Durbin Joins Ernst To Introduce Bipartisan Legislation To Improve USDA Conservation Programs For Farmers
Streamlining Conservation Practice Standards Act modernizes USDA’s process for updating conservation standards
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, joined U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) to introduce bipartisan legislation, the Streamlining Conservation Practice Standards Act, that would remove bureaucratic barriers and better support farmers in implementing conservation practices that improve soil health and water quality.
“Illinois ranks fourth in the nation in planted cropland, but for years, has ranked as low as 37th in farm conservation funds that USDA distributes to help farmers adopt cover crops, conservation tillage, and other critical environmental practices. USDA’s statewide one-size-fits-all conservation practice rules do not always match the unique needs of each farm,” said Durbin. “This bill creates a process to add more flexibility to these standards, provide routine updates to keep up with the latest innovations, and ensure more academic and farmer input into developing the conservation practices.”
“Traveling across Iowa, I regularly hear from farmers who are eager to implement conservation practices that improve soil health, water quality, and long-term productivity — but they face real barriers when rigid USDA standards slow things down,” said Ernst. “I’m leading the Streamlining Conservation Practice Standards Act to modernize how USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service updates its technical standards. Ultimately, the goal is simple: let’s cut the red tape, let’s keep standards science-based and flexible, and help farmers get conservation tools in use faster.
The Streamlining Conservation Practice Standards Act would update the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) process to:
- Require a regular review of existing conservation practice standards,
- Create a public process for submitting and adopting new practices, and
- Prioritize the integration of innovative tools like nutrient efficiency technologies — biological fertilizer being one example that’s proven to improve plant growth.
The introduction of the legislation follows yesterday’s hearing in the Senate Agriculture Committee, where Durbin spoke about improving USDA conservation programs.
Durbin has long-advocated for Illinois to receive USDA conservation funding that is proportionate to Illinois’ ranking as a top agricultural state. Last August, Durbin led members of the Illinois delegation in writing to USDA, urging the agency to allocate additional conservation funds to Illinois. In her opening statement, Mrs. Dwyer shared that Illinois received an additional $15 million in EQIP funds last year due to outreach by Durbin and others members of the Illinois delegation to USDA.
Durbin has also written about the importance of providing farmers with conservation funding, which allows farmers to plant cover crops to mitigate dangerous, and sometimes deadly, dust storms in Central Illinois.
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