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How Agricultural Soils and Watersheds Benefit From Conservation Programs

Posted on: Friday, 24 September 2004, 06:00 CDT

The USDA is launching a five-year study on the collective environmental benefits of conservation programs for watersheds and agricultural lands. Through the Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP), the U.S. Department of Agriculture will study environmental benefits of conservation practices implemented through 2002 Farm Bill programs, which include:

Environmental Quality Incentives Program; Wetlands Reserve Program; Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program; Conservation Reserve Program; and Conservation security Program; and Conservation Technical Assistance.

The national assessment will be reported annually starting in 2005. USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service's (NRCS) National Resources inventory will be used as the sampling basis for estimating the environmental benefits of conservation practices, as well as farmer surveys and existing USDA computer models.

In-depth studies within eight specialemphasis and 12 benchmark watersheds will occur simultaneously with the national assessment and other on-going watershed research. NRCS selected the special- emphasis watersheds to address specific issues such as manure management at animal feeding operations, water use on irrigated cropland, drainage management, wildlife habitat and riparian restoration. These watershed studies also should help develop performance measures for estimating soil quality, water quality and wildlife habitat benefits for specific conservation practices.

Copyright J.G. Press Inc. Sep 2004

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