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Agricultural Disaster Assistance [Updated June 11, 2019]
From the Document: "The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) offers several programs to help farmers recover financially from natural disasters, including drought and floods. All the programs have permanent authorization, and one requires a federal disaster designation (the emergency loan program). [...] The federal crop insurance program offers subsidized policies designed to protect crop producers from risks associated with adverse weather, as well as weather-related plant diseases and insect infestations and declines in commodity prices. Policies must be purchased prior to the planting season."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Stubbs, Megan
2019-06-11
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Agricultural Disaster Assistance [Updated March 28, 2019]
From the Document: "The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) offers several programs to help farmers recover financially from natural disasters, including drought and floods. All the programs have permanent authorization, and one requires a federal disaster designation (the emergency loan program). Most programs receive mandatory funding amounts that are 'such sums as necessary' and are not subject to annual discretionary appropriations."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Stubbs, Megan
2019-03-28
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Forestry in the Next Farm Bill [January 12, 2012]
"Forest management generally, as well as forest research and forestry assistance, have long been within the jurisdictions of the Agriculture Committees. Although most forestry programs are permanently authorized, forestry has usually been addressed in the periodic farm bills to reauthorize many agriculture programs. […] Additional forestry issues have been suggested by various interests for inclusion in the next farm bill. Funding is likely to play a central role in the overall farm bill debate. While forestry was included for almost all agriculture conservation programs in the 2008 farm bill, the previous sole forest-specific assistance program was not reauthorized. Whether reauthorization of these programs is necessary or whether additional funds are needed to assist landowners in implementing sustainable forestry practices are issues for debate. Protecting communities from wildfire continues to be a priority for some, while controlling invasive species that threaten native forests is a priority for others. Congress could address programs for these purposes in the next farm bill. Also, use of woody biomass for renewable energy could be combined with wildfire protection and invasive species control, and the next farm bill could extend, expand, alter, or add to the woody biomass energy programs created in the 2008 farm bill and in other legislation."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Stubbs, Megan
2012-01-12
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Conservation Provisions in the 2014 Farm Bill (P.L. 113-79) [April 24, 2014]
"The Agricultural Act of 2014 (2014 farm bill, P.L. 113-79) was enacted on February 7, 2014. After years of debate and deliberation, the enacted 2014 farm bill included a number of changes to the Conservation title (Title II), including program consolidation and reauthorization, amendments to conservation compliance, and a reduction in overall funding. Debate on the 2014 farm bill focused on a number of controversial issues. While many did not consider conservation to be controversial, nonetheless, a number of policy issues shaped the final version of the title and ultimately its role in the enacted farm bill. […] One of the most controversial issues in the 2014 farm bill debate was whether federal crop insurance subsidies should be included on the list of program benefits that could be lost if a producer were found to be out of compliance with conservation requirements on highly erodible land and wetlands. Ultimately the 2014 farm bill did add federal crop insurance subsidies to the list of benefits that could be lost and extended limited protection for native sod in select states. The 2014 farm bill also reduced funding for the Conservation title by $3.97 billion over 10 years. Most farm bill conservation programs are authorized to receive mandatory funding, and the Conservation title makes up 6% of the total farm bill 10-year baseline, or $58 billion of the total $956 billion in mandatory funding authorized in the 2014 farm bill."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Stubbs, Megan
2014-04-24
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Conservation Reserve Program (CRP): Status and Issues [August 29, 2014]
