Food, Conservation and Energy Act

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Food, Conservation and Energy Act
2008 Title II NRCS Programs
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2008 Farm Bill Highlights

• Working land emphasis
• Outreach
• New authorities
• Increased funding
• New Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) Payment limits

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Rulemaking Timeframe and Actions

• NRCS has 90 days from June 16th to promulgate
  regulations for conservation programs (Sept 16.)
• (180 days for HFRP and TSP (180 days)
• Regulations on 12 Title II programs under
  development
• EQIP, WHIP, AMA, AWEP, CStP, FRPP, WRP, GRP,
  HFRP, TSP, State Technical Committees, and
  Regional Equity

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Public Comments

• Official public comments received following the
  publication of rules in the Federal Register
• Comments officially responded to in Final Rule
  publication
• Comments response part of the administrative
  record and publically available

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Public Comments

• NRCS may have open discussions and receive
  comments prior to the official public comment
  period, however not required to respond in the
  Final Rule
• Encourage public participation in writing through
  the public comment process
• Mail, Fax, Email, or
• www.regulations.gov

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State Technical Committees

• Reauthorized and with Standard Operating
  Procedures
• Extended FACA exemptions to Local Working Groups
  subject to rule making

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State Funding Allocation and Management

• State Conservationist with the advice of the
  State Technical Committee will
• Identify priority natural resource concerns
• Identify best conservation practices and
  recommended funding

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State Funding Allocation and Management

• Nature and extent of natural resource concerns
• Availability of existing programs related to the
  priority natural resource concerns
• Degree of difficulty that producers face in
  complying with environmental laws

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2002 2012 Total Funding

• Farm Bill Conservation FundingIncreases by
  nearly 4 Billion

Budget Authority ( Millions)
Fiscal Years
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2008 FB Common Program Changes

• Authority to accept contributions
• Allows NRCS to accept non-federal contributions
  to support delivery of conservation programs
• Socially Disadvantaged, Limited Resource
  Producers, and Beginning Farmers and Ranchers
• Common definitions within programs and across
  agencies

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Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) Limitation

• 1,000,000 (unless 2/3 of the average total AGI
  is from farming, ranching, or forestry)
• This limit is reduced from the previous 2.5
  million limit, and
• Expanded if 2/3 of AGI is from farming, ranching,
  or forestry

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Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) Limitation

• AGI limitation may be waived on a case-by-case
  basis if
• Environmentally sensitive land of special
  significance would be protected
• New AGI Limitation is not in effect until FY2009

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Technical Service Provider Program

• Key changes
• Expanded Authorities
• Fair and Reasonable Rates
• Re-evaluate TSP Certification Criteria
• Minimize individual state requirements
• Agreements with other Dept. and Non-fed agencies.
• Related Tech. Services not directly with client
  (e.g. data entry)

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Conservation Programs
Working Lands Conservation Programs

• Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)
• Agricultural Water Enhancement Program (AWEP)
• Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) - continued
• Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP)

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Working Lands Conservation Programs
Environmental Quality Incentives Program -
expanded

• Beginning and socially disadvantaged farmer and
  ranchers opportunities
• Forestry management, and energy conservation as
  resources
• Organic, specialty crop production and air
  quality practices included

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Working Lands Conservation Programs
Environmental Quality Incentives Program -
expanded
Agricultural Water Enhancement Program (AWEP)
Replaces the Ground and Surface Water
Conservation Program focus on water quality and
quantity through partnership agreements. Partner
proposals will be solicited pending rulemaking.
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Working Lands Conservation Programs
Environmental Quality Incentives Program -
expanded
Agricultural Water Enhancement Program (AWEP)

• Priority to proposals with
• water quantity concerns, including conversion
  of irrigated land to dryland farming, and to
  better leverage Federal funds with funds from
  partners.
• areas experiencing exceptional drought
  conditions including the Ogallala Aquifer.

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Working Lands Conservation Programs
Environmental Quality Incentives Program -
expanded
Funding and Payment Limitations

• 2008 FB Increases funding authorities by3.4
  billion
• AWEP funding totals 280 million through 2012
• 300,000 per person payment limits over a
  six-year period (Up to 450,000 may be authorized
  for projects of environmental significance.)

