A Supreme Court decision last week said President Trump has the authority to cut the size and scope of the federal government allowing planned reductions in force to resume. In addition to those efforts, the administration’s 2026 budget request details how many employees the executive branch intends to cut in the coming year. It proposes a government wide 5 percent reduction in employees compared to the final year of the Biden administration.
At a Senate Agriculture Committee hearing on conservation programs this week, a panel of conservation leaders told senators that cutbacks in staffing as the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), would impact producer access to technical assistance necessary to ensure that farmers continue trying out practices that reduce soil erosion and prevent nutrient runoff.
Agriculture Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced the appointment of Audrey Bettencourt to lead the department’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Bettencourt is a third-generation California farmer and most recently served as the Global Director of Government Relations and External Affairs at Netafim, an international company specializing in irrigation technology. Among other positions, Bettencourt previously served as President and CEO of the Almond Alliance of California, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Water and Science at the U.S. Department of the Interior during the first Trump Administration, California State Executive Director of USDA’s Farm Service Agency, and Executive Director of the California Water Alliance.
Farm-state lawmakers are guiding more than $753 million in USDA funding to their home states in this fiscal year’s $26.22 billion Agriculture appropriations bill through a system that allows them to direct money to research facilities, hospitals, community buildings and other projects their constituents want.
President Biden recently signed Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 appropriations legislation into law that provides funding for several federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the U.S. Department of the Interior. NACD appreciates that the enactment of final federal spending legislation prevents a government shutdown and ends temporary funding measures but is disappointed that it reduces funding for the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), and several programs and accounts that are critical to conservation.
Nick Yaksich, National LICA’s Director of Government Relations, joined other industry stakeholders in a briefing conducted by NRCS Chief Terry Cosby and his staff. The Chief opened with the NRCS’ accomplishments from FY 2023 and expressed optimism for FY 2024. That optimism is founded on the significant amount of funding Congress and the Administration has provided NRCS through the Farm Bill and the Inflations Reduction Act. Like so many public and private sector organizations, NRCS faces significant hiring needs that present challenges to successfully implement their programs. Chief Cosby reiterated throughout the briefing his priorities: increase equity, implement climate smart programs and promote urban agriculture.