"The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) provides payments to agricultural producers to take highly erodible and environmentally sensitive land out of production and install resource conserving practices for 10 or more years. CRP was first authorized in the Food Security Act of 1985 (P.L. 99-198, 1985 farm bill) and is administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA's) Farm Service Agency (FSA) with technical support from other USDA agencies. [...] A number of factors have impacted CRP enrollment recently, mainly high commodity crop prices. These strong prices have encouraged farmers to put CRP acres, even marginal acres, back into production. This pressure could potentially reduce the number of CRP acres offered for reenrollment once they have expired or cause existing current CRP participants to seek an early release from their CRP contract. Some participants also have cited a potentially low CRP rental rate compared to the market rental rate as a reason for decreased enrollment interest. Despite these factors, enrollment has increased under continuous sign-ups and demand for the program, in general, still exceeds the current enrollment level. CRP has contributed to a number of environmental benefits including reduced soil erosion, improved water quality through wetlands and field buffers, reduced fertilizer use, and increased wildlife habitat. The recent expiration of a number of acres from the program, and a reduced reenrollment, has some concerned that a number of the environmental benefits gained under CRP could be lost or reduced if land is returned to production."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Stubbs, Megan
2014-08-29
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Emergency Assistance for Agricultural Land Rehabilitation [December 11, 2012]
"Natural disasters can have varying effects on the landscape. For agricultural producers, natural disasters are part of the inherent risk of doing business. The federal role for mitigating weather risk is primarily through federal crop insurance and a suite of agricultural disaster assistance programs to address a producer's crop or livestock production loss. Other, separate U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs are designed to repair agricultural and forest land following a natural disaster and potentially mitigate future risk. These programs offer financial and technical assistance to producers to repair, restore, and mitigate damage on private land. Agricultural land assistance programs include the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP), the Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP), and the Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) program. In addition to these programs, USDA also has flexibility in administering other programs that allow for support and repair of damaged cropland in the event of an emergency. This report describes these emergency agricultural land assistance programs. It presents background on the programs- purpose, activities, authority, eligibility requirements, and authorized program funding levels, as well as current congressional issues."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Stubbs, Megan
2012-12-11
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Renewable Energy Programs in the 2008 Farm Bill [December 8, 2010]
"The Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-246, the 2008 farm bill) extends and expands many of the renewable energy programs originally authorized in the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (P.L. 107-171, 2002 farm bill). The bill also continues the emphasis on the research and development of advanced and cellulosic bioenergy authorized in the 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act (P.L. 110-140). Farm bill debate over U.S. biomass-based renewable energy production policy focused mainly on the continuation of subsidies for ethanol blenders, continuation of the import tariff for ethanol, and the impact of corn-based ethanol on agriculture. The enacted bill requires reports on the economic impacts of ethanol production, reflecting concerns that the increasing share of corn production being used for ethanol had contributed to high commodity prices and food price inflation. Title VII, the research title of the 2008 farm bill, contains numerous renewable energy related provisions that promote research, development, and demonstration of biomass-based renewable energy and biofuels. The Sun Grant Initiative coordinates and funds research at land grant institutions on biobased energy technologies. The Agricultural Bioenergy Feedstock and Energy Efficiency Research and Extension Initiative provides support for on-farm biomass energy crop production research and demonstration."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Stubbs, Megan
2010-12-08
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Emergency Assistance for Agricultural Land Rehabilitation [February 12, 2018]
"The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) administers several permanently authorized programs to help producers recover from natural disasters. Most of these programs offer financial assistance to producers for a loss in the production of crops or livestock. In addition to the production assistance programs, USDA also has several permanent disaster assistance programs that help producers repair damaged crop and forest land following natural disasters. These programs offer financial and technical assistance to producers to repair, restore, and mitigate damage on private land. These emergency agricultural land assistance programs include the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP), the Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP), and the Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) program. In addition to these programs, USDA also has flexibility in administering other programs that allow for support and repair of damaged cropland in the event of an emergency."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Stubbs, Megan
2018-02-12
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Irrigation in U.S. Agriculture: On-Farm Technologies and Best Management Practices [August 21, 2015]
"Recent threats to water availability as a result of moderate to exceptional drought in several states
