Farm Bill 2002 & Legislative Updates

New Farm Bill Brings More Conservation Opportunities

The Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Farm Bill) represents the single most significant commitment of resources toward conservation on private lands in the Nation’s history. The legislation responds to a broad range of emerging natural resource challenges faced by farmers, including soil erosion, wetlands, wildlife habitat, and farmland protection. Private landowners will benefit from a portfolio of voluntary assistance, including cost-share, land rental, incentive payments, and technical assistance. The 2002 Farm Bill places a strong emphasis on the conservation of working lands, ensuring that the land remain both healthy and productive.

The conservation provisions build upon past conservation gains and respond to the call of farmers for additional cost-share resources. The 2002 Farm Bill also ensures greater access to the programs by making more farmers eligible for participation.

The following are some of the highlights of the new Farm Bill. Contact the SWCD office for more information.

Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)
-Reauthorizes the program through 2007
-Raises authorization for enrollment to an overall acreage cap of 39.2 million acres
-Allows landowners to continue with existing ground cover where practicable and consistent with wildlife benefits of the CRP

Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)
-Reauthorizes the program through 2007 with greater funding resources
-Allows for expenditure of funds in the first year of the contract
-Provides an overall payment limitation of $450,000 per producer over the life of the 2002 Farm Bill
-Allows cost share for conservation practices

Conservation Security Program (CSP)

-Establishes CSP for fiscal years 2003 through 2007 to reward stewardship and provide an incentive for addressing additional resource concerns on agricultural working lands -Voluntary program that provides financial and technical assistance for the conservation , protection, and improvement of soil, water, air, energy, plan and animal life -Provides payments to producers who practice good stewardship on their farms and incentive for those that want to do more. -Potential payments will be offered in three tiers based on level of natural resource treatments planned and applied. -Participants will receive a base payment and may be eligible for up to 75% cost share for the establishment and maintenance of conservation practices. -CSP is available to all private agricultural lands including cropland, grassland, prairie land, and pastureland. Land enrolled in CRP, WRP or Grassland Reserve Program is not eligible.