NEWS
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Office of Communications News Room 460-A
Washington, DC 20250-1300
Internet: News@usda.gov Phone: 202-720-9035
World Wide Web Home Page: http://www.usda.gov
Release No. 0115.05
USDA: Ed Loyd (202) 720-4623
FSA: Brenda Chapin (202) 690-4585
NRCS: Mary Cressel (202) 690-0547
JOHANNS LAUDS VOLUNTARY CONSERVATION ON PRIVATE LANDS
USDA Highlights 2004 Performance and Benefits of Conservation Programs
WASHINGTON, April 4, 2005-Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns
today announced major conservation achievements in 2004 resulting
from USDA voluntary conservation programs for private lands in
remarks to the National Association of Conservation Districts.
“Investments in conservation contribute to an increased quality
of life for all Americans through cleaner air, soil and water
and improved wildlife habitat," said Johanns. “Through the
Bush Administration’s cooperative conservation efforts,
landowners are working in partnership with the government to
produce tangible results, conserving natural resources for this
generation, our children and our grandchildren.”
USDA offers a portfolio of conservation programs that give
producers the technical and financial assistance they need to
develop more effective conservation plans that improve the
environment and help rural communities. The Natural Resources
Conservation Service (NRCS) and the Farm Service Agency (FSA)
are in charge of USDA’s conservation programs for private land
management and environmental stewardship.
These 2004 conservation benefits and successes, along with the
President’s conservation budgets, support a continued cooperative
conservation effort that gives farmers and ranchers the ability
to become the best stewards of the land. In keeping with that
vision, President Bush has proposed a strong budget for
conservation efforts in fiscal year 2006, including $3.8 billion
to continue implementation of the conservation programs
authorized in the 2002 Farm Bill. These funds will allow USDA,
landowners and operators to build on a tremendously strong record
for cooperative, voluntary conservation.
National performance highlights of key conservation programs and
initiatives operated by NRCS include:
Conservation Security Program (CSP): During the first year
of the program, more than $35 million helped nearly 2,200
producers conserve and improve soil, water, air, energy, plant
and animal life on nearly two million acres of tribal and private
working lands. Environmental enhancement activities offered by
applicants included improving wildlife habitat, air quality
management and on-farm energy management.
Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP): Nearly $720
million helped almost 46,500 farmers and ranchers improve soil,
air and water quality and related resources on private working
lands. About 62 percent of EQIP funds were associated with
livestock concerns. More than 8 percent of approved contracts
were signed with limited resource producers and beginning farmers.
Approximately 60 percent of funded practices directly impact one
of the four national EQIP priorities while 40 percent reflect a
primary impact on state or local
priorities.
Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program (FRPP): $90 million funded
550 conservation easements on nearly 115,000 acres of valuable farm
and ranch land to protect it from conversion to nonagricultural uses.
For every federal dollar invested through FRPP, an additional $2.28
has been contributed by participating state and local governments,
nongovernmental organizations and landowners.
Grassland Reserve Program (GRP): $56 million funded more than 1,000
private landowners protect and restore grasslands, biodiversity and
wildlife habitat and reduce soil erosion while sustaining viable
working ranches on 283,000 acres. An additional $2 million was
provided to help greater sage grouse conservation and recovery
efforts in four western states. GRP is administered jointly by NRCS
and FSA.
Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP): Nearly $275 million helped more
than 1,000 private landowners restore, enhance and protect wetlands
to maximize wildlife habitat and wetland functions and values on
close to 200,000 acres. Restoration projects were completed on nearly
150,000 acres of wetlands and associated upland areas. The first two
Wetlands Reserve Enhancement Program (WREP) partnership projects were
approved. More than $4 million was provided for the Lower Missouri
River WREP project in Nebraska that will restore and enhance a total
of 18,800 acres when the project is completed. Nearly $3 million was
provided for a WREP project in Minnesota that will restore
approximately 7,250 acres of environmentally sensitive wetlands
throughout the state.
Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP): More than $27 million
funded over 3,000 private landowners create, restore and enhance
wildlife habitat for upland wildlife; wetland wildlife; threatened,
endangered or at-risk species and fisheries as well as other types
of wildlife. Of the more than 430,000 acres enrolled in the program
last year, 21,000 acres will help threatened and endangered species.
During the first year of the WHIP Salmon Habitat Restoration
Initiative, 47 landowners, tribes and municipalities signed
contracts and agreements totaling $3.3 million to improve nearly
900 acres of riparian habitat and to open hundreds of miles of
streams for fish passage in five states.
Agricultural Management Assistance (AMA): $10.2 million assisted
723 agricultural producers address natural resource concerns by
incorporating conservation into their farming operations while
managing financial risk on 105,000 acres. More than 8 percent of
approved contracts were signed with women and minority producers.
AMA is available in 15 states where participation in the Federal
Crop Insurance Program has been historically low.
Conservation programs operated by FSA include:
Conservation Reserve Program (CRP): First established in 1985,
CRP protects natural resources and enhances the environment by
allowing eligible farmers and ranchers to voluntarily establish
long-term conservation practices on highly erodible and
environmentally sensitive cropland. In fiscal year 2004, CRP paid
farmers approximately $1.8 billion in rental and cost-share
payments. Trees, grass and soil on CRP land remove an estimated
17 million metric tons of carbon per year from the atmosphere
through photosynthesis. Land enrolled in CRP reduces wind erosion
by 212 million tons per year. The program has reduced soil erosion
by more than 443 million tons per year. During 2004, 76 percent of
all applicants were accepted into the program, the highest
acceptance rates in the program’s history. As a result, the total
acreage of CRP will rise to 35.6 million acres, or 90 percent of
the total 39.2 million acres authorized under the Farm Bill.
Conservation Reserve Program Initiatives (CRP): In 2004, President
Bush announced several CRP initiatives to help protect wildlife,
water and land resources. One initiative will restore 250,000
acres of non-floodplain wetlands and restore large wetland
complexes and playa lakes that are located outside the 100-year
floodplain. Restoring these wetlands will provide vital habitat
for many wildlife species, filter runoff, recharge groundwater
supplies, protect drinking water and reduce downstream flooding.
Another initiative will increase the population of northern
bobwhite quail by 750,000 birds annually on 250,000 acres. So far,
more than 16,000 acres have been enrolled, which equates to
habitat for approximately 48,000 additional quail. The third CRP
initiative underway is to plant 500,000 acres of bottomland timber
on wetlands, which will restore floodplains, establish wildlife
habitat and sequester substantial amounts of greenhouse gases.
Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP): CREP is a
federal-state partnership that targets additional resources in
defined geographic areas for conservation practices such as
buffers and filter strips. Three new CREP agreements were
established in 2004. The Ohio River Western Pennsylvania CREP
will provide 100,000 acres of cropland or marginal pastureland to
be devoted to conservation practices. A New Jersey CREP will
improve water quality of streams flowing into the Atlantic Ocean
with 30,000 acres of cropland and marginal pastureland being
planted to filter strips, riparian buffers, grass waterways and
contour grass strips. A New York CREP will enhance water quality
in 12 major watersheds throughout the state.
Detailed information and performance data on NRCS voluntary
conservation programs at the national and state levels can be
found at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs and on FSA programs