Conservation Provisions of the 2008 Farm Bill (CRS Report for Congress)
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| Release Date |
Revised Jan. 13, 2009 |
| Report Number |
RL34557 |
| Report Type |
Report |
| Authors |
Tadlock Cowan, Analyst in Natural Resources and Rural Development; Renee Johnson, Specialist in Agricultural Policy; Megan Stubbs, Analyst in Agricultural Conservation and Natural Resources Policy |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
| Older Revisions |
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Summary:
The 2008 enacted farm bill (Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008, P.L. 110-246) reauthorizes almost all existing conservation programs, modifies several programs, and creates various new conservation programs. A new Conservation Stewardship program replaces the existing Conservation Security Program and a new Agricultural Water Enhancement Program under the Environmental Quality Incentives Program is also authorized with mandatory funding. Other new programs include the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Program and a "Sodsaver" provision to help preserve native sod, including virgin prairie in the Prairie Pothole National Priority Area. Significant modifications to existing programs include a reduction of the maximum enrolled acreage under the Conservation Reserve Program to 32 million acres and an increase in the cap for the Wetlands Reserve Program to over 3 million acres.
Other changes in the enacted bill include modifications to address eligibility requirements, program definitions, enrollment and payment limits, contract terms, evaluation and application ranking criteria, among other administrative issues. Eligibility is expanded for many programs and technical assistance under most programs is broadened to cover forested and managed lands, pollinator habitat and protection, and identified natural resource areas. Beginning, limited resource, and socially disadvantaged producers, specialty crop producers, and producers transitioning to organic production are also targeted for special consideration in many existing programs.
Estimated new spending on the conservation titleânot including estimated conservation-related revenue and cost-offset provisions in the billâis projected to increase by $2.7 billion over 5 years and $4.0 billion over 10 years. Total mandatory spending for the conservation title is projected at $24.3 billion over 5 years (FY2008-FY2012) and $55.2 billion over 10 years (FY2008-FY2017).
A comparison of conservation provisions in the enacted 2008 farm bill with existing law and the House and Senate farm bills is provided in the Appendix.
This report will not be updated.
