Hearing of the Conservation and Forestry Subcommittee of the House Agriculture Committee - Implementing the Agricultural Act of 2014: Conservation Programs

Hearing

Good morning. Welcome to today's hearing to review the implementation of conservation programs in the Agricultural Act of 2014.

Since 1985, Congress created over 20 farm bill conservation programs to address specific natural resource concerns. With this piecemeal approach over the past 30 years, we were left with programs that started as regional initiatives and were duplicative of national approaches and many programs that had overlapping functions and goals.

The Agricultural Act of 2014 reversed this trend by looking at conservation programs in a more comprehensive way. The 2014 Farm Bill made significant reforms by streamlining and consolidating 23 conservation programs into 13 while still maintaining the core functions and goals of the conservation initiatives. These reforms are estimated to not only save the American taxpayer over $6 billion but are also are intended to improve conservation delivery.

Through assistance and incentives provided by farm bill conservation programs, our farmers and ranchers have voluntarily reduced soil erosion, protected wetlands, improved water quality and quantity, and preserved farmland and wildlife habitat. These environmental gains they have achieved are a testament to our producers who truly are the most dedicated conservationists.

Today, we will hear from Chief Jason Weller of the Natural Resource Conservation Service and Administrator Val Dolcini of the Farm Service Agency whose agencies have spent the past year and a half implementing the many reforms and changes found in the conservation title of the farm bill. I will be interested to hear about the status of implementation for each program and to hear the administration's view on how consolidation has impacted program delivery. Since the June 1 deadline for producers to file their AD 1026 form has recently passed, it is very timely to receive feedback on issues related to conservation compliance with crop insurance. I appreciate both the gentlemen taking the time to be here today.

We will also hear from a panel of stakeholders who are directly impacted by the implementation of these programs and the changes made by Congress. Consolidation of programs was necessary for funding and administering the programs, but we need to make sure it actually works on the ground. These stakeholders will be able to give us their perspectives on how they feel implementation is going and how the different programs are working. I look forward to hearing about our witnesses' experiences with the newly-created Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP).

RCPP is an innovative approach to targeting conservation initiatives and leveraging funding. In the initial rollout, RCPP funded 115 projects across all 50 states and matched $370 million in program dollars with $400 million from partner contributions. Important programs like the Environmental Quality Inceptives Program (EQIP) and the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) had relatively small changes in the Agricultural Act of 2014; however they remain integral tools in conserving our natural resources.

The longest-standing conservation program, the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), saw a significant reduction in the maximum acres allowed to be enrolled in the program, but in exchange, the 2014 Farm Bill afforded landowners more flexibility, especially for haying and grazing. It will be interesting to see the impacts the reduced acreage cap has had on the CRP program, and I am intrigued to hear our witnesses' opinions on it.

Easement programs are an important conservation tool in my region. I would like to personally welcome Ms. Karen Martynick who is representing the Lancaster Farmland Trust in Strasburg, Pennsylvania.

The consolidation of farm land, grassland and wetland easements into one program--the Agriculture Conservation Easement Program (ACEP)--will streamline delivery as well as provide permanent baseline funding for future conservation programs.

Again, thank you to all of the witnesses for taking time to be here today. We look forward to hearing each of your testimony.

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