House Subcommittee Holds Hearing on 2008 Farm Bill Conservation Programs

The House Subcommittee on Conservation, Credit, Energy and Research held a hearing this morning to review the administration and delivery of conservation programs that ACWA worked hard to ensure were included in the 2008 Farm Bill.

The hearing’s witnesses generally endorsed the programs and their impact, but discussed improvements that could be made to their implementation, which is overseen by the Department of Agriculture through the National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the Farm Service Agency (FSA).  Problems with the availability of technical assistance, communication between the relevant agencies, and computer software issues were all listed as barriers facing the programs.

Dave White, Chief of the NRCS, testified on his agency’s “streamlining initiative,” which seeks to increase productivity and encourage more staff to spend more time in the field. 

One of the issues raised during the hearing was confusion about which of the agencies is responsible for what.  In that vein, FSA Administrator Jonathan W. Coppess said he believes one of the greatest needs, both for the FSA and for producers, is certainty.  White said that by 2011, the NRCS hopes to have several features in place on its website that will centralize such things as permit applications and tracking reimbursements.

The two conservation programs that ACWA Members are particularly affected by, the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and the Agriculture Watershed Enhancement Program (AWEP), were both mentioned by Subcommittee Member Rep. Jerry Moran (R-Kans.) during his questioning of White and Coppess.  It was acknowledged by White that EQIP is currently oversubscribed.

The hearing was one of many being held by the House Committee on Agriculture to review U.S. agriculture policy in advance of the 2012 Farm Bill.

More information about the 2008 Farm Bill can be found on the Committee’s Farm Bill homepage.