Importance of Private Lands
What are some non market benefits that private land gives to society?
Oxygen production, clean air and water, fish and wildlife habitat, pollination, biological diversity, etc.
What was the farm bill initially intended for?
To help steer the country out of the Great Depression
What is the term for a voluntary with a landowner that restricts development and protects natural resources
Easement
What are the 3 Incentive programs?
Conservation Reserve Program, Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program, and Conservation Stewardship Program
Name two programs that are natural disaster restoration programs
Emergency conservation program (ECP) and emergency forest restoration program (EFRP)
What part of the US does most of the private land timber harvest come from?
The South
What was the goal of the programs within the Farm Bill?
To achieve consistent pricing of agricultural products for producers and buyers
Name one of the easement programs in the 2014 Farm Bill
Healthy Forest Reserve Program (HFRP) or Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP)
What program is the single largest contributor in securing upland bird and waterfowl habitat, as well as agricultural and native grass food sources and cover for ungulate game species?
The Conservation Reserve Program
What damage does the ECP exclude when conserving land eligibility?
Wind erosion
Why is investing in management difficult for some landowners to justify?
They are not getting immediate financial return
Why is the Farm Bill not considered a single piece of legislation?
It is a series of acts that includes new programs or revisions
Name one of the two Easement programs the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program is split into
Agricultural Land Easements or Wetland Reserve Easement
Which incentives program retires agricultural lands?
What disasters are excluded when the FSA and country committees consider land eligibility for the EFRP?
Droughts and Insect Infestations
What is something that landowners end up paying for but are not getting anything in return?
Non marketable benefits to society, aka clean air, clean water, biological diversity
When do Farm Bills typically expire and what happens after that?
After 5 years, has to be reauthorized by Congress
To what parts of property do conservation easements apply to?
All or a proportion of the property
Which incentive program improves on already existing conservation programs?
Conservation Stewardship Program
What conservation problems does the ECP consider ineligible for assistance?
Any problems that existed prior to applicable disaster
What are some reasons a landowner may choose to divest their land?
Cost of management, uncertainty of regulations that potentially limit management options, and campaigns against use of certain food and fiber products
What is the purpose of incentives for private landowners?
To give landowners a benefit for adopting conservation practices
How long are easements contracted for?
What is a cost-share program from the NRCS designed to help producers implement conservation programs?
Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)
What is the purpose of the EFRP?
It provides payments to owners of non-industrial private forest lands to conduct emergency restoration of land after natural disaster