1. Title II: Conservation Andy Seidl, Colorado State University

2. Working lands, Preservation & Reserve Programs

3.  Preservation: ◦ Farm and Ranchland Protection Program (FRPP) ◦ Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP)  Reserve: ◦ Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) ◦ Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) ◦ Grasslands Reserve Program (GRP)  NRCS programs except CRP (FSA): http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/farmbill/2008/i ndex.html http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/farmbill/2008/i ndex.html  http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/farmbill/2008/ ataglance.html http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/farmbill/2008/ ataglance.html  General eligibility: 2/3 of income from farming.

6.  Do not appeal to ‘environmental ethic’; people react to incentives.  Typically are authorized/appropriated $$, not mandatory.  Preservation Programs: ◦ Stewardship of public goods attributes of agriculture. ◦ More popular when ag prices are low. ◦ Can be at cross-purposes with ‘working lands’ and ‘commodity’ programs. ◦ ‘Green box’ under WTO environmental norms.  Reserve Programs: ◦ Supply management. ◦ Popular when ag prices are low; Not popular currently. ◦ Consistent with preservation program and Title I objectives. ◦ ‘Green box’ under WTO structural adjustment norms.  Are INELIGIBLE for new Cooperative Conservation provisions.

7.  Conservation easement driven ◦ Goal is to maintain public goods attributes of private lands stewardship. ◦ Some call for consolidation under “Private Lands Protection” program. ◦ Landowner voluntarily agrees to a deed restriction and/or landscape restoration in exchange for compensation. ◦ Can be permanent or term.  Federal tax deduction for donated easements extended through 2009.

9.  Where to go: http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/frpp/ http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/frpp/  Authorized as FPP in 1996.  FRPP as of 2002.  533 thousand acres enrolled to date.  Currently, $97 million/yr (authorized), $50 million appropriated.  Provides match of up to 50% of fair market easement value to local govt’s or NGOs for easement purchases.

10.  $773 million total authorized budget over bill.  Ramping to $200 million authorized annual budget.  “Protecting topsoil” becomes “protecting agricultural use and related conservation values of the land.”  Allows for longer term agreements with cooperators (5 yrs if certified, 3 yrs if not).  Certification process made easier.  Secretary does not purchase easements, rather facilitates their purchase.  Secretary may require enforcement provisions in the easement that are not subject to Federal land acquisition standards.

12.  Where to go: http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/whip/ http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/whip/  Technical and financial assistance to improve wildlife habitat.  Not as focused on working landscapes, more on supplemental or alternative land management.  Currently $40 million annual program.  5-10 yr agreements.  Focused in NE and West Coast.

13.  Non-ag, state, county and local public lands now INELIGIBLE.  Private ag, Non-industrial private forest, tribal lands are ELIGIBLE.  Pivot corners and other irregular areas are ELIGIBLE.  25% of funds (up from 15%) are for long term (>15 yr) agreements.  Priority to state, regional and national conservation objectives.  Authorized at $85 million per year.  Payment cap of $50K per year.

15.  Based on long term contracts and cost-share agreements for technical assistance.  Originally a supply control measure.  Take fragile/targeted lands out of production, therefore out of economy.  Targeted lands have significant public good attributes and relatively low private benefits in agricultural production.

16.  Where to go: http://www.fsa.usda.gov/FSA/webapp?area=home&subjec t=copr&topic=crp http://www.fsa.usda.gov/FSA/webapp?area=home&subjec t=copr&topic=crp  Established 1985 to prevent soil erosion and control crop supply.  Annual rental payments based on the agricultural rental value of the land.  10-15 yr rental contracts.  Focused in Great Plains.  ‘Green box’ under WTO structural adjustment criteria.  Now, 37 million acres enrolled, more emphasis on environmental side.  15 million acres expired in 2007, 12 million re-enrolled through REX program.  12.5 million additional acres due to expire by 2010.

17.  Authorizes 39.2 million acres for 2009  32 million acres 2010-2012  CREP waiver of 25% hot spot limits.  Purpose expanded to include broader scale conservation initiatives  Cropping history requirement 4 of 6 yrs, 2002-2007.  Payment limit of $50K per year.  Allows existing contract adjustments (2 yrs extra payments) if transferring to special status farmers and ranchers.  Exceptions for biofuel production, wind turbines and some grazing (with payment reductions).  Farmable wetland program (FWP) expanded. ◦ Eligible acreage definition loosened. ◦ 1 million acre limit, 100,000 per state.

20.  Where to go: http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/wrp/http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/wrp/  Established 1990  Goal: Max wetland function, value and wildlife habitat on enrolled acres.  2002: Reauthorized to max of 2,275 million acres.  2007: 1,837,671 acres & annual enrollment of 250,000 acres.  Tends to focus in Florida, California and Mississippi River Basin.  3 enrollment options: ◦ Permanent easement, pays up to 100% of easement value and restoration costs ◦ 30 yr easement, 75% each ◦ Restoration Cost-Share agreement, 75% of restoration costs.

21.  Expands to 3.041 million acres (up by 766,200 acres) and $1.3 billion.  Establishes WREP.  Establishes payment schedule based on size of easement value (+/- $500K)  Establishes similar process for determining easement value as other preservation programs.  Land that has changed ownership within past 7 yrs is INELIGIBLE.  $50K annual cap on restoration payments.

23.  New in 2002.  Currently, 250 easements covering 115,000 acres.  Restores and protects grassland, rangeland, pastureland and shrub land.  Emphasizes support for working grazing operations.

24.  Adds 1.22 million acres and $300 million in new authorized funding.  Allows for short term contracts, easements and cooperative agreements. ◦ Permanent easements. ◦ 10, 15, 20 yr rental contracts. ◦ 50% cost share restoration agreements  Provides priority for expired CRP acres. ◦ Limit 10% of total enrolled acres per year.  Eligible land expanded to those with historical or archeological resources or that meet state, regional or national conservation priorities.  Requires grazing management plan.  Same easement requirements as FRPP.  $50K annual payment limit.

26.  Shorter term agreements are more often allowed.  Some increases in authorized funding.  Some increases in local control, not state block grants. ◦ ‘issues raised by state, regional and national conservation initiatives.’ ◦ 3 rd party certification process and appraisal process streamlined.  No revolutionary changes.  Continued trend toward working lands programs and away from preservation programs.  Greater flexibility for farmers & ranchers may increase popularity of programs, but may also decrease long term effectiveness in achieving environmental goals.