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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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Farm Policy: USDA's 2018 Trade Aid Package [Updated June 14, 2019]
From the Document: "In early 2018, the Trump Administration--citing concerns over national security and unfair trade practices--imposed increased tariffs on certain imported products in general and on U.S. imports from China in particular. Several of the affected foreign trading partners (including China) responded to the U.S. tariffs with their own retaliatory tariffs targeting various U.S. products, especially agricultural commodities. On July 24, 2018, Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) would be taking several temporary actions to assist farmers in response to trade damage from what the Administration has characterized as 'unjustified retaliation.'"
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Schnepf, Randall Dean, 1954-; Monke, Jim; Stubbs, Megan . . .
2019-06-14
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Flood Resilience and Risk Reduction: Federal Assistance and Programs [Updated December 17, 2019]
From the Summary: "Recent flood disasters have raised congressional and public interest in reducing flood risks and improving 'flood resilience', which is the ability to adapt to, withstand, and rapidly recover from floods. Federal programs that assist communities in reducing their flood risk and improving their flood resilience include programs funding infrastructure projects (e.g., levees, shore protection) and other flood mitigation activities (e.g., nature-based flood risk reduction) and mitigation incentives for communities that participate in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP)."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Carter, Nicole T.; Horn, Diane P.; Boyd, Eugene . . .
2019-12-17
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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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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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Federally Supported Water Supply and Wastewater Treatment Programs [November 28, 2017]
"This report provides background information on the types of water supply and wastewater treatment projects traditionally funded by the federal government and the several existing programs to assist communities with water supply and wastewater treatment. For more than four decades, Congress has authorized and refined several programs to help communities address water supply and wastewater problems. The agencies that administer these programs differ in multiple ways. For example, in terms of funding mechanisms, projects developed by the Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers typically require direct, individual project authorizations from Congress."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Ramseur, Jonathan L.; Boyd, Eugene; Carter, Nicole T. . . .
2017-11-28
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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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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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Federal Disaster Assistance for Agriculture [Updated March 19, 2019]
From the Document: "A number of federal assistance programs are designed to address agricultural losses following a natural disaster, including insurance, direct payments for loss, loans, and cost share to rehabilitate damaged lands. These programs are intended to assist producers recovering from production, financial, and physical loss related to or caused by the disaster. They are administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) through three agencies: the Risk Management Agency (RMA), the Farm Service Agency (FSA), and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). All programs have permanent authorization, and only one (the emergency loan program) requires a federal disaster designation. Many of the programs receive mandatory funding amounts that are 'such sums as necessary' and are not subject to annual discretionary appropriations. Other programs, however, require supplemental appropriations. Some programs are subject to payment limits, while others are not (e.g., crop insurance)."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Stubbs, Megan
2019-03-19
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Federally Supported Water Supply and Wastewater Treatment Programs [Updated May 3, 2019]
From the Introduction: "This report provides background information on the types of water supply and wastewater treatment projects traditionally funded by the federal government and the several existing programs to assist communities with water supply and wastewater treatment. For more than four decades, Congress has authorized and refined several programs to help communities address water supply and wastewater problems. The agencies that administer these programs differ in multiple ways. For example, in terms of funding mechanisms, projects developed by the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) typically require direct, individual project authorizations from Congress."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Ramseur, Jonathan L.; Boyd, Eugene; Cowan, Tadlock . . .
2019-05-03
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Farm Policy: USDA's 2018 Trade Aid Package [Updated June 19, 2019]
From the Introduction: "In early 2018, the Trump Administration--citing concerns over national security and unfair trade practices--imposed increased tariffs on certain imported products in general and on U.S. imports from China in particular. Several of the affected foreign trading partners responded to the U.S. tariffs with their own retaliatory tariffs targeting various U.S. products, especially agricultural commodities. On July 24, 2018, Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) would be taking several temporary actions to assist farmers in response to trade damage from what the Administration has characterized as 'unjustified retaliation.' Specifically, USDA would authorize up to $12 billion in financial assistance--referred to as the 'trade aid' package--for certain agricultural commodities under Section 5 of the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) Charter Act (15 U.S.C. 714c). [...] This report provides background on the trade dispute that triggered the trade-aid package as well as the authority used by USDA to respond to the trade dispute with financial assistance. Then the report describes the three components of the trade-aid package with details on their implementation."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Schnepf, Randall Dean, 1954-; Monke, James; Stubbs, Megan . . .
