Congress is expected to pass an appropriations bill this week that for the remainder of this fiscal year would provide strong support for many of the voluntary conservation programs that millions of landowners nationwide utilize to protect and improve America’s water quality, soil health, and wildlife habitat. “NACD is very pleased that House and Senate appropriators have finally reached an …
Request from the Florida Conservation Group
With time running out on the 2017 Florida legislative session, the Budget Conference Committee is in negotiations to finalize the final details of the budget. But there are concerns with some in agriculture that the budget does not include funding for conservation easements. And Southeast AgNet Tallahassee Intern, Josie Tomkow, talked with their Vice Chairman, Jim Strickland, who is asking …
Wetland Conservation Projects Receive Boost
$38.8 million approved for wetland conservation projects; $7.8 million to conserve 2,629 acres on national wildlife refuges and open thousands of additional acres to public hunting The Migratory Bird Conservation Commission, chaired by U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke, approved $17.8 million in grants for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and its partners to conserve or restore more …
House Seeks Florida Forever Changes
by Jim Turner, News Service of Florida More money would be set aside for land conservation under a House bill rolled out Monday, with some environmentalists contending the proposal could hinder Senate President Joe Negron’s push to speed construction of a water-cleaning reservoir in the Everglades. House Government Accountability Chairman Matt Caldwell, whose committee unanimously approved the measure (PCB GAC …
Organizations Urge Appropriators to Protect Conservation Funding
More than 220 agriculture, wildlife, and conservation organizations from across the country sent a letter urging the House and Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittees to protect farm bill conservation funding in fiscal year (FY) 2018. The groups, which included the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD), the National Wildlife Federation (NWF), National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC), and the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation …
USDA Offers Renewal Options for Expiring Conservation Stewardship Program Contracts
NRCS is accepting applications for agricultural producers wanting to renew existing Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) contracts. The renewal is for an additional five years if they agree to adopt additional activities to achieve higher levels of conservation on their lands. Applications to renew expiring contracts are due by May 5. Sponsored ContentCIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsNovember 1, 2024Nuseed Carinata Covers New …
Congress Reintroduces Legislation to Cut Red Tape For Conservationists
The National Association of Conservation Districts is pleased to support legislation introduced this week in both the Senate and House to exempt America’s conservationists from unnecessary and burdensome reporting requirements. “Farm bill and Natural Resources Conservation Service programs help American producers provide our nation with clean water and healthy soils; and yet they are made to jump through hoops to …
Smart Phone App Balances Conservation and Production
By Jan Suszkiw, Agricultural Research Service New mobile phone applications (“apps”) are helping farmers and land managers balance productivity with conservation. Known as the “Land-Potential Knowledge System” (LandPKS), the suite of apps identifies and delivers information about specific soils to anyone with a mobile phone, according to Jeff Herrick, a soil scientist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in …
Interesting Debates Expected over New Farm Bill
The next farm bill has been a major topic for many agriculture as conversations have been underway by commodity groups concerning issues that affect them. And while the next farm bill is not really expected until sometime in 2018, there are reports indicating some are considering writing a new farm bill to replace the current one and passing it a …
USDA Expands Grasslands Conservation Program
Helping Dairy, Beef and Other Producers Protect Working Grasslands in 43 States U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) Administrator Val Dolcini announced that USDA will accept over 300,000 acres in 43 states that were offered by producers during the recent ranking period for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) Grasslands enrollment with emphasis placed on small-scale livestock operations. …