webpage. Those who are interested in proposing a […]
EPA Extends Comment Period for Proposed CAFO Reporting Rule
On Monday, December 19, the EPA announced that it is extending the comment period on a proposed rule with requirements for Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) to report specific information about the their operations to the agency. Comments are now due January 19, 2012. Clean Water Act Section 308 gives the EPA broad authority to […]
USDA Wraps Up FY2011 Rural Energy for America Program Grants and Loans
USDA has announced the final FY2011 loan and grant awards for the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). The program funds renewable energy and energy efficiency projects for farmers, ranchers and rural small businesses. REAP grants can fund up to 25-percent of a project’s costs, up to $500,000 for renewable energy systems and $250,000 for […]
NRCS Updates Nutrient Management Standard
Last week, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) released an updated version of its nutrient management standard, also known as conservation practice standard 590 (CPS 590). NRCS practice standards delineate the steps that a producer may or must take in order to receive payments for a particular conservation practice under NRCS conservation programs. According to […]
Government Funding Bill Wrap Up and EPA Appropriations
On Thursday, December 15, members of a House and Senate Conference Committee passed a nine-bill appropriations package, H.R. 2055, to fund most government functions through the end of fiscal year (FY) 2012. The House then voted, 296-121, on Friday afternoon to pass the funding package. The nearly 2,300 page package was scheduled to go to the Senate for […]
2012 Conservation Stewardship Program Sign Up Extended
INFORMATION ALERT 2012 Conservation Stewardship Program Sign-Up Extended On Friday, December 9, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced that the fiscal year (FY) 2012 ranking period cutoff for the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) is January 13, 2012. Given the busy holiday season time frame, on January 10 NRCS extended the ranking period cutoff date […]
More Farm Bill News from the Farm Journal Forum
At the annual Farm Journal Forum in Washington, DC today, Senate Agriculture Chair Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) said the farm bill prepared for consideration by the congressional Super Committee will serve as the “foundation” for efforts to write and enact a farm bill next year, starting in February. Noting that the process this year was unusual […]
New Gulf Coast Conservation Initiative
On Monday, December 5, USDA announced the creation of the Gulf of Mexico Initiative (GoMI), through which the agency will distribute up to $50 million in financial assistance over three years to improve ecosystem health in the Gulf Coast. GoMI will pull its funds from six Natural Resources Conservation Serive (NRCS) programs — Environmental Quality […]
Crop Insurance Restrictions on Cover Crops Eased
On December 1, the Springfield IL Regional Office of USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) announced that it was easing some restrictions that limit crop insurance coverage on crops that are planted following a cover crop. The modification affects corn, popcorn, sweet corn, hybrid seed corn, pumpkins, soybeans, grain sorghum, and processing beans grown in the […]
If you eat and live in America
If you eat and live in America, you should be concerned about the future of farming in this country. The average age of our nation’s farmers is 57 years old, with more than a quarter of all farmers 65 or older. There are many people inspired to farm, but as recent studies show, our nation’s […]
Food and Farm Bill Alive in 2012!
Dear Supporters, We previously reported to you that a 2011 Food and Farm Bill appeared imminent. Days before Thanksgiving the Congressional “Super Committee” failed to reach agreement on $1.2 trillion in budget cuts. With that, the 2011 Farm Bill proposal intended for inclusion in the Super Committee’s deficit reduction bill is thus no more. The […]
New USDA Guide Highlights Ecosystem Credit Trading Opportunities and Challenges
by Jeanne Merrill We welcome this guest blog post from Jeanne Merrill, Policy Director, California Climate and Agriculture Network, an NSAC member organization. The USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service recently released a new guide, The Natural Resources Credit Trading Reference. The reference is intended for NRCS staff, policymakers, and others interested in the potential of […]
Ranking Dates for EQIP Conservation Initiatives Announced
USDA has announced the 2012 ranking dates for four major conservation initiatives administered through the Natural Resources Conservation Service’s (NRCS) Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). The four initiatives are the On-Farm Energy Initiative, the Organic Initiative, the Seasonal High Tunnel Pilot Initiative, and the Air Quality Initiative. NRCS will have three ranking periods in 2012 […]
The Farm Bill is Dead! Long Live the Farm Bill! – Part Two
In part one of this post, we discuss what might be next for the ongoing congressional budget debate and in turn for the new farm bill. In part two we turn to details about what was in the short-lived and now dead 2011 Farm Bill deal. What We Know About the Farm Bill that Did […]
“Dirty Water” Amendment to FY2012 Energy and Water Appropriations Bill
On Thursday, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition joined over 170 organizations on a letter to Senators urging that they vote against a “dirty water” amendment to the FY2012 appropriations bill for water and energy development. The letter is being circulated by the Clean Water Network. The dirty water measure, sponsored by Senators John Barrasso (R-WY) […]
EQIP Organic Initiative Bulletin Published
On Monday, November 14, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) released the fiscal year (FY) 2012 National Bulletin on the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) Organic Initiative. This bulletin provides guidance to State Conservationists for administering the EQIP Organic Initiative in FY 2012. The Organic Initiative provides funds and technical assistance to certified organic, exempt […]
Final FY 2012 Agriculture Funding Levels Agreed Upon
On Tuesday, November 15, House and Senate negotiators reached a compromise deal on a fiscal year (FY) 2012 appropriations “minibus” (H.R. 2112) which includes the FY 2012 agriculture appropriations bill. The minibus will now be sent back to both chambers of Congress for a final vote before being sent to the President for his signature […]
USDA Announces Rural Energy for America Program Grants and Loans
On Wednesday, November 10, USDA announced a round of 2011 Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) loans and grants to farms, ranches and small rural businesses. As with the first and second rounds announced earlier this year, NSAC is pleased to see that of the 59 grants awarded almost one-half were in the amount of […]
EPA Clean Water Act Permit for Aquatic Pesticide Application
On Monday, November 7, the EPA issued notice of a final Clean Water Act National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) General Permit for the application of aquatic pesticides to waters of the United States. This Pesticide General Permit (PGP) does not cover pesticide drift or runoff from land application of pesticides, which is generally considered […]
Final FY11 Signup Data for NRCS Easement Programs
USDA signed 1,139 contracts to enroll 200,186 acres in the Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) in FY 2011. This represents a 27 percent decrease from last year’s 272,762 acres, a result of the $119 million cut made to WRP during the FY11 appropriations process. USDA signed contracts for 414 thirty-year easements totaling more than 59,000 acres, […]