WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA) welcomed the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, which
will deliver $19.5 billion in new conservation funding to support climate-smart
agriculture. This historic funding will bolster the new steps that USDA’s
Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced today to improve
opportunities for nutrient management. NRCS will target funding, increasing
program flexibilities, launch a new outreach campaign to promote nutrient
management’s economic benefits, in addition to expanding partnerships to
develop nutrient management plans. This is part of USDA’s broader effort to
address future fertilizer availability and cost challenges for U.S. producers.
"President Biden and Congress have taken an important,
historic step towards easing the burden of inflation on the American public and
meeting the moment on climate,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.
“Agriculture has long been at the forefront of our fight against climate
change. From climate-smart agriculture, to supporting healthy forests and
conservation, to tax credits, to biofuels, infrastructure and beyond, the
Inflation Reduction Act provides USDA with significant additional resources to
continue to lead the charge.”
Through USDA’s conservation programs, America’s farmers and
ranchers will have streamlined opportunities to improve their nutrient
management planning, which provides conservation benefits while mitigating the
impacts of supply chain disruptions and increased input costs.
“The pandemic and Ukraine invasion have led to supply chain
disruptions, higher prices of inputs, and goods shortages in countries across
the globe,” Vilsack said. “USDA is responding to the needs of U.S. producers
and consumers by adding program flexibilities, expanding options and
assistance, and investing in nutrient management strategies to help farmers
address local resource concerns and global food security while also improving
their bottom line.”
Specifically, NRCS efforts include:
- Streamlined
Nutrient Management Initiative – A streamlined initiative will incentivize
nutrient management activities through key conservation programs,
including the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), EQIP
Conservation Incentive Contracts, and the Conservation Stewardship
Program. The initiative will use a ranking threshold for pre-approval and
include a streamlined and expedited application process, targeted outreach
to small-scale and historically underserved producers, and coordination
with FSA to streamline the program eligibility process for producers new
to USDA. In addition to otherwise available funding at the state level,
NRCS is targeting additional FY23 funds for nutrient management. NRCS is
also announcing a streamlined funding opportunity for up to $40 million in
nutrient management grant opportunities through the Regional Conservation
Partnership Program (RCPP).
- Nutrient
Management Economic Benefits Outreach Campaign – A new outreach campaign
will highlight the economic benefits of nutrient management planning for
farmers. The potential net savings to farmers who adopt a nutrient
management plan is estimated to be an average of $30 per acre for
cropland. It is estimated that there are 89 million acres of cropland (28%
of total U.S. cropland) currently exceeding the nitrogen loss threshold;
and if all those acres implemented a nutrient management plan, the average
net savings would be $2.6 billion. NRCS staff develop nutrient management
plans to help producers use nutrient resources effectively and efficiently
to adequately supply soils and plants with necessary nutrients while
minimizing transport of nutrients to ground and surface waters. Producer
information is available at farmers.gov/global-food-security.
- Expanded
Nutrient Management Support through Technical Service Providers
Streamlining and Pilots – New agreements with key partners who have
existing capacity to support nutrient management planning and technical
assistance will expand benefits and serve as a model to continue
streamlining the certification process for Technical Service Providers
(TSPs). NRCS is also developing new opportunities to support partner
training frameworks, nutrient management outreach and education, and new
incentive payments through TSP partners for nutrient management planning
and implementation.
Alongside the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act and American
Rescue Plan, the Inflation Reduction Act provides once-in-a-generation
investment in rural communities and their infrastructure needs, while also
responding to the climate crisis. The bill invests $40 billion into existing
USDA programs promoting climate smart agriculture, rural energy efficiency and
reliability, forest conservation, and more. Approximately $20 billion of this
investment will support conservation programs that are oversubscribed, meaning
that more producers will have access to conservation assistance that will
support healthier land and water, improve the resilience of their operations,
support their bottom line, and combat climate change. This includes:
- $8.45
billion for EQIP
- $4.95
billion for the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP)
- $3.25
billion for the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP)
- $1.4
billion for the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP)
For more information and resources for nutrient management
planning, visit farmers.gov/global-food-insecurity. Contact NRCS at your
local USDA Service Center to get assistance with a nutrient
management plan for your land.