This page last updated on 8/30/10.

MEDIA COVERAGE

VT: State restores lost wetlands to protect Lake Champlain By Candace Page – Burlington Free Press – August 27, 2010 Last year, the retired dairyman conceded defeat. He stopped growing crops on 130 acres of wet fields and joined an effort aimed at nothing less than reversing 100 years of wetland conversion in the Champlain Valley. Forrest pocketed $253,780 for selling the federal government a conservation easement. His drained acres are being transformed back into wetlands. http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20100827/NEWS02/100826026/State-restores-lost-wetlands-to-protect-Lake-Champlain#ixzz0xpXXfwdq

Gulf farmers asked to flood fields for migrating birds By Andrew Zajac - Tribune Washington Bureau – June 29, 2010 A federal conservation agency said Monday that it would begin paying some gulf region farmers and ranchers to flood their fields so that migratory birds can find alternative rest and nesting grounds to oil-fouled habitats. The Migratory Bird Habitat Initiative will pay to use up to 150,000 acres of land "to provide feeding, loafing and resting areas for migratory birds," according to an announcement by the Agriculture Department's Natural Resources Conservation Service. Full story, go to: http://articles.latimes.com/2010/jun/29/nation/la-na-migratory-birds-20100629

Unprecedented Cropland Study Confirms Conservation Practices Work On Farms in Upper Mississippi River Basin June 16, 2010 - Conservation practices installed and applied by agricultural producers on cropland are reducing sediment, nutrient and pesticide losses from farm fields, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said today as he announced the release of a comprehensive study on the effects of conservation practices on environmental quality in the Upper Mississippi River Basin (UMRB). http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/news/releases/2010/ceap_06.16.10.html  Key findings from the study, "Effects of Conservation Practices on Cultivated Cropland in the Upper Mississippi River Basin" include the following. Suites of practices work better than single practices;  Targeting critical acres improves effectiveness significantly; practices have the greatest effect on the most vulnerable acres, such as highly erodible land and soils prone to leaching; Uses of soil erosion control practices are widespread in the basin. Most acres receive some sort of conservation treatment, resulting in a 69 percent reduction in sediment loss. However, about 15 percent of the cultivated cropland acres still have excessive sediment losses and require additional treatment; The most critical conservation concern in the region is the loss of nitrogen from farm fields through leaching, including nitrogen loss through tile drainage systems. The complete Upper Mississippi River Basin cropland study report is available at: www.nrcs.usda.gov/technical/nri/ceap.

Nutrient management research to benefit Chesapeake Bay Penn State – Live – May 19, 2010 A project conducted by a team of researchers in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences is investigating whether feeding cattle low-protein diets might result in the animals more efficiently utilizing nitrogen in their diet and reduce ammonia emissions from dairy operations. Funded by a $226,000 special grant for improved dairy management practices awarded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture this year, the research is especially important in Pennsylvania, where one of the critical water-quality issues is the discharge of nutrients into the Potomac and Susquehanna river watersheds, which feed the Chesapeake Bay. For full article, go to: http://live.psu.edu/story/46850

Wetland Grant Applications Sought Through May 20 Contact: Kris Lancaster – EPA – April 6, 2010 Proposals for Wetland Program Development grants to develop effective, comprehensive programs for wetland protection and management will be accepted through May 20, 2010, from states, tribes and local governments. EPA Region 7 anticipates $1,176,000 in federal funding to be available to fund approximately three to six awards. Awards will likely range from $100,000 to $500,000. Parties interested in applying for the grants may contact Mandy Whitsitt, EPA Region 7, at whitsitt.mandy@epa.gov, or by calling (913) 551-7311, or toll-free, (800) 223-0425. For full press release, go to: http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/3881d73f4d4aaa0b 85257359003f5348/2cb28908b89cf3aa852576fd00636608!OpenDocument

KY: Applications now being accepted for Wetlands Reserve Program By Dave Baker – Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources – March 2, 2010 The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Kentucky is now accepting applications for the Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP). The Wetlands Reserve Program offers landowners the opportunity to protect, restore and enhance wetlands on their property. Through this voluntary program, NRCS has provided Kentucky landowners with over $29 million to restore more than 17,000 acres of cropland, pastureland and other altered lands to their original wetland conditions. For full story, go to: http://www.bgdailynews.com/articles/2010/03/02/the_amplifier/recreation/doc4b797f68 16857403185242.txt

