Beth, I would like to share this with the Iowa directors of FSA, NRCS and CDI. You itemization clearly so many of the issues we county SWCD Commissioners are dealing with right now. Lack of qualified staff is top of my list!
Is there a link I can send Matt Russell, Jon Hubbert and John Whitaker plus the CDI board (I am a CDI board alternate)?
I so appreciate your focus on this issue. I will be attending a 2023 Farm Bill meeting next week with conservationists from IA and MN.
Beth-- I hope you can learn more from your local NRCS and county soil & water conservation district commissioners about the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP, not the CRP), which is complex but would be much more suited to the type of conservation you (and I) would like to encourage. EQIP is a similar program. Unfortunately many farmers and landowners shy away from the more complex programs and fail to ask enough questions at the outset, before signing contracts. Also unfortunately, CSP is underutilized and underfunded. But the ground level demand must be evident when one goes to lobby Congress. So perhaps more publicity about the benefits of CSP will help. We are hoping to sign up for a second 5 year CSP stint. It is a great program and I assume your CLL folks need to look into it.
Thanks Mary Ellen - feel free to send the link to whomever you'd like to send it to!
https://inthedirt.substack.com/p/what-landowners-say-about-conservation/
Beth, I would like to share this with the Iowa directors of FSA, NRCS and CDI. You itemization clearly so many of the issues we county SWCD Commissioners are dealing with right now. Lack of qualified staff is top of my list!
Is there a link I can send Matt Russell, Jon Hubbert and John Whitaker plus the CDI board (I am a CDI board alternate)?
I so appreciate your focus on this issue. I will be attending a 2023 Farm Bill meeting next week with conservationists from IA and MN.
Mary Ellen Miller
Thanks, Beth! Very interesting and important insights!
Beth-- I hope you can learn more from your local NRCS and county soil & water conservation district commissioners about the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP, not the CRP), which is complex but would be much more suited to the type of conservation you (and I) would like to encourage. EQIP is a similar program. Unfortunately many farmers and landowners shy away from the more complex programs and fail to ask enough questions at the outset, before signing contracts. Also unfortunately, CSP is underutilized and underfunded. But the ground level demand must be evident when one goes to lobby Congress. So perhaps more publicity about the benefits of CSP will help. We are hoping to sign up for a second 5 year CSP stint. It is a great program and I assume your CLL folks need to look into it.
Great analysis of the challenges with the federal conservation programs. I hope Secretary Vilsack listens to Climate Land Leaders.