Senator Baldwin Delivers Resources to Support Wisconsin Farmers’ Conservation Programs

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Baldwin is applauding an announcement by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is making $850 million available in 2023 for agricultural producers and forest landowners nationwide to participate in voluntary conservation programs and adopt climate-smart practices.

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which Senator Baldwin supported, provided an additional $19.5 billion over five years for climate smart agriculture through several of the conservation programs that USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) implements. NRCS is making available $850 million in fiscal year 2023 for its popular conservation programs: the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) and Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP).

“I voted for the Inflation Reduction Act because it will not only address climate change, but also create economic opportunity for Wisconsinites. Wisconsin’s farmers, ranchers and producers have long been responsible stewards of our farmlands, and we must continue supporting programs that help them add value by increasing efficiencies with climate smart solutions,” said Senator Baldwin. “By investing in these programs, we are not only combatting climate change, but also helping Wisconsin’s producers build a more sustainable business for the future.”  

“The Inflation Reduction Act provided a once-in-a-generation investment in conservation on working lands, and we want to work with agricultural and forest landowners to invest in climate-smart practices that create value and economic opportunity for producers,” said Vilsack, who spoke today at the National Association of Conservation Districts annual meeting. “We know that agriculture plays a critical role in the nation’s effort to address climate change, we’re using this funding to bolster our existing programs, maximize climate benefits, and foster other environmental benefits across the landscape.”

These funds will provide direct climate mitigation benefits and will expand access to financial and technical assistance for producers to advance conservation on their farm, ranch or forest land through practices like cover cropping, conservation tillage, wetland restoration, prescribed grazing, nutrient management, tree planting and more.

The IRA funding includes an additional $8.45 billion for EQIP, $4.95 billion for RCPP, $3.25 billion for CSP, and $1.4 billion for ACEP. The increased funding levels begin in fiscal year 2023 and rapidly build over four years. These additional investments are estimated to help hundreds of thousands of farmers and ranchers apply conservation to millions of acres of land. Additionally, the IRA provides $300 million to quantify carbon sequestration and greenhouse gases (GHG) through the collection and use of field-based data to assess conservation outcomes. Information gained through this effort will be used to improve practices and technical assistance to customers.

More information on these climate smart programs and how to apply can be found here.