have raised questions about agricultural water use and efficiencies across the United States. An
understanding of common irrigation technologies and the impacts of best management practices
in irrigation may be useful to Congress concerning potential policy responses to this issue. As a
major user of water, the agricultural industry's use of water resources continues to be a focal point
of agriculture policy. Additional demands on water supplies, extreme weather events (e.g.,
prolonged drought), and agricultural market conditions have raised producers' interest in
investing in irrigation systems. Increased pressure on the industry to reduce its water use has also
drawn interest in the adoption of irrigation technologies and best management practices (BMPs)
as a means of achieving efficiency and potential water savings."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
McGee, Peyton; Stubbs, Megan
2015-08-21
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Nutrients in Agricultural Production: A Water Quality Overview [February 20, 2015]
"Nutrients are elements essential to plant and animal growth. In agricultural production, the focus generally rests on the three primary macronutrients - nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) - because of their relative abundance in plants. As crops grow and are harvested, they gradually remove the existing nutrients from the soil and over time will require additional nutrients to maintain or increase crop yield. When nutrients are added in excess of the plants' ability to utilize them, there is an increased risk that the nutrients will enter the surrounding environment (water or air) and create environmental problems. The nutrients of primary environmental concern in agriculture are nitrogen and phosphorus. One of the better-known environmental responses to high levels of nutrients is eutrophication - the enrichment of water bodies, which can promote the growth of algae. Under certain conditions, algal blooms can occur that can deplete the oxygen content of water, block sunlight to other organisms, and potentially produce toxins. These harmful algal blooms can contaminate surface and drinking water supplies, potentially harming animal and human health. Over time, through research and technological advancements, an understanding of how crops utilize nutrients and how nutrients move in the environment have led to the development of a number of best management practices (BMPs) for nutrient management. Primarily, nutrient BMPs focus on preventing or reducing the ways in which excess nutrients can enter the environment. Crop production BMPs for nutrient management generally focus on applying the right amount of nutrients, from the right source, in the right place, at the right time. BMPs for livestock operations are typically prescribed for concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), where animals are raised or bred in close quarters, thus creating a concentrated source of nutrients."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Stubbs, Megan
2015-02-20
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Agricultural Disaster Assistance [April 6, 2016]
"The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) offers several programs designed to help farmers and ranchers recover from the financial effects of natural disasters, including (1) federal crop insurance, (2) the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP), (3) livestock and fruit tree disaster programs, and (4) emergency disaster loans for both crop and livestock producers. All have permanent authorization, and the emergency loan program is the only one requiring a federal disaster designation. Most programs receive mandatory funding amounts of 'such sums as necessary' and are not subject to annual discretionary appropriations. With enactment of the permanent livestock/fruit tree disaster programs in the Agricultural Act of 2014 (2014 farm bill; P.L. 113-79), nearly all segments of the U.S. farm sector are now covered by a standing disaster program. The array of federal programs, summarized in Table 1, reduces the potential need for emergency assistance that Congress previously provided to farmers and ranchers in the form of ad hoc disaster payments."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Stubbs, Megan
2016-04-06
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Agricultural Disaster Assistance [April 14, 2016]
"The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) offers several programs to help farmers recover financially from natural disasters, including drought and floods. All the programs have permanent authorization, and only one requires a federal disaster designation (the emergency loan program). Most programs receive mandatory funding amounts that are 'such sums as necessary' and are not subject to annual discretionary appropriations. The federal crop insurance program offers subsidized policies designed to protect crop producers from unavoidable risks associated with adverse weather and weather-related plant diseases and insect infestations. Policies must be purchased prior to the planting season. Eligible commodities include most major crops and many specialty crops (including fruit, tree nut, vegetable, and nursery crops), as well as forage and pastureland for livestock producers. The Agricultural Act of 2014 (2014 farm bill; P.L. 113-79) enhances the crop insurance program by expanding its scope, covering a greater share of farm losses, and making other modifications that broaden policy coverage. Producers who grow a crop that is currently ineligible for crop insurance may apply for the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP)."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Stubbs, Megan