Texas NRCS Is Looking for 50,000 Acres to Enroll in Wetlands Reserve Program Playa Lakes Joint Venture – March 1, 2010 The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Texas is working hard to enroll an additional 50,000 acres in the Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) this year. To accelerate the number of WRP enrollments, new geographic rate caps have been set for 2010 (see figure 1) and applications are now being reviewed, ranked, and processed more frequently throughout the year. http://www.pljv.org/playa_post/2010/march.html#story1

Government, nonprofits move to restore wetlands By Candace Page – Burlington Free Press – February 7, 2010 An unusual public-private coalition is on a search for landowners willing to turn their marginal, boggy farm fields back into wetlands. Time is running out, at least for this year. By March 1, the Vermont office of the federal Natural Resources Conservation Service must commit up to $2.5 million to wetlands restoration, or lose access to the money. In 2009, the local office was able to use only $1.5 million of the $6 million available to it. http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20100207/NEWS03/2070305

Archived News

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CONSERVATION PROGRAMS THAT BENEFIT WETLANDS

Wetlands Reserve Program USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) webpage: http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/wrp/

Conservation Reserve Program USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) webpage: http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/crp/

Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program USDA NRCS webpage: http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/whip/

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AGRICULTURE & WETLANDS, ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

Agriculture at the Crossroads – Spring 2009 http://www.panna.org/mag/spring2009/agriculture-at-the-crossroads

50 Year Farm Bill discussions (July 23, 2009) http://www.panna.org/resources/panups/panup_20090723

Restoring wetlands not so costly, Univ. of Alberta study By Hanneke Brooymans – Edmonton Journal – June 14, 2009 Wetlands in Western Canada could be restored at a much lower cost than might be expected, a University of Alberta study suggests. The wetlands that would be created are nothing fancy. Basically, a drainage ditch could be blocked to allow water to back up in a field. This is a method used by the conservation group Ducks Unlimited. Wetlands are vital habitat for waterfowl, but also act as buffers during times of flooding, allowing the landscape to hold extra water. They also clean bacteria and excess nutrients out of the water that flows into them. The cost for a test group of Manitoba farmers came out to an average of$400 per acre($1,000 per hectare) to restore a previously drained wetland on their properties, said Katherine Packman, a master's student in the department of rural economy. For full press release, go to: http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/Restoring+wetlands+costly+study/ 1692635/story.html For more information, see page 5 of this newsletter: http://www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/re/pdfs/Newsletter%20(Oct-Jan).pdf

5th World Water Forum to be held in Istanbul, Turkey, from March 16th to 22nd, 2009

Agriculture is the biggest user of water in the world, accounting for 70 percent of all freshwater withdrawals and the key to feeding a rising global population is how to grow more food using less water. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) will be represented at the highest level by its Director-General Jacques Diouf as well as leading experts at the 5th World Water Forum. For more information, go to: FAO at the World Water Forum http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/10580/icode/ Events: http://www.fao.org/nr/water/news/forum.html Fact sheet http://www.fao.org/fileadmin/user_upload/newsroom/docs/water_facts.pdf

Farming the White House Lawn

By Shawn Allee – The Environment Report – February 23, 2009 Some people think American agriculture needs a makeover. They question why we waste so much fuel moving food long distances. A growing movement is calling for farmers and everybody else to produce more locally-grown, organic food. Shawn Allee reports some people want the President to set a good example: Last October Michael Pollan published a letter to the President in the New York Times. Pollan is a sort of agricultural policy gadfly. His open letter to the President was full of big, policy-wonkish ideas about how to encourage local food production. But Pollan also wrote one small suggestion. For full story, go to: http://environmentreport.org/transcript.php3?story_id=4364

