Farm Bill for Pacific Islands Area

Farm Bill History

• 1985 Food Security Act
  • Highly Erodible Land protection (HEL)
  • Reduction of wetland conversion (Swampbuster)
  • Conservation Reserve Program
• 1990 Food Agricultural Conservation & Trade Act
  • Continues HEL & Swampbuster provisions
  • Continues CRP
  • Wetland Reserve Program Authorized
• 1996 Federal Agriculture Improvement & Reform Act
  • Environmental Quality Incentives Program begins
  • Wildlife Habitat Quality Incentives Program begins
  • WRP, CRP continued
• 2002 Farm Security & Rural Investment Act
  • Conservation Security Program

2008 Farm Bill: Food, Conservation and Energy Act

The Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (2008 Farm Bill) became law on May 22, 2008. The legislation includes fifteen diverse titles, including broad provisions for conservation, energy and tax policy. Enactment of the bill followed a multiple year process of deliberation and debate yielding a final product with some but not all of the policy recommendations offered by the United States Department of Agriculture.

2008 Farm Bill Highlights

• Increases funding for Conservation programs
• Focuses on Agricultural and Forestry Working Lands
• Environmental Quality Incentives Program funding expanded to $1.75 billion a year by 2012
• Continues Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program but changes definition of eligible land
• Conservation Stewardship Program begins FY2009 with an acreage allocation and a ranking system. Intended to be a nationwide program and operate similar to EQIP
• Wetlands Reserve Program appraisal issues resolved, and 30-yr tribal contract and reserved rights pilot added
• Farmland Protection Program appraisal issue resolved, certification of third party entities, and funding doubled over time
• Grassland Reserve Program converted to an acreage program, 30-year contracts and easements eliminated

Key Points

• Agricultural Management Assistance Program (AMA)
• Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)
• Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP)

Adjusted Gross Income Limitation

For conservation programs, persons or legal entities are eligible if—

• The average non-farm AGI is less than $1,000,000, or
• 2/3 of the average total AGI is from farming, ranching, or forestry
• The limitation may be waived on a case-by-case basis if:
  • Environmentally sensitive land of special significance would be protected.

Effective FY2009.

Rule Making for FY2009

Most rules to be completed in 90 days.

Remember: the amount authorized is not necessarily what is appropriated.

• From 2002 through 2007, the appropriators limited a total of $2.23 billion dollars from conservation programs.
• In 2007, the NRCS programs in Title II were limited to 71.7 percent of their authorized funding levels.