The U.S. Senate approved a five-year farm bill reauthorization by a 66 – 27 vote last week, advancing a program to help water systems and farmers work together on water quality improvement projects.
The “Agriculture Reform, Food, and Jobs Act” (S. 954) would reform several existing USDA programs and consolidate various conservation activities into a new Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). Among the programs folded into the RCPP would be the Agricultural Water Enhancement Program (AWEP), which offers USDA grant assistance to local farmers that partner with nearby water utilities and other stakeholders on cooperative projects to protect or improve water quality. The Senate-approved RCPP would continue to offer funding assistance for these activities and would also specifically list “nutrient management and sediment reduction” projects among those eligible for RCPP assistance.
The House of Representatives is expected to consider its own farm bill reauthorization proposal (H.R. 1947) this week. While the current draft of the House bill includes several major differences from the Senate version (such as steeper cuts to conservation spending and food stamp programs), it proposes a similar consolidated RCPP program with eligibility for water quality improvement projects.