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Farm Bill: Agriculture Appropriations
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FY 2011 Appropriations:
Congress is currently in the process of approving an agriculture appropriations bill for fiscal year 2011. Check out the Breaking News and Updates page for the latest news as the bill makes its way into law, as NWF will be tracking the process and potential cuts in conservation programs.
FY 2010 Appropriations:
On October 21, President Barack Obama signed into law the agriculture appropriations bill for fiscal year 2010. Now PL 111-80, the final bill (HR 2997) was approved by the House on a 263-162 vote, and by the Senate on a 76-22 vote.
The legislation sets funding levels for US Department of Agriculture programs for 2010, including key programs that provide critical wildlife habitat on farms and ranches across the United States.
For most major USDA conservation programs that benefit wildlife, the final bill provides the full amount of funding detailed in the 2008 Farm Bill. That includes important programs like the Conservation Reserve Program, Wetlands Reserve Program, Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program, Conservation Stewardship Program and Grassland Reserve Program.
However, the bill reduce the funds available for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program to $1.180 billion, from the $1.450 billion approved for 2010 in the 2008 Farm Bill. That is an increase from the $1.067 billion provided in 2009, but still less than the $1.193 billion appropriated in 2008.
In finalizing the bill, Congress rejected the cuts proposed earlier this year by the Obama Administration to the funding approved in the 2008 Farm Bill to the Wetlands Reserve Program, Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program, Farmland Protection Program, and Healthy Forests Reserve Program. That is good news for fish and wildlife!
The bill also maintains funding for three regional conservation programs, the Chesapeake Bay Program, Agricultural Management Assistance program, and Desert Terminal Lakes program. The bill provides $888 million for USDA conservation operations, which fpays for much of the general salary and operations for the Natural Resources Conservation Service, a 4.1% increase from fiscal year 2009.
To see a copy of the final bill on the Library of Congress web site, click here.
For more background on the different kinds of funding provided for farm and ranch conservation programs, click here.