Agricultural Conservation: FY2023 and FY2024 May 18, 2023
Appropriations
Megan Stubbs
The Agriculture appropriations bill funds the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) except for
Specialist in Agricultural
the U.S. Forest Service. The FY2023 Consolidated Appropriations Act (P.L. 117-328, Division
Conservation and Natural
A) includes funding for USDA conservation programs and activities. Appropriations for FY2024
Resources Policy
are under consideration in Congress.

Agricultural conservation programs include both mandatory and discretionary spending. Most

conservation program funding is mandatory and is authorized in omnibus farm bills. Other
conservation programs—mostly technical assistance—operate with discretionary funding through annual appropriations acts.
The FY2023 appropriation includes funding levels for discretionary conservation programs that are more than the amounts
provided in FY2022. In FY2023, Congress also enacted legislation known as the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA; P.L.
117-169), which provided supplemental funding for both mandatory and discretionary conservation programs in addition to
what was provided in the annual appropriation. The Biden Administration’s proposed FY2024 budget requests increases to
discretionary conservation programs.
The largest discretionary conservation program is the Conservation Operations (CO) account, which funds conservation
planning and implementation assistance on private agricultural lands across the country. The Natural Resources Conservation
Service (NRCS) administers the CO account. CO funds are used to support nearly half of the salaries and expenses for NRCS
staff, as well as NRCS technology development, conservation system design, compliance reviews, grants to partners for
additional technical assistance capacity, and resource assessment reports. A decline in funding for CO over the past 10 years
has resulted in reduced NRCS staffing levels. Reductions in staff may affect NRCS’s ability to provide technical assistance
and administer farm bill conservation programs to farmers and ranchers, including additional funding provided by the IRA.
The FY2023 appropriation increased funding for CO to $941.1 million, a $36.7 million increase from FY2022 levels.
Compared with FY2022, the FY2023 appropriation increased the amount of CO funding directed to earmarks but reduced the
amount directed to specific conservation programs and activities. Conservation programs that were funded from CO in
FY2022 had separate appropriations in FY2023. The FY2023 appropriation also included a $13.0 million increase for
additional NRCS staff, the first direct increase in funding for additional staff in the last five years. The Biden
Administration’s FY2024 budget requests $1,022.5 million for CO, $81.4 million more than enacted for FY2023. The
proposed increase in CO funds would be used primarily for climate change-related initiatives, additional staff, and
cooperative agreements related to conservation outreach. Separate from annual appropriations, in FY2023, the IRA provided
$1.0 billion for NRCS Conservation Technical Assistance (CTA), which is funded through CO. This supplemental funding is
directly related to the additional financial assistance funding provided in the IRA for selected farm bill conservation
programs. The IRA funding provided for CTA is available through FY2031 and could affect NRCS staffing levels.
Other discretionary spending for agricultural conservation is primarily for watershed programs. The largest program—
Watershed and Flood Prevention Operations (WFPO)—was funded at $75.0 million in the FY2023 appropriation, which was
$25.0 million less than the funding level provided in FY2022. The Watershed Rehabilitation Program received $2.0 million
in the FY2023 appropriation, $1.0 million more than appropriated in FY2022. For FY2024, the Administration requests
$175.0 million for WFPO and $10.0 million for the Watershed Rehabilitation Program. Additional requested funds are to
address increased construction and staffing costs for planned watershed projects.
For FY2023, the House and Senate allowed earmarks in appropriations. The FY2023 appropriation contained 35 earmarks
totaling $42.9 million in two accounts—CO and WFPO. For FY2024, the House Appropriations Committee is allowing
earmarks for CO but not WFPO, while the Senate Appropriations Committee is allowing earmarks for WFPO but not CO.
Agriculture appropriations bills may include policy-related provisions that direct how the executive branch is to carry out the
appropriations. The FY2023 appropriation, as well as the FY2023 House-passed bill, included policy provisions for
conservation programs, such as waiving specific programmatic requirements and requiring reports to Congress. The Senate
Appropriations Committee did not take up the FY2023 appropriations bill; therefore, no explanatory statement was reported.
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Agricultural Conservation: FY2023 and FY2024 Appropriations

