Senate reconciliation keeps farms, forests in climate plan

The Senate’s revived reconciliation deal would keep agricultural conservation, forestry and renewable fuels in the Democrats’ formula for fighting climate change.

The overall budget package, which is billed as an inflation fighter, booster of energy production and a down payment to fund climate-smart policies, could face a test as soon as Wednesday with a vote on a motion to proceed. If the motion is agreed to, a series of votes on amendments would follow Thursday.

The measure proposes funding of more than $20 billion for agriculture provisions. The legislation unveiled last week includes familiar elements of the 2021 budget reconciliation proposal.

For example, key voluntary conservation programs operated by the Agriculture Department would receive additional money for projects and practices to improve soil carbon, reduce nitrogen losses or sequester greenhouse gas emissions.

The Environmental Quality Incentives Program, which works with farmers and ranchers on projects to improve water and soil quality, would receive an authorization of $8.45 billion. The legislation would provide a total of $3.25 billion through fiscal 2026 for the Conservation Stewardship Program that focuses conservation practices on lands kept active in agricultural production.

The Agricultural Conservation Easement Program would receive a total of $1.4 billion through fiscal 2026 for limiting nonagricultural uses such as development on protected agricultural land and preserving wetlands and grasslands. The bill also would provide $6.75 billion through fiscal 2026 for the Regional Conservation Partnership Program, which works with private landholders on local conservation projects.

The new bill includes the same directive to the regional conservation partnership program included in a November 2021 reconciliation package. The program is to prioritize funding arrangements that “support the implementation of projects that assist agricultural producers and nonindustrial private forestland owners in directly reducing soil or nutrient losses or greenhouse gas emissions, or capturing on sequestering greenhouse gas emissions associated with agricultural production.”

In the latest proposal, $1 billion would be authorized for technical assistance to property owners through the Natural Resources Conservation Service. The money would remain available until fiscal 2031. The agency also would get an additional $300 million to last through fiscal 2031 for work to quantify carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas emissions.

The National Association of Conservation Districts said the potential investments in agriculture conservation programs is needed.

“USDA conservation programs are oversubscribed, and this funding would go a long way in helping more producers across our country implement conservation practices to improve their operations and make their lands more resilient to the changing climate,” Michael Crowder, association president, said in a statement.

Crowder also said his members are likely partners with the Natural Resources Conservation Service in assessing needs, developing plans and turning those plans into effective conservation practices.

Senate Agriculture Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow, who pushed hard for increased conservation funding during the 2021 reconciliation process, cheered the text of the new bill.