Building on a Legacy of Cooperative Conservation

Outline of remarks by Bruce I. Knight, Chief, Natural Resources Conservation Service at the Cooperative Conservation News Conference, U.S. Department of the Interior,

Washington, DC
February 9, 2005


Agriculture is committed to improving the health of the environment and stewardship of our natural resources.

• The President’s budget request for 2006 continues to build on his legacy of cooperative cooperation.

• The funding supports the President’s executive order signed last year on Facilitation of Cooperative Conservation.

The heart of voluntary conservation programs is cooperative conservation.

Partnerships at the local, state and federal levels—with landowners, tribes, government agencies and nongovernmental organizations—make this happen.

Cooperation and entrepreneurship -- in the workplace, on the lands, and in our forests -- lie at the heart of environmental progress.

Some of the best conservation and environmental protections result when landowners and communities work together.

The President wants our federal agencies to support this culture of responsibility and to respect private landowners by being good neighbors and good environmental partners.

Under the leadership of President Bush, federal agencies are advancing cooperative conservation and environmental partnerships to achieve significant results.


President’s Executive Order on Facilitation of Cooperative Conservation

We can look forward to greater cooperation between Federal agencies on natural resource issues, thanks to the President’s Executive Order on Facilitation of Cooperative Conservation signed in August 2004.

• The order instructs Federal departments and agencies to enter into conservation partnerships and to empower local participation in programs and projects that protect and conserve natural resources and the environment.

Agencies working together under the executive order:

• Departments of the Interior,
• Department of Agriculture
• Department of Commerce,
• Department of Defense,
• Environmental Protection Agency

Emphasizes inclusion of local participation in Federal decision making.

• Promote the use, enhancement, and enjoyment of natural resources and protection of the environment

• Collaborative activity among Federal, State, local, and tribal governments, private for-profit and nonprofit institutions, other nongovernmental entities and individuals.

We enjoy working with the Council on Environmental Quality to implement cooperative conservation

We are looking forward to participating in the White House Conference on Cooperative Conservation to be held this summer.


2006 Budget

The President’s budget for the Agriculture Department for FY 2006 supports the direction provided in the executive order.

We will continue to implement cooperative conservation in all relevant programs.

• USDA will share the government-wide burden of controlling federal spending.

• Secretary Johanns has pledged that “USDA will be a team player in producing savings that will strengthen the economy and reforms that will improve our programs.”


NRCS / Partner Accomplishments in 2004

NRCS and the conservation partners had many accomplishments in FY 2004 -- with a record investment in conservation during the year (nearly $2.8 billion), including several new conservation programs.

NRCS partners contributed $720 million in financial and technical assistance and equipment to these efforts.

    Contributions came from Federal, State, local, and tribal governments, soil and
    water conservation districts, non-governmental organizations, and other
    sources.

• Signed nearly 48,000 EQIP contracts and more than 3,000 WHIP contracts.

• Created or restored nearly 228,000 acres of wetlands.

• Applied conservation system plans on more than 27 million acres of crop and grazing lands.

• Closed nearly 750 WRP easements last year.

    Approved the first two Wetlands Reserve Enhancement Program projects -- one
    in Nebraska and one in Minnesota.

• Helped protect more than 550 ranches and farms through the FRPP program.

• Developed and applied nearly 10,000 comprehensive nutrient management plans (up from just over 8,000 in 2003).

• Mapped soils or updating soils maps on 28 million acres (up from 22.5 million acres in 2003).

• Provided emergency watershed protection assistance in nearly 100 cases.

• Helped fund more than 1,700 watershed protection and flood prevention projects.

• Our Earth Team volunteers donated nearly a million hours of their time.



Cooperative Conservation in the 2006 Budget


Conservation Reserve Program (FSA)

The 2006 budget includes $2.02 billion for the Conservation Reserve Program.

• An increase of 4.1 percent.

• CRP supports USDA’s goal of partnering with landowners to protect land, water, and wildlife by planting grass and trees on retired agricultural land.

• $141.8 million for the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program, a federal-state-local CRP partnership initiative that addresses specific agricultural related environmental concerns.

• $22 million for the Farmable Wetlands Program, a CRP program that protects up to 1 million acres of farmed and previously converted wetlands of less than 40 acres per tract.


Financial Assistance Programs (NRCS)

The budget request includes more than $1.4 billion for financial assistance programs administered by NRCS.