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Working Lands Conservation Programs Wildlife
Habitat Incentives Program - WHIP
Reauthorized
WHIP is a voluntary program for people who want
to develop and improve wildlife habitat primarily
on private land.
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Working Lands Conservation Programs Wildlife
Habitat Incentives Program - reauthorized

• Limited to private agricultural land,
  non-industrial private forestland, and tribal
  lands
• Priority for projects that further national,
  state, or regional habitat goals
• Annual payment limits of 50,000
• WHIP funding authorized at 85 million per year

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Conservation Programs
Private Lands Protection Programs

• Farmland Protection Program (FPP)
• Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP)
• Grassland Reserve Program (GRP)
• Healthy Forests Reserve Program (HFRP)

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Private Land Protection Programs Farmland
Protection Program (FPP) - expanded
Reauthorized and Expanded
The Farmland Protection Program - matching
funds to help State, tribal, or local
governments and NGOs purchase easements to keep
productive farm and ranchland in agricultural
uses.
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Private Land Protection Programs Farmland
Protection Program (FPP) - expanded

• Changes the Secretarys role in the purchase of
  easements from acquisition of an interest to
  providing cost-share to eligible entities.

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Private Land Protection Programs Wetland Reserve
Program (WRP) reauthorized
Reauthorized
A voluntary, non-regulatory, incentive-based
program that help landowners protect and restore
wetlands on their property.
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Private Land Protection Programs Wetland
Reserve Program (WRP) reauthorized

• Allows for 766,200 new acres
• Limits enrollment to private or Tribal lands
• Enrollment Options
• Permanent easements
• 30-year easements
• 30-year contract option for Tribes

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Private Land Protection Programs Wetland
Reserve Program (WRP) reauthorized

• Limits new easements where ownership has changed
  during the previous 7 years

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Private Land Protection Programs Wetland
Reserve Program (WRP) reauthorized
Funding and Payment Limitations

• Changes easement compensation to the lowest
  of the following
• Fair market value based on value of land,
  appraisals, or market survey
• Geographic cap (GARC)
• Landowner offer
• Specifies cost-assistance for maintenance
  activities

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Private Land Protection Programs Grassland
Reserve Program (GRP)
Reauthorized and Expanded
Assists landowners to restore and protect
grassland, rangeland, pastureland, shrub land and
certain other lands and provides assistance for
restoration.
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Private Land Protection Programs Grassland
Reserve Program (GRP) - Reauthorized

• Additional 1,220,000 acres in the period of
  fiscal years 2009 through 2012
• Expands eligible land to include tribal land
• Gives priority for enrollment to certain expiring
  CRP acres

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Private Land Protection Programs Grassland
Reserve Program (GRP) - Reauthorized

• Similar easement valuation requirement to
  Wetlands Reserve Program
• Requires a grazing management plan

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Private Land Protection Programs Healthy Forest
Reserve Program (HFRP) New
New Program
Assists landowners to restore and protect forest
land resources and protects at risk species.
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Private Land Protection Programs Healthy Forest
Reserve Program (HFRP) New
New Program

• 9,750,000 in mandatory for each of fiscal years
  2009 through 2012
• Enrollment options
• Permanent easements
• 30-year easements
• 30-year contracts for Indian tribes
• Funding Limitations
• 40 percent for 10-year cost-share agreements
• 60 percent for easements

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Stewardship Programs Conservation Stewardship
Program (CSP) reauthorized
Reauthorized
The Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP)
formerly the Conservation Security Program (CSP)
is a voluntary conservation program that supports
ongoing stewardship of private agricultural lands
by providing payments for maintaining and
enhancing natural resources.
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Stewardship Programs Conservation Stewardship
Program (CSP) reauthorized

• Allows for enrollment in every watershed
• 12,769,000 acres may be enrolled each year
• Applicants must account for stewardship
  activities covering their entire agricultural
  operation
• Initially must meet stewardship threshold for one
  resource concern and be willing to achieve the
  threshold for at least one additional priority
  resource concern by the end of their five-year
  contract

Every Year
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Stewardship Programs Conservation Stewardship
Program (CSP) reauthorized
Funding and Payment Limitations

• 1.2 billion between 2008-2012 in authorized
  funding.
• CSP payments will be paid in the fiscal year
  after the improvements and activities are
  completed
• Payment Limitations - 200,000 per person
  per5-year period

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2008 Farm Bill
New Conservation Initiatives

• Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Program (Open
  Fields)
• Environmental Services Markets
• Cooperative Conservation Partnership Initiative

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New Conservation Initiatives Voluntary Public
Access and Habitat Program
New Program

• Provides financial incentives to state
  governments and Indian tribes to provide public
  access to private land for hunting and fishing.
• Does not preempt State or tribal government laws.

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New Conservation InitiativesEnvironmental
Services Markets
New Initiative
Establishment of science-based technical
guidelines to measure environmental service
benefits. Creation of a registry to collect,
record, and maintain benefits.
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New Conservation Initiatives Cooperative
Conservation Partnership Initiative
New Initiative

• 6 of funds and acres from Farm Bill Conservation
  Title programs, except CRP, WRP, FRPP, and GRP,
  will be used for targeted conservation activities
  and areas
• Projects selected through a competitive process
  of applications submitted by partners
• Projects implemented through existing program
  authorities

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