National Association of Conservation Districts

NACD Farm Bill Principals

1. The demand for technical assistance continues to increase from all agricultural constituencies including farmers, ranchers, producers that manage rangelands and grasslands, forest landowners and landowners in developing areas. Funding must be provided to continue providing the general public with a wide range of soil, water, air and habitat benefits. These benefits are achieved through proper land and water management and the adoption of conservation practices, through the Conservation Technical Assistance Program and each of the Farm Bill Conservation Programs.


2. Farm Bill conservation programs should be resource-driven and locally-led with sufficient flexibility to identify local priorities and concerns. Program delivery must be tailored to the natural resource needs of the state and local area, with reliance on State Technical Committees and Local Work Groups to help identify local needs and apply limited financial assistance to maximize conservation benefits.


3. Retain the funding commitment to conservation programs provided in the 2002 Farm Bill, but look for opportunities to streamline and improve efficiency within the current program options.


4. The conservation program delivery system must be easily accessed by potential conservation program customers. This includes education of farmers, ranchers and forest landowners and new landowners about the programs; understanding the application process and necessary qualifications for participation in the programs; and technical assistance to implement the programs must be easily accessible for conservation program customers. The signup process must be simple, easy to understand, and reach a broad audience (farmers, ranchers, forestry, and new landowners).


5. Education and outreach to landowners, producers and the general public are crucial to the successful delivery of the Conservation Title of the 2007 Farm Bill.


6. The conservation program options must provide a balance between those that set aside land and those that provide incentives and cost-share to undertake or maintain conservation practices on land that is in production of food, feed, and fiber. There is a growing demand for working lands programs from row-crop agriculture producers, livestock producers, specialty crops producers and forest landowners.


7. Support the development of alternative energy from woody biomass, forest byproducts, new and traditional crops and agricultural waste materials while maintaining natural resource protection for the land and providing the conservation and wildlife benefits of the land enrolled in conservation programs.


8. Support a Forestry Title to address the unique complexities of forestry.

NACD believes that the expansion of conservation practices on agricultural operations is driven by the economic viability of those operations and we support a strong agriculture base across the country. We encourage all landowners and operators to install and maintain conservation practices as appropriate for their operations and resource needs.