By Amie Simpson
May 11, 2021 | 1:58 PM
The president of Solutions from the Land says investments in conservation, infrastructure, and biofuels could help U.S. agriculture become more efficient and address climate change.
Ernie Shea says investments in existing conservation programs like Conservation Reserve Program, Conservation Stewardship Program, and Environmental Quality Incentives Program are a good place to start.
“We think investing in conservation technical assistance either through the Natural Resources Conservation Service or through supporting the development of more private sector technical service providers is going to be important to help farmers and ranchers manage their lands for multiple outcomes,” he says.
The resulting information vacuum on this “30x30” proposal has enabled critics to claim that a supposed federal land grab lies ahead. The administration’s silence on the issue has placed Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack in a difficult position as he tries to explain a policy that at this point is little more than an abstraction.
Vilsack, a former Iowa governor who also served as agriculture secretary in the Obama administration, did provide needed reassurance when he publicly stated that the federal government will not seize private land. He also noted that U.S. ag producers are already using conservation measures in many cases.
Biden-Harris Administration Outlines “America the Beautiful” Initiative
Monday May 10th, 2021 The Biden-Harris administration has outlined a vision for how the United States can work collaboratively to conserve and restore the lands, waters, and wildlife that support and sustain the nation. The recommendations are contained in a report released today (PDF, 540 KB) outlining a locally led and voluntary nationwide conservation goal to conserve 30 percent of U.S. lands and waters by 2030.
The report calls for a decade-long effort to support locally led and voluntary conservation and restoration efforts across public, private, and Tribal lands and waters in order to create jobs and strengthen the economy’s foundation; tackle the climate and nature crises; and address inequitable access to the outdoors.
Pipestone SWCD, farmers turn to cover crops for nitrate reduction
Clean Water Fund grant cuts risk for producers to try soil health practices that benefit drinking water supply management areas
Written By:
By Ann Wessel, Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources | 7:00 am, May 8, 2021 ×
Tom Griebel and Laura DeBeer discussed the progress of his cereal rye cover crop, in the background, on March 31 near Holland. A Clean Water Fund grant from BWSR cut the risk of trying soil health practices meant to reduce nitrates. DeBeer, a Pipestone SWCD-based regional water resources specialist, works with landowners within highly vulnerable wellhead protection areas. (Ann Wessel / Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources)
Comments Off on Biden Administration Debuts Decade of Conservation
WASHINGTON, DC, May 7, 2021 (ENS) – The Biden administration has proposed a nationwide goal to conserve 30 percent of U.S. lands and waters by 2030 – the nation’s first conservation goal. The proposal for a voluntary, locally-led “America the Beautiful Initiative” is contained in a new report calling for a decade-long effort to support conservation and restoration across public, private, and Tribal lands and waters.
Submitted to the National Climate Task Force, the report was developed by the U.S. Departments of the Interior, Agriculture and Commerce, and the White House Council on Environmental Quality.