Editorial: Agriculture has big role in environment

Editorial Staff – Washington Times – February 17, 2009 Earlier this month Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (of the Kennedy Kennedys) was asked at a congressional hearing if a 2002 over-the-top quote attributed to him - that hog farmers are a greater threat to Americans than Osama bin Laden - was accurate. "I don't know if that (quotation) is accurate, but I believe it and support it," said Kennedy, who has been waging a substantial legal fight against the meat industry for years. While one may question Kennedy's judgment, he does have a point, whether his testimony that a single hog consignment can put out more pollution than a city of a million people is spot-on or not. For full editorial, go to: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/feb/17/agriculture-has-big-role-in-environment/

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ASWM NEWS

Farm Bill 2007: Outlook for Wetlands Reserve Program and Other Conservation Programs, by Leah Stetson, ASWM (10/07)

WETLAND RESTORATION TECHNICAL GUIDES

Wetland Restoration, Enhancement or Creation: Chapter 13 of USDA Engineering Field Handbook Although the USDA’s Soil Conservation Service Engineering Field Handbook was originally designed to guide those doing wetland restoration as part of farm bill programs, the technical information about wetland restoration, enhancement and creation in this handbook may be applicable to other work. Chapter 13, “Wetland Restoration, Enhancement, or Creation,” in the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)’s Soil Conservation Service Engineering Field Handbook is available here. This version will supersede the previous document, Dikes and Levees-Wildlife Wetland Development. The authors are in the process of revising (fall 2007) this chapter. “The science of wetland restoration, enhancement, and creation is rapidly evolving and improving. Therefore, additions to and modifications of Chapter 13 will be made as necessary.” Please check back in 2-4 months to find the revised version when it is available. Chapter 13 in this interdisciplinary manual places an emphasis on wetland restoration. For a direct link to Chapter 13, “Wetland Restoration, Enhancement, or Creation,” go to: http://www.info.usda.gov/CED/ftp/CED/EFH-Ch13.pdf [Adobe Reader 7.0 or higher is required to open the handbook.]

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RESOURCES/PUBLICATIONS

Restoring wetlands not so costly, Univ. of Alberta study By Hanneke Brooymans – Edmonton Journal – June 14, 2009 Wetlands in Western Canada could be restored at a much lower cost than might be expected, a University of Alberta study suggests. The wetlands that would be created are nothing fancy. Basically, a drainage ditch could be blocked to allow water to back up in a field. This is a method used by the conservation group Ducks Unlimited. Wetlands are vital habitat for waterfowl, but also act as buffers during times of flooding, allowing the landscape to hold extra water. They also clean bacteria and excess nutrients out of the water that flows into them. The cost for a test group of Manitoba farmers came out to an average of$400 per acre($1,000 per hectare) to restore a previously drained wetland on their properties, said Katherine Packman, a master's student in the department of rural economy. For full press release, go to: http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/Restoring+wetlands+costly+study/ 1692635/story.html

New Field Guide to Farm Bill Available Playa Lakes Joint Venture – May 4, 2009 To help landowners, conservationists, biologists, and others take advantage of conservation programs in the 2008 Farm Bill, the North American Bird Conservation Initiative in partnership with the Intermountain West Joint Venture has published the Field Guide to the 2008 Farm Bill for Fish and Wildlife Conservation. The publication is available in pdf format on the NABCI website www.nabci-us.org. The field guide is located at: http://www.nabci-us.org/aboutnabci/FBGuide1.pdf

Effects of Agricultural Conservation Practices on Fish and Wildlife – Conservation Effect Assessment Project USDA – December 3, 2008 Effects of Agricultural Conservation Practices on Fish and Wildlife is one in a multi-volume set developed by the Water Quality Information Center at the National Agricultural Library in support of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP). This bibliography is a guide to recent scientific literature covering effects of agricultural conservation practices on fish and wildlife. The citations listed here provide information on how conservation programs and practices designed to improve fish and wildlife habitat, as well as those intended for other purposes, e.g., water quality improvement, affect various aquatic and terrestrial fauna. For the publication, go to: http://www.nal.usda.gov/wqic/ceap/ceap07.shtml

Growing Conservation in the Farm Bill: Recommendations of the Agriculture and Wildlife Working Group Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership – This is a comprehensive summary of conservation issues in the development of the 2007 Farm Bill. http://www.trcp.org/documents/2007farmbillreport.pdf