2016-04-14
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Conservation Compliance and U.S. Farm Policy [April 9, 2013]
"The Food Security Act of 1985 (P.L. 99-198, 1985 farm bill) included a number of significant conservation provisions designed to reduce production and conserve soil and water resources. Many of the provisions remain in effect today, including the two compliance provisions--highly erodible land conservation (sodbuster) and wetland conservation (swampbuster). The two provisions, collectively referred to as conservation compliance, require that in exchange for certain U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) program benefits, a producer agrees to maintain a minimum level of conservation on highly erodible land and not to convert wetlands to crop production. […] One of the most controversial issues has been the idea that crop insurance subsidies should be added to the list of benefits that could be lost if a producer is found to be out of compliance. Federal crop insurance subsidies were originally included as a benefit that could be denied under the compliance provisions. However, they were removed in the 1996 farm bill to increase producer flexibility, while at the same time direct payments were added. Presently, high commodity prices have resulted in few or no counter-cyclical payments, leaving conservation program participation and direct payments as the remaining major benefits that might motivate producer compliance with conservation requirements."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Stubbs, Megan
2013-04-09
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Potential Implications of a Carbon Offset Program to Farmers and Landowners [ February 26, 2010]
"Congress is currently debating climate legislation which could affect the U.S. agriculture and forestry sectors. In June 2009, the House passed H.R. 2454, the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009. In November 2009, the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works completed markup of S. 1733, the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act, by approving a 'Manager's Amendment' as a substitute, and ordered S. 1733 reported. Both the House-passed and the Senate-reported bills would establish cap-and-trade systems to regulate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, as well as address energy efficiency, renewable energy, and other energy topics. Both bills would require major reductions in GHG emissions from entities comprising roughly 85% of current U.S. GHG emissions. Covered sectors would include electricity production, natural gas distribution, petroleum refining, and specific industrial sectors. These and related bills and issues are currently being debated in Congress. For more detailed information see CRS [Congressional Research Service] Report R40896, 'Climate Change: Comparison of the Cap-and-Trade Provisions in H.R. 2454 and S. 1733'. Numerous studies have attempted to estimate the economic effects of potential climate legislation currently being considered by Congress. These studies have examined both the economy-wide effects, as well as the effects to specific sectors, such as the U.S. agriculture and forestry sectors. Some of these studies have also examined the potential market and industry effects from the proposed climate legislation, including possible resource shifts such as land use conversions and related crop production changes. Some studies further examine the potential economy-wide market effects, such as possible changes to retail food prices and supplies. This first section of this report describes results from some of the studies and discusses limitations and uncertainties associated with the economic models and their results. The second and third sections examine two particular concerns raised by the modeling results, involving (1) lands converted from agriculture to forestry, and (2) potential unequal opportunities and costs of carbon markets in various sectors of the agricultural community. The final section provides some conclusions."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Stubbs, Megan; Gorte, Ross W.; Ramseur, Jonathan L. . . .
2010-02-26
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Emergency Assistance for Agricultural Land Rehabilitation [April 1, 2013]
"Natural disasters can have varying effects on the landscape. For agricultural producers, natural disasters are part of the inherent risk of doing business. The federal role for mitigating weather risk is primarily through federal crop insurance and a suite of agricultural disaster assistance programs to address a producer's crop or livestock production loss. Other, separate U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs are designed to repair agricultural and forest land following a natural disaster and potentially mitigate future risk. These programs offer financial and technical assistance to producers to repair, restore, and mitigate damage on private land. Agricultural land assistance programs include the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP), the Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP), and the Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) program. In addition to these programs, USDA also has flexibility in administering other programs that allow for support and repair of damaged cropland in the event of an emergency. This report describes these emergency agricultural land assistance programs. It presents background on the programs--purpose, activities, authority, eligibility requirements, and authorized program funding levels, as well as current congressional issues."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Stubbs, Megan
