NACD Leads Letter Supporting Conservation Programs and Technical Assistance in Federal Spending Bill 04/11/2023
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| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 11, 2023 |
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NACD Leads Letter Supporting Conservation Programs and Technical Assistance in Federal Spending Bill
Washington, D.C. – On Monday, April 10, the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) and a coalition of agriculture and conservation organizations sent a letter to congressional appropriations leaders requesting at least $1.2 billion for NRCS Conservation Operations and full authorized funding for farm bill conservation programs in Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24). More than 50 organizations signed the letter to support the requests. Nearly 90 percent of NRCS Conservation Operations funding supports Conservation Technical Assistance (CTA), which facilitates the implementation of on-the-ground conservation by supporting our conservation workforce, conservation planning, and the extension of specialized technical assistance to producers.
“NACD appreciates Congress’ longstanding bipartisan support for CTA and conservation programs, and once again calls on appropriators to increase funding for CTA and reject any cuts to farm bill programs” said NACD President Kim LaFleur. “It is critical that we provide producers and local conservation partners with the resources and tools required to be effective stewards of our country’s working lands.”
It is now more important than ever that federal spending legislation provides strong support for CTA as NRCS and partners work to administer recent investments in voluntary conservation programs, including the Environmental Quality Incentives Program and Conservation Stewardship Program. The letter also urges Congress to reject any changes in mandatory spending for these conservation programs to address the current backlog and to help an increasing number of producers voluntarily implement conservation of their lands.
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About the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD)
The National Association of Conservation Districts is the nonprofit organization that represents the nearly 3,000 conservation districts across the United States, their state and territory associations, and the 17,000 individuals who serve on their governing boards. For more than 75 years, local conservation districts have worked with cooperating landowners and managers of private working lands to help them plan and apply effective conservation practices. For more information about NACD, visit www.nacdnet.org.