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Agricultural Conservation: A Guide to Programs
Overview
USDA provides technical and financial assistance to attract interest and encourage participation in
conservation programs. Participation in all USDA conservation programs is voluntary. These
programs protect soil, water, wildlife, and other natural resources on privately owned agricultural
lands to limit environmental impacts of production activities both on and off the farm, while
maintaining or improving production of food and fiber. Some of these programs center on
improving or restoring resources that have been degraded, while others seek to create conditions
with the objective of limiting degradation in the future.
Though programs in this report are listed alphabetically, agricultural conservation programs can
be grouped into the following categories based on similarities: working land programs, land
retirement and easement programs, watershed programs, emergency programs,5 compliance,6
technical assistance, and other programs and overarching provisions.
USDA Agricultural Conservation Programs
Working Lands Programs-typically classified as programs that allow private land to remain in production, while implementing
various conservation practices to address natural resource concerns specific to the area.
" Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), and Agricultural Management
Assistance (AMA).
Land Retirement and Easement Programs-land retirement programs provide federal payments to private agricultural
landowners for temporary changes in land use or management to achieve environmental benefits. Conversely, conservation easements
impose a permanent or long-term land-use restriction that is voluntarily placed on the land in exchange for a government payment.
" Conservation Reserve Program (includes the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program [CREP], Farmable Wetland
Program, and Grasslands), Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (including agricultural land easements and wetland
reserve easements), and Healthy Forests Reserve Program (HFRP).
Watershed Programs-NRCS partners with local sponsors to carry out activities for soil conservation; flood prevention;
conservation, development, utilization, and disposal of water; watershed surveys; and dam rehabilitation.
" Watershed and Flood Prevention Operations (also referred to as the Small Watershed Program or P.L. 566 and P.L. 534) and
Watershed Rehabilitation program.
Emergency Programs-provide disaster assistance for farmland rehabilitation and impairments to watersheds. Programs are usually
funded through supplemental appropriation acts.
" Emergency Conservation Program (ECP), Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP), and Emergency Watershed
Protection (EWP) program (includes floodplain easements).
Compliance-provisions that prohibit a producer from receiving many federal farm program benefits (including conservation
assistance and crop insurance) when conservation program requirements for highly erodible lands and wetlands are not met.
" Highly erodible land conservation (Sodbuster), wetland conservation (Swampbuster), and Sodsaver.
Technical Assistance Programs-provides landowners with science-based conservation information and technical expertise (e.g.,
engineering and biological) unique to the region and land use type. Usually does not include financial assistance.
" Conservation Operations (includes Conservation Technical Assistance, Soil Survey, Snow Survey and Water Supply Forecasting,
and Plant Materials Centers).
Other Conservation Programs and Provisions-Conservation Innovation Grants, Grassroots Source Water Protection Program,
Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program, and Water Bank Program.
5 Additional information on emergency land rehabilitation programs may be found in CRS Report R42854, Emergency
Assistance for Agricultural Land Rehabilitation.
6 Compliance refers to a series of farm bill provisions that require a minimum level of conservation on environmentally
sensitive land in exchange for access to other USDA program benefits. Compliance provisions are not discussed in this
report. Additional analysis may be found in CRS Report R42459, Conservation Compliance and U.S. Farm Policy.Congressional Research Service 2
Congressional Research Service
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Stubbs, Megan. Agricultural Conservation: A Guide to Programs, report, April 17, 2018; Washington D.C.. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1156988/m1/5/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.