This bill amends the conservation reserve enhancement program, a federal agriculture conservation program, to allow more farmland in the Pacific Flyway region to be enrolled in wetland habitat protection agreements. The legislation permits the Department of Agriculture to enroll additional agricultural lands that wouldn't normally qualify if doing so is critical to protecting wetland habitats for migratory birds and other wildlife. The bill also allows farmers to continue seasonal crop production on enrolled lands while implementing conservation practices, and it establishes consistent rental payment rates across the region for habitat maintenance agreements. The legislation includes provisions that waive standard matching fund requirements for these wetland habitat agreements. This bill primarily affects farmers and agricultural landowners in the Pacific Flyway, a major migration route for waterfowl and other birds along the west coast, along with conservation organizations and state wildlife agencies involved in habitat protection.
Take Action
Your position
Add a comment
to comment on this bill.
Annotate the text
Highlight any passage on the Summary or Full Text tab to attach a note. Annotations appear on the Annotations tab.