    This is up by more than $50 million from the President’s proposed budget for
    2005.

• The largest of these programs is EQIP, with more than $1 billion.

EQIP is the largest conservation program for private working lands.

EQIP helps farmers and ranchers improve soil, air and water quality and related resources on private working lands.

EQIP includes Ground and Surface Water Conservation - $60 million

    Increase of $9 million

    Cost share and incentive payments to carry out water conservation activities,
    including irrigation improvements, conversion to less water intensive corps, and
    dryland farming.

Funding in the budget will support enrollment of an additional 25 million acres in conservation programs, largely in EQIP.

• Other financial assistance programs are WHIP and CSP.

    CSP -- $274 million.

        CSP Provides financial and technical assistant to promote conservation on
        working lands.

    WHIP – $60 million

Increases for financial assistance programs in 2006 budget:

    • Based on 2005 current estimate, CSP is up by $72 million to extend CSP 200
    additional watersheds.

        (Based on President's 2005 proposal, CSP is up $65 million)

    • $13 million for WHIP


Easement Programs (NRCS)

In addition to financial assistance programs, NRCS also administers several programs that help landowners protect agricultural land from environmental degradation or development. The budget includes close to $500 million for these programs.

    This is only a couple million dollars below the President’s proposed budget for 2005.

• The largest is WRP at $321 million. (up $26 million from 2005 proposed)

    WRP helps landowners restore, enhance and protect wetlands. The program
    works to maximize wildlife habitat and wetland functions and values.

    Will help landowners meet the President’s goal of restoring or improving 3
    million acres of wetlands over the next five years.

• Other easement programs are FRPP and the NRCS contribution to CRP

Conservation Technical Assistance Program (NRCS)

    The budget includes $657 million for the CTA Program.

• Helps landowners plan and apply conservation on the land.

• Includes $37 million for assisting owners and operators of animal feeding operations for comprehensive nutrient management plans.

• Includes an increase of $11 million for GLCI, targeted at invasive species.


Forest Service Programs

More than $500 million in President’s 2006 proposed budget for cooperative conservation efforts.

    Will be leveraged in partnerships and collaborative work

    Will restore watersheds, reduce hazardous fuels, conduct research, construct
    trails, educate our youth, and support economies in rural communities.


State and Private Forestry -- $253 million

• Forest Stewardship Program - $37 million, an increase of 14.8 percent or $4.7 million from FY 2005

    Provide technical and financial assistance to states to help nonfederal
    landowners manage and conserve forest resources.

• Forest Legacy Program - $80 million, an increase of 40 percent or $23 million from FY 2005

    Protect environmentally-sensitive forest areas across all ownerships threatened
    by conversion to nonforest uses.

• Urban and Community Forestry - $27 million

    Protect America's natural resources by providing technical and financial
    assistance to local governments with a nationwide emphasis on maintaining,
    restoring, and improving the livability of communities and urban areas through
    management of natural resources.


Wildland Fire Management -- $49 million

    Forest health, state fire assistance and volunteer fire assistance programs.


Other Forest Service Cooperative Conservation Programs

• Hazardous Fuels program -- $281 million

    Maintain and restore forest and rangeland health from catastrophic wildfire.

• Forest Inventory and Analysis program -- $68 million

    An increase of 18 percent or $13 million from FY 2005

    Provide the information needed to assess America’s forest through its annual
    forest census.

• Land Acquisition program -- $41 million

    Protect critical resource areas and provide increased public recreation
    opportunities.

• Forest Products Laboratory -- $5 million

    Implement the biomass component of the Healthy Forest Restoration Act
    through grants to nonprofit and local communities.

• National Forest Foundation -- $3 million

    For use on conservation-related project grants and agreements that incorporate
    matching funds from partners.

• National Fish and Wildlife Foundation -- $2 million

    For use conservation related project grants and agreements that incorporate
    matching funds from partners.

• Challenge Cost Share agreements -- $22 million

    An increase of 2 percent or $500,000 from FY 2005)

    Will generate approximately $23.5 million (an increase of 2 percent or $500,000
    from FY 2005) in partner contributions for a total contribution of $44 million.

• Forest management trust funds -- $108 million

• Resource Advisory Committees -- $33 million

    Local community collaboration with federal land managers in recommending
    projects to be conducted on federal lands or that will benefit resources on
    federal lands.