Is there a Financial Conservation Standard for the Indvidual?

Soil conservation policy

• In 1985, the U.S. congress passed measures that linked federal subsidies for farmers to erosion control. Farmers must meet certain erosion control standards in order to be eligible for subsidies. Meeting these standards involves working with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (formerly Soil Conservation Service) and implementing conservation practices as needed. Has the linkage of erosion control with federal subsidies (in 1985) increased the success of federal efforts to combat erosion? Previously federal efforts were based on incentives and voluntary compliance. I am looking for any articles or publications that address this issue.

• Answer:

  CRS Issue Brief for Congress The Farm Bill: Soil and Water Conservation Issues Jeffrey A. Zinn Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division The farm bill's effect on Iowa's landscape http://www.inhf.org/farmbillmap.htm http://www.ers.usda.gov/briefing/FarmPolicy/sectwide.htm Scroll down to links to these papers: Conservation and environmental quality Agri-Environmental Payments: Rewarding Farmers for Environmental Performance (May 2001) evaluates the impacts of initiating a program to provide payments to producers to help maintain past agri-environmental gains, to address emerging environmental problems (e.g., nutrient runoff), and perhaps to support farm income. Agri-Environmental Policy at the Crossroads: Guideposts on a Changing Landscape (January 2001) identifies the types of available policy tools and the design features that have enhanced the effectiveness of current programs. One policy tool that may be an important component of a future policy package is an agri- environmental payments program. USDA Conservation Programs: A Look at the Record (September 2001) observes the near tripling of government spending on agricultural conservation programs since the mid-1980s, a response to public demand that farm programs offset some of agriculture's environmental impacts. The greatest portion of spending has supported land retirement through the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). Recent USDA studies examine the CRP and other major conservation programs of the past 15 years and point to significant benefits from soil conservation and wildlife habitat restoration. EQIP: Conserving While Farming (September 2001) provides an overview of the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). The program provides technical, financial, and educational assistance to farmers who improve soil, land, water, and nutrient management. Applications to participate in the program have exceeded annual funding, but some participants have opted to cancel out entirely or withdraw some of the practices specified in their contracts. This could have implications for program design and funding. Conservation and environmental policy briefing room summarizes ERS's research program on the efficiency, effectiveness, and equity of policies and programs directed toward improving the environmental performance of the agricultural sector. In recent years, the scope of problems addressed in resource policy has expanded to encompass onsite and offsite problems with soil erosion, impacts of nutrients and pesticides on surface- and groundwater quality, and conservation of wetlands and other important wildlife habitat. Income and price support programs, while a declining focus of agricultural policy, are still an important influence on producers' environmental performance. USDA Agri-Environmental Policy at the Crossroads: Guideposts on a Changing Landscape http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/aer794/ AGRICULTURE SUBSIDIES article is excerpted from West's Encyclopedia of American Law. http://www.wld.com/conbus/weal/wagricsb.htm http://www.crrs.net/story40.htm Farm payments debated and awaited By Nancy L. Torner Center for Rural and Regional Studies (Part of a series on farm subsidies) Agriculture and the Environment: The Mixed Legacy of Federal Intervention By John K. Hosemann http://www.perc.org/publications/essay/hosemann.html Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics The University of Maryland, College Park Adoption of Soil Conservation Practices: A Revealed Preference Approach by Erik Lichtenberg ://www.google.com/ search?q=cache:vaa5sg6r850C:www.arec.umd.edu/publications/papers/Working-PapersPDFfiles/0112.pdf+%22soil+conservation%22+federal+policy+subsidies+impact&hl=en&lr=lang_en&ie=UTF-8 PBS New Deal Remedies http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/dustbowl/sfeature/newdeal.html Deal Breaker How H.R. 2542 Ends Conservation Rules in Farm Subsidy Programs http://www.ewg.org/reports/Deal_Breaker/Dealbreaker.html Farm Bill: LSP makes a difference at the national level By Mark Schultz, LSP Policy Program Director May 10, 2002 http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/opinions/02/opinion_020510.html Search strategy: "soil conservation" federal policy subsidies