LICA joined over 70 organizations in a letter to Congress calling for robust discretionary funding and support for Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) field staff through the Conservation Operations and Conservation Technical Assistance programs.
The letter emphasizes that technical assistance is essential for the delivery of conservation support for farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners across the country by providing capacity and conservation planning to support conservation practice implementation.
In the 2018 Farm Bill, Congress reaffirmed the importance of voluntary, incentive-based conservation by maintaining level funding overall for the conservation title. Demand for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) consistently exceeds available dollars by at least two to one; in some years, USDA has been forced to turn away as many as three-quarters of eligible applicants. We are pleased that, since fiscal year 2018, appropriations legislation included no cuts to these programs below authorized levels, and we urge you to ensure that Farm Bill conservation programs remain fully funded in the FY 2022 appropriations bill as well.
To view the entire letter and see the other organizations click here
The letter emphasizes that technical assistance is essential for the delivery of conservation support for farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners across the country by providing capacity and conservation planning to support conservation practice implementation.
In the 2018 Farm Bill, Congress reaffirmed the importance of voluntary, incentive-based conservation by maintaining level funding overall for the conservation title. Demand for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) consistently exceeds available dollars by at least two to one; in some years, USDA has been forced to turn away as many as three-quarters of eligible applicants. We are pleased that, since fiscal year 2018, appropriations legislation included no cuts to these programs below authorized levels, and we urge you to ensure that Farm Bill conservation programs remain fully funded in the FY 2022 appropriations bill as well.
To view the entire letter and see the other organizations click here