Commentary: The U.S. farm bill expired (again), and the stakes are high for hunters and anglers

We don’t make bigger investments in conservation than we do with those in the federal farm bill. Totaling about $6 billion per year, it is the single-largest investment in conservation that the federal government makes on an annual basis.

Every five years, Congress drafts a new farm bill. It’s a massive piece of legislation that supports agricultural producers and ensures hungry families have food on their tables. Tucked inside this legislation are crucial conservation programs that incentivize habitat creation, sustainable agriculture, and even access to private land for hunting and fishing. The reauthorization and improvement of these programs is a top priority, not just within the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, but for our partners and the agricultural and nutrition communities.

The 2018 Farm Bill expired Sept. 30, 2023, and eventually was extended until Sept. 30, 2024. Early this summer, there was a flurry of activity in House and Senate agriculture committees. Unfortunately, budget challenges and policy differences have so far prevented the consensus needed to pass any bill in a split Congress, and especially one that traditionally generates wide bipartisan, bicameral support.

Are we in new territory? What is, and what isn’t, at stake for hunters and anglers? Here are six things you need to know.

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The stakes are high

Reauthorizing and updating farm bill programs is always important (I don’t think anyone would argue with me when I say the world is a different place than it was in 2018). But for hunters and anglers, and really anyone who cares about a sustainable food system, there is a major incentive to pass a farm bill now.

The budget reconciliation bill, commonly known as the Inflation Reduction Act or IRA, included nearly $20 billion for climate-smart uses of farm bill conservation programs. Currently, all “four corners” of the ag committees (the chairs and ranking members of both the House and Senate committees) are calling for the remainder of those funds to be incorporated into the farm bill baseline and used for conservation. The process for this is complicated, but the important part is that doing so would raise funding for farm bill conservation programs by nearly 25%.

If Congress fails to act this year, that number will decrease considerably next year and beyond.

This is not new

Although the challenges this farm bill is facing seem daunting, there is plenty of precedent for a delay. Congress is often late in passing farm bills. The longest recent process was for the farm bill that was signed in 2014; discussions began in 2011, and it should have been reauthorized in 2012. Both the 2008 and 2018 Farm Bills were several months late as well.

This history of challenges may indicate that passing farm bills is getting more difficult, but it also demonstrates that while coalition efforts toward highly bipartisan bills might be slow, they are effective.

Several conservation priorities are safe until 2031

In addition to providing supplemental funding, the Inflation Reduction Act reauthorized several conservation programs through 2031.

Even if a new farm bill or an extension isn’t passed, many practices that benefit hunters and anglers will continue through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, Conservation Stewardship Program, Regional Conservation Partnership Program, and Agricultural Conservation Easement Program.

Through these programs, wetlands will still be restored and protected, upland habitat will still be managed, and field buffers will still be planted to improve water quality.

Other conservation programs are left out

Not all of the programs we care about have been spared. The Conservation Reserve Program has expired. It’s one of our country’s most successful conservation programs and provides tremendous benefits for wildlife and habitat. Existing contracts will continue, but new acres can’t be enrolled.

This means that the CRP will slowly, but steadily, shrink until either a new farm bill is passed, or the current bill is extended. This can lead to a loss of habitat for countless species across the country.

Luckily, relatively few contracts are set to expire in upcoming months, so the overall picture is a little less bleak.

Another key program for hunters and anglers, the Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program (VPA-HIP), also suffers from a delayed bill. Funding for VPA-HIP, a crucial farm bill program that has opened hundreds of thousands of private acres for walk-in access to hunting and fishing, has historically been distributed once per farm bill cycle. VPA-HIP received $10 million when the farm bill was extended last year, but without a new farm bill, private-land access programs across the nation will suffer from a lack of much-needed resources.

We’re on it

The next few months will be critical for the farm bill and the conservation programs we cherish as hunters and anglers. Congress is out of session until after the Nov. 5 election, so we won’t see action before then, and any post-election progress will compete with the appropriations process for lawmakers’ time.

Passing a farm bill within such a short timeframe will be an uphill battle, but we will keep the pressure on Congress to get this bill passed to avoid a missed opportunity to fund conservation, and we will work to ensure that hunter and angler priorities are met.

You can help

In the face of gridlock, conservation is, and should be, a shared priority regardless of party affiliation or ideology. Congress needs to hear that this is important to you. Take action here and stay up to date at: trcp.org/farm-bill

Additional comments:

“Every day – or year – that goes by without a new farm bill, our nation’s ability to conserve habitat and increase sportsmen’s access through CRP and VPA-HIP will suffer. Right now, our opportunity to prioritize agriculture and conservation is greater than ever, as is the risk of letting partisan politics prevent us from supporting our farmers, ranchers, and private landowners with the tools and resources they need to put conservation on the ground.”

— Andrew Schmidt, director of government affairs for Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever

“The farm bill impacts all Americans by investing in conservation and natural resources. Its conservation programs drive beneficial practices across the country, creating wildlife habitat, improving water quality, repairing soil health and protecting human health. Our lawmakers have an opportunity to make a generational investment in these programs and lay a foundation for a more resilient future. But they must get the timing right to maximize their impact. Congress should seize the opportunity to protect our natural resources by passing a bipartisan farm bill this year.”

– Kate Hansen, agriculture program director for the Izaak Walton League of America