2019-06-19
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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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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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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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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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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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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
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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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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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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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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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Emergency Assistance for Agricultural Land Rehabilitation [Updated May 12, 2020]
From the Overview: "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. [...] 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
2020-05-12
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Wildfires and Hurricanes Indemnity Program (WHIP) [May 7, 2020]
From the Document: "The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) administers a suite of programs that assists farmers and ranchers with recovering from a natural disaster. Most of these programs are permanently authorized and receive funding from mandatory sources. In recent years, Congress has supplemented these programs with additional assistance, often referred to as ad hoc assistance. In 2018, USDA created the Wildfires and Hurricanes Indemnity Program (WHIP) to implement the bulk of this ad hoc assistance. USDA has implemented two versions of WHIP along with multiple subprograms and block grants to states. This In Focus provides an overview of WHIP and its components."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Stubbs, Megan
2020-05-07
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Agricultural Disaster Assistance [Updated April 23, 2020]
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. 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. 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. Producers who grow a crop that is currently ineligible for the federal crop insurance program may apply for the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP). NAP provides a basic level of coverage (when loss exceeds 50% of expected production) as well as options to purchase additional coverage. Similar to crop insurance, policies must be purchased prior to the planting season."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Stubbs, Megan
2020-04-23
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Federal Disaster Assistance for Agriculture [Updated June 18, 2020]
From the Document: "A number of federal assistance programs are designed to address agricultural losses following a natural disaster, including insurance, direct payments for loss, loans, and cost share to rehabilitate damaged lands. These programs are intended to assist producers recovering from production, financial, and physical loss related to or caused by the disaster. They are administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) through three agencies: the Risk Management Agency (RMA), the Farm Service Agency (FSA), and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). All programs have permanent authorization, and only one (the emergency loan program) requires a federal disaster designation. Many of the programs receive mandatory funding amounts that are 'such sums as necessary' and are not subject to annual discretionary appropriations. Other programs, however, require supplemental appropriations. Some programs are subject to payment limits, while others are not (e.g., crop insurance)."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Stubbs, Megan
2020-06-18
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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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Conservation Reserve Program (CRP): Status and Issues [April 14, 2014]
"The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is the largest federal, private-land retirement program in the United States. The program provides financial compensation for landowners to voluntarily remove land from agricultural production for an extended period (typically 10 to 15 years) for the benefit of soil and water quality improvement and wildlife habitat. The program was first authorized in the Food Security Act of 1985 (1985 farm bill, P.L. 99-198), initially as both a supply management tool for removing land from agricultural production, thus lowering commodity supply and potentially raising prices, and for providing environmental benefits. Currently, close to 25.6 million acres are enrolled in the program with total funding of approximately $2 billion annually. Acres enrolled in CRP have shown a number of positive environmental benefits including reduced soil erosion; water quality improvements through vegetative cover, buffer strips, and reduced fertilizer application; and wildlife population improvement from increased habitat. While a number of natural resource improvements are attributed to the program, the program contains a number of controversial elements as well, including the economic and environmental effect of permitted activities, such as haying and grazing on CRP acres and the reduction of enrolled acres due to high crop prices and farm bill reauthorization. Program and funding authority for CRP was reauthorized and extended through FY2018 by the Agricultural Act of 2014 (2014 farm bill, P.L. 113-79)."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Stubbs, Megan
2014-04-14
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Agricultural Conservation: A Guide to Programs [August 15, 2014]
"This tabular presentation provides basic information covering each of the programs. In each case, a brief program description is followed by information on major amendments in the Agricultural Act of 2014 (P.L. 113-79, 2014 farm bill); national scope and availability; states with the greatest participation; the backlog of applications or other measures of continuing interest; program funding authority; FY2014 funding; FY2015 Administration budget request; FY2015 proposed funding where available; sequestration effects in FY2015; statutory authority; the authorization expiration date; and a link to the program's website."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Stubbs, Megan
2014-08-15
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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
