Durbin Joins Ernst To Introduce Bipartisan Legislation To Improve USDA Conservation Programs For Farmers

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, theStreamlining 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 37thin 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 theStreamlining Conservation Practice Standards Actto 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.
TheStreamlining Conservation Practice Standards Actwould update the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) process to:
The introduction of the legislation follows yesterday’shearingin 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 inwritingto 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 alsowrittenabout 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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