Por Cody Smith, ex miembro del personal
Agosto es el Mes Nacional de la Calidad del Agua y, mientras lo celebramos, los legisladores negocian la ley agrícola de 2018. Los miembros del comité de conciliación de la ley agrícola tienen la ambiciosa tarea de armonizar las marcadas diferencias entre las propuestas de la Cámara de Representantes y el Senado.
Farm bill conservation programs, like the Conservation Stewardship Program, are key to water quality improvement efforts in major waterways across the nation.
The Conservation Stewardship Program rewards farmers and ranchers for meeting high conservation standards; it also provides incentives for the implementation of resource management practices on their operations. The program is very popular, with more than 70 million acres of agricultural and forest land enrolled nationwide.
Planting cover crops like rye, wheat, and clover, are common conservation practices to improve water quality under the Conservation Stewardship Program. More conservation techniques, like cover crops, can help reduce nutrient runoff and soil erosion from farm fields and lead to cleaner water. The program allows farmers to try new conservation practices – something they likely couldn’t afford to do without these funds.
The House version of the farm bill eliminates this effective stewardship program by folding it into a less comprehensive one. If you value clean water, tell your lawmakers to save the Conservation Stewardship Program. National Water Quality Month is a time to be thankful for our clean water – can you name a better way to celebrate?
