Expanding Public Support for Private Lands Conservation Steve Kline Director, Center for Agricultural Lands Theodore

Roosevelt Conservation Partnership skline@trcp.org

Conservation spending comprises just 8% of total USDA funding. In FY2011 Farm Bill conservation programs were cut by 10%, or $500 million. In FY2012, the House passed an additional 22% cut of $1 billion. The Senate has proposed $700 million in additional cuts for FY2012.

25 participating states are in danger of losing VPA funding. Provides incentives to landowners to make productive acres accessible for hunters and anglers. Losing VPA means fewer hunting and fishing license sales, reduced economic impact and lost jobs for rural America.
The only reason I played golf was so that I could afford to go hunting and fishing. -Sam Snead

Establish and maintain native grasses beneficial to wildlife. Remove barriers to fish passage In-stream aquatic habitat restoration New wetland creation Forest stand improvement for benefit of wildlife such as wild turkey.

The movement for the conservation of wildlife is essentially democratic in spirit, purpose, and method. - Theodore Roosevelt

Implement conservation crop rotation, to improve soil quality and reduce runoff Livestock waste utilization (waste to energy) Stream fencing (livestock exclusion) Irrigation/drainage water management. Prescribed grazing (delayed or limited grazing)
"If it's unenvironmental it is uneconomical. -Mollie Beattie, Former USFWS Director

Permanent easements or rental agreements of 10/15/20 years. 482K acres enrolled nationally. $18 million to help ranches in ID, UT, WY, to conserve sage grouse habitat. $550K to conserve Lesser Prairie Chicken habitat.

174K WRP acres in ND/SD support +48,000 pairs of ducks per year. WRP accounts for 1.2 billion lbs of carbon sequestration WRP in SD, ND, MN reduces soil loss by 124K tons per year.

On average, crop insurance premiums are 60% subsidized by taxpayer dollars; many are much higher. Crop insurance serves as an incentive to convert sensitive acres to row crop production. According to GAO, counties with highest grassland conversion levels required double insurance payouts. Until 1996 Farm Bill, crop insurance participation was linked to conservation compliance. Conservation compliance helps ensure public dollars deliver public benefits.