farm bill program for land manager

WRP CSP CRP

EQIP GRP & FRPP WHIP

CCRP

7 Major Farm Bill Programs Impact Wildlife Resources in Texas

~$250 Million/Yr in payments to landowners

•  Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) $125 M •  Grassland Reserve Program (GRP) $10 M •  Wetland Reserve Program (WRP) $17.6 M •  Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program (WHIP) $220 K •  Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) $80.6 M •  Farm & Ranchland Protection Program (FRPP) $5.6 M •  Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) - $7.6 M

Programs eligibility limited to individuals/entities making less than $1million/yr average adjusted gross income unless 66%+ from ag

Photo by Chuck Kowaleski

$0

$50

$100

$150

$200

$250

$300

2 2 2 17 17

91

252

Millions FY11 Texas Conservation Funding Sources

NAWCA – North American Waterfowl Conservation Act; PFW – FWS Partners for Wildlife; SWG – State Wildlife Grants; PR – Pittman Robertson Act; DJ – Dingle Johnson Act; Licenses – All TPWD recreational

Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)

•  CRP is the largest farm bill program in Texas, 3.3 million acres & $125 million/yr in payments

•  Run by Farm Service Agency (FSA) •  Main purpose is to remove highly erodible or

environmentally sensitive land from production •  General CRP has limited signup periods, 10 yr

contracts, county acreage caps & nation wide environmental benefits ranking competition

Photo courtesy of USDA NRCS.

• Wetlands Habitat Buffer • Farmable Wetlands • Riparian Buffers & Bottomland Timber on Wetlands (get 20% SRR bonus)

• Buffer & Filter Strips

Continuous CRP Conservation Program Year round signup – No competition

10-15 year contracts Midcontract management required

• Cross Wind Trap Strips • Shelterbelts • Grass Waterways • Field Borders • Mottled Duck/Ocelot & • Pollinator Habitat

Photos courtesy of USDA NRCS.

CP-33 Habitat Buffers for Upland Birds

•  Allows 30-120’ native grass/forb/shrub buffer around cropland

•  Pays Signup Incentive Payment of $150/acre •  50% cost share for eligible practices •  Additional 40% after practices are installed •  Up to 10 yrs of annual rental payments •  Periodic management required •  New emphasis on pollinator habitat


CP 38 Rio Grand Thornscrub Restoration

•  Restore 2,000 (originally 5,000) acres of thorn scrub/native grass corridors for ocelot

•  Worth $1.5 M (originally $4 M)

CP 38 Mottled Ducks/Attwater’s PC

•  Restore 500 (originally 14,400) acres of native prairie & shallow water habitats in Gulf Coast Prairie

•  Worth $665,000 (originally $15.3 M)

Photo by Chuck Kowaleski.

Farm & Ranch Land Protection Program (FRPP)

Photo by Chuck Kowaleski.

Wetland Reserve Program (WRP)

•  Run by NRCS, $17.6 M spent in FY12 •  Purpose to restore or enhance degraded wetlands •  Retain access control & recreational use of land •  Restoration cost-share agreements

–  10 years contracts paying 75% of restoration cost •  30 year and permanent easements

–  75% or 100% of restoration cost and land value


•  Run by NRCS, $219,860 spent in FY12 •  50%+ cost share •  Helps landowners or managers develop and

improve essential plant and animal habitat •  Open to landowners who are not ag producers •  FY12 funding went to national initiatives - LPC


Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP)

•  Run by NRCS, $80.5 M spent in FY12 •  Purpose is to reduce serious threats to soil,

water & related natural resources •  60% targeted at livestock production •  Generally 50% cost share •  State & local resource concerns addressed


New Wildlife Friendly EQIP/WHIP Practices


Cost shares $68-77/acre for: •  Planting diverse native mix of pollinator

friendly flower annuals & perennials

•  FSA also has a CCRP Pollinator practice for cropland –  $150/acre SIP, 50% CS, 40% PIP plus

annual rental payments Photo by Chuck Kowaleski

Likely 2012 Farm Bill Changes to EQIP and WHIP

Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP)

•  Run by NRCS, $7.5 M spent in TX in FY12 •  Rewards good land stewardship •  Requires cropping history •  Must meet stewardship threshold on identified

resource concern and achieve threshold on second concern by end of 5 year contract

•  Payments cover planning, installing, improving and maintaining conservation activities.

•  Payments capped at $40K/yr, $200K for contract


Endangered Species Tax Deduction

•  Introduced in the 2008 Farm Bill •  Expenditures up to 25% of AGI can be

deducted from farming/ranching operations if conservation actions undertaken are found in an approved T&E recovery plan.

•  Federally threatened or endangered species county listing is available at: http://ecos.fws.gov/tess_public/

Questions?

Don’t Be Shy!

Photo by Chuck Kowaleski USDA office locator http://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app

FWS T&E county listing http://ecos.fws.gov/tess_public/

farm bill program for land manager

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