A plan to refocus conservation spending on marginal land and intended to protect rural economies was introduced by Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) on March 15. She, along with other members of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, introduced the Give our Resources the Opportunity to Work (GROW) Act of 2018.
Providing cosponsor support were Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Bob Casey (D-PA). The measure would amend the Food Security Act of 1985 (the 1985 Farm Bill) to address the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), and the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP).
A press release from Ernst’s office explained the bipartisan legislation refocuses conservation spending on marginal cropland to benefit soil health, water quality and wildlife habitat, while protecting rural economies and ensuring greater farmland access for beginning young farmers and ranchers.
Matt Perdue, government relations representative for the National Farmers Union (NFU), told WLJ that NFU doesn’t usually take a position on bills like this that are viewed largely as “marker bills,” which he explained as a bill intended to put out a mark or a messaging point of what the sponsor would like included in final legislation. With that in mind, he said NFU is on record regarding some aspects of the bill. “One of the things that we really like is that Senator Ernst is making a strong attempt to maintain funding for the working lands programs for CSP and for EQIP—something that has been a priority for our members in farm bill debate.”
Perdue added that NFU also appreciates Ernst’s effort to focus on practices like planting cover crops with CSP and in making sure that the program has benefits for producers who utilize livestock grazing. “There is certainly room for improvement to kind of leverage the program better for livestock producers,” Perdue said.
An area of concern for NFU is Ernst’s proposal to put a cap of 24 million acres on land that can be enrolled in CRP. “One of the things we have been very clear on throughout the farm bill debate is that we believe there should be an increase in acreage for CRP,” Perdue said. “So, Senator Ernst’s capping of CRP and elimination or prohibition of prime farmland going into CRP is something that we have some serious concerns with.”
Perdue also noted that as farm bill debate continues there are efforts underway to make programmatic improvements without any new money. “It’s pretty clear that this is a thoughtful attempt to do that. We understand that as everybody tries to balance priorities they aren’t always going to align with ours. We are a fan of some of the programmatic improvements, but there is a trade-off that raises some serious concerns for us.”
Commenting on her proposed bill, Ernst said, “As I travel across Iowa each year, I hear concerns from producers about how the Conservation Reserve Program has strayed from its congressional intent of targeting and removing environmentally sensitive land from agricultural production.” She went on, “Rather, large parcels, sometimes whole farms, of productive farmland are being enrolled into CRP as a result of low commodity prices and high yearly rental payments. As a result, many beginning young farmers are having difficulty accessing farmable acres, which is hampering our efforts to engage the next generation. By revising and strengthening the current provisions of CRP, the Conservation Stewardship Program and Environmental Quality Incentives Program, the GROW Act will restore the intent of these programs while helping farmers and ranchers protect soil and water resources.”
The measure also puts an emphasis on water quality. “This bipartisan bill is good for farmers, it’s good for taxpayers, and it’s good for water quality and the environment,” said Brown.
Grassley also commented on the proposal saying, “Conservation of America’s natural resources is critical for successful farming operations, increased agricultural productivity and quality food and energy production.” He went on to say, “Healthier farmland equals a healthier America. The next farm bill must address preserving our soil and water and ensure that farm programs accomplish the goals we give them.”
Grassley added that in joining Ernst in this he wants to help “make sure we spend our conservation dollars in the most efficient way to maximize the goals of programs like CRP while minimizing distortions in land markets.”
Casey also noted that the next farm bill needs to focus the limited amount of money on the most environmentally sensitive lands and “help farmers and ranchers achieve better soil health and water quality and improve access to land and USDA resources for young and beginning farmers.”
Ernst’s office said, specifically, the GROW Act:
• Makes most prime farmland and class I, II, III land ineligible for CRP enrollment;
• Maintains CRP right-sized at 24 million acres and precludes whole farm enrollment into the program;
• Levels the playing field for beginning farmers looking to access farmland by limiting general signup CRP rental rates;
• Protects rural economies by reforming how much county cropland can be enrolled in CRP;
• Establishes a new CLEAR (Clean Lakes, Estuaries, and Rivers) option within continuous CRP to better promote water quality;
• Maintains annual enrollment for CSP and funding for EQIP; and
• Directs USDA to submit a report on land access, tenure and transition.
Earlier in the month, Rep. Tim Walz (D-MN) introduced the Strengthening Our Investment in Land Stewardship Act (SOIL Stewardship Act) of 2018 in the U.S. House of representatives. His bill, a press release notes, will “through advancing critical reforms, enhance CSP and EQIP.”
“Maintaining our soil health is critical. Farmers are some of our best conservationists in this regard; it just makes good business sense,” Walz said. “By empowering our farmers and ranchers to continue to feed, fuel and clothe the world while maintaining the health of our resources, this commonsense bill benefits both the environment and the producers’ bottom line.”
The proposals presented by both chambers will be part of the 2018 Farm Bill debate. Although discussions on what should be included in the farm bill have been going on “behind the scenes” for some time, full discussions are expected to be underway soon.
The current farm bill expires in September. — Rae Price, WLJ editor