2013-04-01
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Proposed Offsets Exceed Spending for Agriculture in the Administration's Disaster Assistance Request [December 1, 2017]
"On November 17, 2017, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released the Administration's request for a third round of supplemental funding in response to natural disasters in 2017. The total request includes $44 billion of additional appropriations for disasters during 2017, offset by $59 billion of reductions to budget authority for previous appropriations ($15 billion) and a two-year extension of sequestration on mandatory spending ($44 billion) from FY2025 to FY2027. Accounts in the jurisdiction of Agriculture appropriations would receive an additional of $992 million for disaster recovery but be reduced over time by $5.6 billion. Proposed reductions include $3 billion through rescissions of prior appropriations and an estimated $2.6 billion share from extending sequestration on mandatory spending in the jurisdiction of Agriculture appropriations (Table 1). The result, therefore, would be a net $4.6 billion reduction from agriculture accounts."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Monke, Jim; Stubbs, Megan
2017-12-01
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Emergency Assistance for Agricultural Land Rehabilitation [November 13, 2017]
"The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) administers several permanently authorized programs to help producers recover from natural disasters. Most of these programs offer financial assistance to producers for a loss in the production of crops or livestock. In addition to the production assistance programs, USDA also has several permanent disaster assistance programs that help producers repair damaged crop and forest land following natural disasters. These programs offer financial and technical assistance to producers to repair, restore, and mitigate damage on private land. [...] This report describes these emergency agricultural land assistance programs. It presents background on the programs--purpose, activities, authority, eligibility requirements, and authorized program funding levels--as well as current congressional issues."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Stubbs, Megan
2017-11-13
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Agricultural Disaster Assistance [July 26, 2018]
"The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) offers several programs to help farmers recover financially from natural disasters, including drought and floods. All the programs have permanent authorization, and only one requires a federal disaster designation (the emergency loan program). Most programs receive mandatory funding amounts that are 'such sums as necessary' and are not subject to annual discretionary appropriations."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Stubbs, Megan
2018-07-26
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Flood Resilience and Risk Reduction: Federal Assistance and Programs [July 25, 2018]
"Recent flood disasters have raised congressional and public interest in not only reducing flood risks, but also improving flood resilience, which is the ability to adapt to, withstand, and rapidly recover from floods. Congress has established various federal programs that may be available to assist U.S. state, local, and territorial entities and tribes in reducing flood risks. Among the most significant current federal programs assisting communities with improvements to reduce their flood risks and improve their flood resilience are (1) programs that assist with infrastructure to reduce flood risks and other flood mitigation activities, and (2) programs of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) that provide incentives to reduce flood risks."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Carter, Nicole T.; Horn, Diane P.; Brown, Jared T. . . .
2018-07-25
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Federal Role in Groundwater Supply: Overview and Legislation in the 115th Congress [July 18, 2018]
"Groundwater, the water in aquifers accessible by wells, is a critical component of the U.S. water supply. It is important for both domestic and agricultural water needs, among other uses. Nearly half of the nation's population uses groundwater to meet daily needs; in 2015, about 149 million people (46% of the nation's population) relied on groundwater for their domestic indoor and outdoor water supply. The greatest volume of groundwater used every day is for agriculture, specifically for irrigation. In 2015, irrigation accounted for 69% of the total fresh groundwater withdrawals in the United States. For that year, California pumped the most groundwater for irrigation, followed by Arkansas, Nebraska, Idaho, Texas, and Kansas, in that order. Groundwater also is used as a supply for mining, oil and gas development, industrial processes, livestock, and thermoelectric power, among other uses."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Folger, Peter (Peter Franklin); Stern, Charles V.; Carter, Nicole T. . . .