Effects of Reducing the Income Cap on Eligibility for Farm Program Payments By Ron Durst – Economic Research Service (Economic Information Bulletin No. 27 – September 2007 Farm commodity program payment limits have been in effect since the Agricultural Act of 1970. However, these payment limits have not had much effect on the distribution of farm program payments. Only a small percentage of producers reach the current payment limit ($360,000 per person) because of various legal and regulatory provisions available for avoiding the limits. The Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 supplemented program payment limits with a cap on the income farmers can earn and still receive farm program payments. An individual or taxable entity with average AGI over $2.5 million for the previous 3 tax years is ineligible for farm program payments. An exception applies to those with 75 percent or more of their average AGI from farming, ranching, or forestry operations. Thus, the cap only affects farm program participants with very high off-farm earnings both in absolute terms and relative to farm income. As a result, a substantial portion of program payments continue to go to large farms and high-income farm households. For the full report, go to: http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/eib27/eib27.pdf

Wetlands Reserve Program Guide for Delaware (6/2007) http://aswm.org/lwp/wrpguidedelaware%5b1%5d.pdf

Economics of Sequestering Carbon in the U.S. Agricultural Sector By Jan Lewandrowski, Mark Peters, Carol Jones, Robert House, Mark Sperow, Marlen Eve, and Keith Paustian -- Economic Research Service -- Technical Bulletin No. (TB1909) 69 pp, March 2004 Atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases can be reduced by withdrawing carbon from the atmosphere and sequestering it in soils and biomass. This report analyzes the performance of alternative incentive designs and payment levels if farmers were paid to adopt land uses and management practices that raise soil carbon levels. At payment levels below $10 per metric ton for permanently sequestered carbon, analysis suggests landowners would find it more cost effective to adopt changes in rotations and tillage practices. At higher payment levels, afforestation dominates sequestration activities, mostly through conversion of pastureland. For full report, go to: http://www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/TB1909/ Or for direct link to full report PDF: http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/tb1909/tb1909.pdf

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LINKS OF INTEREST

Chesapeake Bay Foundation's Farm Bill page http://www.cbf.org/site/PageServer?pagename=state_sub_federal_farm

List of Incentive Programs Available in Illinois http://dnr.state.il.us/OREP/pfc/Incentives.htm

Natural Resources Defense Council’s Legislative Watch http://www.nrdc.org/legislation/legwatch.asp

New Senate Agriculture Committee Website http://agriculture.senate.gov/

USDA Farm Bill 2007 Proposals and webpages http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/!ut/p/_s.7_0_A/7_0_1OB?navid= FARM_BILL_FORUMS

***New Farm Bill 2008 links*** (updated 1/15/09) National Agricultural Law Center, University of Arkansas, School of Law http://www.nationalaglawcenter.org/ and http://www.nationalagl awcenter.org/farmbills/

CRS Report: Farm Bill Proposals and Legislative Action in 110th Congress http://www.nationalaglawcenter.org/assets/crs/RL33934.pdf

Congressional (Senate) Farm Bill webpage http://agriculture.senate.gov/ag/fb.htm

Summaries of Programs in Conservation Titles (previous farm bills) http://www.nationalaglawcenter.org/assets/farmbills/conservation.html

CRS Report: Conservation & U.S. Farm Bill 2007 by Jeffrey Zinn http://ncseonline.org/NLE/CRSreports/07Jul/RL34060.pdf

Ducks Unlimited Farm Bill 2007 webpage with white papers and summaries http://www.ducks.org/Conservation/FarmBill/3140/FarmBillResourcesandNews ReleasesfromDU.html

Report on New York’s farmland protection (by American Farmland Trust) http://www.farmland.org/programs/states/documents/AFT_PickingUpThePace_ NewYork_January07.pdf

Interesting Blogs on the Farm Bill 2007

Mulch: Comments on Agriculture, Farm Policy and Food Safety http://www.mulchblog.com/2008/02/farm_bill_all_over_the_map.php

Environmental Defense Fund's Farm Policy Blog http://www.edf.org:80/page.cfm?tagID=118

http://www.farmbill2007.com/ (From the Law Office of Phillip Fraas; very up-to-date info) http://www.farmpolicy.com

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