A win for wetlands and other farm conservation programs

The farm bill is a behemoth of a federal law that covers agriculture, food and rural issues.  Due to the wisdom of lawmakers of yesteryear, good stewardship of the land is one of the major planks of the bill. It’s the “conservation title.”

Farmers are financially rewarded when they engage in important conservation practices, such as agreeing to protect wetlands, or agreeing not to plow over grasslands.

These aren’t requirements or regulations; they are a pact between participating farmers and the government, one that uses the power of the purse to protect the soil, groundwater and habitat on the land.

A court challenge

A program to conserve wetlands was challenged in court. CTM Holdings, a landowner, argued that denying it the ability to alter its farm’s landscape was essentially a “taking” of the land.

The good news is that a federal district judge didn’t buy it, writing: “Plaintiff is voluntarily accepting the government’s offer by accepting USDA benefits. In return, plaintiff is agreeing to not destroy or alter its wetlands.”

He added, “Plaintiff can use its land any way it wants at any time. The only consequence is a potential loss of certain USDA benefits.”

Why it matters

Roughly 39% of the U.S. is farmland. Thus, if we’re going to better protect America’s wildlife and habitats, and if we’re going to clean America’s waters, we can’t do it on public lands alone. America’s farmers will need to play a big role, and programs that incentivize conservation are essential.

Unwinding this compact with farmers would’ve threatened the natural world and harmed farmers in the process. Thankfully, that didn’t happen.

You can read more about the case in this Izaak Walton League blog.