2018-07-18
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Irrigation in U.S. Agriculture: On-Farm Technologies and Best Management Practices [October 17, 2016]
"Recent threats to water availability as a result of moderate to exceptional drought in several states have raised questions about agricultural water use and efficiencies across the United States. An understanding of common irrigation technologies and the impacts of best management practices in irrigation may be useful to Congress concerning potential policy responses to this issue. [...] The federal government performs several roles in assisting agricultural producers with irrigation practices, including financial assistance, technical assistance, research, and monitoring and reporting. The majority of financial and technical assistance is offered through voluntary conservation programs that target increased irrigation efficiency. [...]This raises questions about how and where federal funds are allocated, particularly in areas where water shortages are a concern. [...] The use of irrigation technology and BMPs [best management practices] bring both benefits and costs. The control of water application achieved through irrigation systems can create higher yields and allow the production of higher value crops, while potentially reducing some production costs. The additional cost of installing and maintaining these systems, however, can present a barrier to implementing BMPs. Accounting for variations in the local climate, soil type, water quality, and water availability may also challenge adoption of irrigation technologies and BMPs."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Stubbs, Megan
2016-10-17
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Federal Agricultural Recovery Resources for Hurricane-Related Losses [September 08, 2017]
"Following the destruction of Hurricane Harvey, which hit the Texas coast on August 25, 2017, many in the agriculture industry are facing large-scale production losses as well as extensive damage to land and facilities. Hurricane Irma now poses a similar threat to Florida, other southeastern states, and several U.S. territories. Crops such as rice, cotton, soybeans, and cattle appear to be among the hardest hit areas of agricultural production from Hurricane Harvey. However, to date no official loss estimates have been released. Sugar, citrus, cotton, specialty crops, and livestock are just a few of the crops that could face production losses from Hurricane Irma depending on the path and severity of the storm."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Stubbs, Megan
2017-09-08
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Flood-Risk Reduction and Resilience: Federal Assistance and Programs [November 13, 2017]
"Recent flood disasters have raised congressional and public interest in not only reducing flood risks, but also improving flood resilience, which is the ability to adapt to, withstand, and rapidly recover from floods. Congress has established various federal programs that may be available to assist U.S. state, local, and territorial entities and tribes in reducing flood risks. Among the most significant current federal programs assisting communities with improvements to reduce their flood risks and improve their flood resilience are (1) programs that assist with flood-risk reduction infrastructure and other flood mitigation activities, and (2) programs of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) that provide incentives to reduce flood risks."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Carter, Nicole T.; Horn, Diane P.; Brown, Jared T. . . .
2017-11-13
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Agricultural Disaster Assistance [July 27, 2017]
"The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) offers several programs to help farmers recover financially from natural disasters, including drought and floods. All the programs have permanent authorization, and only one requires a federal disaster designation (the emergency loan program). Most programs receive mandatory funding amounts that are 'such sums as necessary' and are not subject to annual discretionary appropriations. The federal crop insurance program offers subsidized policies designed to protect crop producers from unavoidable risks associated with adverse weather and weather-related plant diseases and insect infestations. Policies must be purchased prior to the planting season. Eligible commodities include most major crops and many specialty crops (including fruit, tree nut, vegetable, and nursery crops), as well as forage and pastureland for livestock producers. The Agricultural Act of 2014 (2014 farm bill; P.L. 113-79) enhances the crop insurance program by expanding its scope, covering a greater share of farm losses, and making other modifications that broaden policy coverage. Producers who grow a crop that is currently ineligible for crop insurance may apply for the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP)."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Stubbs, Megan
2017-07-27
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Technical Assistance for Agriculture Conservation [June 29, 2007]
"Defining exactly what conservation technical assistance is and does, and reaching agreement on a definition, is difficult. Broadly defined, it is information, technical expertise, and a delivery system for providing assistance to landowners and users with respect to conservation and use of natural resources. The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) - the federal agency that provides this assistance - defines it as 'getting conservation on the ground.' While this definition lacks specificity, it is the one most often used. Technical assistance has been discussed extensively at congressional hearings on agriculture conservation. Producers, ranchers, environmentalists, and wildlife advocates continue to raise the issue of technical assistance and the need or desire for additional support. Though Congress is to discuss conservation technical assistance in the 2007 farm bill, other issues related to it exist outside of the traditional farm bill debate. A broader perspective on technical assistance raises questions about the capacity of the current technical assistance structure as well as future limitations. A perceived lack of definition and understanding of what technical assistance is and is not creates questions around this capacity that are not easily answered or understood."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Stubbs, Megan
2007-06-29
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Conservation Compliance and U.S. Farm Policy [November 4, 2013]
"As Congress considers the reauthorization of farm policy in the next farm bill, issues related to conservation compliance have emerged. The reduction in soil erosion from highly erodible land conservation continues, but at a slower pace than following enactment of the 1985 farm bill. The leveling off of erosion reductions leaves broad policy questions related to conservation compliance, including whether an acceptable level of soil erosion on cropland has been achieved; whether additional reductions could be achieved, and if so, at what cost; and how federal farm policy should encourage additional reductions in erosion. These broad policy questions, in addition to general concerns of program oversight and implementation, continue to influence the farm bill debate."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Stubbs, Megan
2013-11-04
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Conservation Compliance and U.S. Farm Policy [July 24, 2012]
"The Food Security Act of 1985 (P.L. [Public Law] 99-198, 1985 farm bill) included a number of significant conservation provisions designed to reduce production and conserve soil and water resources. Many of the provisions remain in effect today, including the two compliance provisions--highly erodible land conservation (sodbuster) and wetland conservation (swampbuster). The two provisions, collectively referred to as conservation compliance, require that in exchange for certain U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) program benefits, a producer agrees to maintain a minimum level of conservation on highly erodible land and not to convert wetlands to crop production. Conservation compliance affects most USDA benefits administered by the Farm Service Agency (FSA) and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). These benefits can include commodity support payments, disaster payments, farm loans, and conservation program payments, to name a few. If a producer is found to be in violation of conservation compliance, then a number of penalties could be enforced. These penalties range from temporary exemptions that allow the producer time to correct the violation, to a determination that the producer is ineligible for any USDA farm payment and must pay back current and prior years' benefits."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Stubbs, Megan
2012-07-24
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Conservation Compliance and U.S. Farm Policy [June 9, 2014]
"The Food Security Act of 1985 (P.L. 99-198, 1985 farm bill) included a number of significant conservation provisions designed to reduce production and conserve soil and water resources. Many of the provisions remain in effect today, including the two compliance provisions--highly erodible land conservation (sodbuster) and wetland conservation (swampbuster). The two provisions, collectively referred to as conservation compliance, require that in exchange for certain U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) program benefits, a producer agrees to maintain a minimum level of conservation on highly erodible land and not to convert wetlands to crop production. Conservation compliance affects most USDA benefits administered by the Farm Service Agency (FSA) and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). These benefits can include commodity support payments, disaster payments, farm loans, and conservation program payments, to name a few. If a producer is found to be in violation of conservation compliance, then a number of penalties could be enforced. These penalties range from temporary exemptions that allow the producer time to correct the violation, to a determination that the producer is ineligible for any USDA farm payment and must pay back current and prior years' benefits."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Stubbs, Megan
2014-06-09
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Emergency Assistance for Agricultural Land Rehabilitation [January 5, 2015]
"Natural disasters can have varying effects on the landscape. For agricultural producers, natural disasters are part of the inherent risk of doing business. The federal role for mitigating weather risk is primarily through federal crop insurance and a suite of agricultural disaster assistance programs to address a producer's crop or livestock production loss. Other, separate U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs are designed to repair agricultural and forest land following a natural disaster and potentially mitigate future risk. These programs offer financial and technical assistance to producers to repair, restore, and mitigate damage on private land. Agricultural land assistance programs include the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP), the Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP), and the Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) program. In addition to these programs, USDA also has flexibility in administering other programs that allow for support and repair of damaged cropland in the event of an emergency. This report describes these emergency agricultural land assistance programs. It presents background on the programs--purpose, activities, authority, eligibility requirements, and authorized program funding levels, as well as current congressional issues."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Stubbs, Megan
2015-01-05
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Irrigation in U.S. Agriculture: On-Farm Technologies and Best Management Practices [September 10, 2015]
From the Summary: "Recent threats to water availability as a result of moderate to exceptional drought in several states have raised questions about agricultural water use and efficiencies across the United States. An understanding of common irrigation technologies and the impacts of best management practices in irrigation may be useful to Congress concerning potential policy responses to this issue. As a major user of water, the agricultural industry's use of water resources continues to be a focal point of agriculture policy. Additional demands on water supplies, extreme weather events (e.g., prolonged drought), and agricultural market conditions have raised producers' interest in investing in irrigation systems. Increased pressure on the industry to reduce its water use has also drawn interest in the adoption of irrigation technologies and best management practices (BMPs) as a means of achieving efficiency and potential water savings."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Stubbs, Megan
2015-09-10