he Agriculture appropriations bill—formally called the Agriculture, Rural Development,
Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act—funds all of the
T U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), excluding the U.S. Forest Service.
For FY2023, the House Appropriations Committee reported H.R. 8239 on June 23, 2022
(including H.Rept. 117-392), and the Senate Appropriations Committee considered but did not
report S. 4661. The FY2023 agriculture appropriation was not completed before the end of
FY2022. On September 30, 2022, Congress passed a continuing resolution (P.L. 117-180,
Division A), which provided funding for USDA through December 16, 2022. Two additional
continuing resolutions were enacted before December 29, 2022, when Congress passed, and the
President signed into law, the FY2023 Consolidated Appropriations Act (P.L. 117-328).
Agriculture and related agencies are included under Division A.
President Biden released a proposed FY2024 budget on March 9, 2023. Agricultural
appropriations bills have not been introduced in either the House or the Senate to date.
This report provides a brief overview of the conservation-related provisions in the FY2023
Agriculture appropriations bills and requested funding in the President’s FY2024 budget. For a
general analysis of FY2023 and scope of the FY2024 appropriations for agriculture, see CRS
Insight IN12158, FY2024 Agriculture Appropriations: Status and Scope.
Conservation Appropriations
USDA administers numerous agricultural conservation programs that assist private landowners
with making land improvements and addressing natural resource concerns. These include
working lands programs, land retirement and easement programs, watershed programs, technical
assistance, and other programs. The two lead agricultural conservation agencies within USDA are
the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), which provides technical assistance and
administers most conservation programs, and the Farm Service Agency (FSA), which administers
the Conservation Reserve Program.1
Most conservation program funding is mandatory, obtained through the Commodity Credit
Corporation (CCC), and authorized in omnibus farm bills (about $6.0 billion of CCC budget
authority in FY2023 and $5.7 billion in FY2024).2 The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018
(2018 farm bill; P.L. 115-334) reauthorized most mandatory conservation programs through
FY2023.3 Other conservation programs—most of which provide technical assistance—operate
with discretionary funding provided in annual appropriations (about $1 billion annually).
The FY2023 appropriation generally increased funding from FY2022 levels for discretionary
conservation programs. In FY2023, Congress also enacted legislation known as the Inflation
Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA; P.L. 117-169), which provided supplemental funding for both
mandatory and discretionary conservation programs. The President’s FY2024 budget request is
more than the FY2023 level for discretionary conservation programs.

1 For more information on individual conservation programs, see CRS Report R40763, Agricultural Conservation: A
Guide to Programs.
2 The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) is a mandatory funding mechanism for agriculture programs administered
by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). For more information on the CCC, see CRS Report R44606, The
Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC).
3 For additional information on farm bill conservation programs, see CRS Report R47478, Agricultural Conservation
and the Next Farm Bill.
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Discretionary Conservation Programs
Conservation Operations
NRCS administers all of USDA’s discretionary conservation programs. The largest program and
the account that funds most NRCS activities is Conservation Operations (CO). The CO account
primarily funds Conservation Technical Assistance (CTA), which provides conservation planning
and implementation assistance from field staff placed in almost all counties within the United
States and its territories. Other components of CO include the Soil Survey, Snow Survey and
Water Supply Forecasting, and Plant Materials Centers (Figure 1).
Figure 1. Conservation Operations Annual Appropriations, by Function
FY2014-FY2024 Request

Source: Figure created by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) based on appropriations acts.
Notes: CTA = Conservation Technical Assistance; PMC = Plant Materials Centers; and Other = Grazing Lands
Conservation Initiatives, watershed projects, and congressionally directed funds (earmarks). Depending on the
legislative text, some programs included in Other during one year may be accounted for in CTA in another year.
Figure is not adjusted for inflation and does not include supplemental funding.
The CO account is the primary source of discretionary funding for technical assistance (see the
“Funding for Technical Assistance” section for additional detail). The Biden Administration’s
FY2024 budget requests $1.02 billion for CO, $81.4 million (+8.7%) more than enacted for
FY2023. The FY2023 appropriation increased CO funding by $36.7 million from FY2022 levels
and directed funding to specified conservation initiatives (Table 1). Language in the FY2023
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explanatory statement further directed some funding to selected activities and earmarks (Table 2
and Table 4).4
Table 1. FY2022-FY2024 Discretionary Agricultural Conservation Funding
budget authority in thousands of dollars

FY2022
FY2023
FY2024
Program
P.L. 117-103
P.L. 117-328
Admin.
House
Senate
Enacted
Request
Conservation Operations (CO)
Conservation
Technical Assistance
759,813
800,892
904,279

Climate Change-
Related Initiatives
3,000
0
31,000

Soil Health Initiative
1,000
0
0

Grazing Lands
Conservation
Initiative
14,000
14,000
0

Additional Staff
0
13,000
15,018

Phragmite Control
0
1,000
0

Equity Cooperative
Agreements
0
0
50,000

Soil Survey
84,444
86,757
89,166

Maintenance
5,000
0
0

Snow Survey
9,488
16,751
17,017

Feasibility Study

1,000
0

Plant Material
Centers
10,540
10,751
12,104

Climate Change-
Related Initiatives
1,000
1,000
1,000

Urban Agriculture
and Innovative
Productiona
8,500
0
0

Heathy Forest
Reserve Programb
7,000
0
0

Feral Hog Fencing
5,000
3,000
0

CO Earmarks (see
Table 2)
19,611
22,973
0

Total CO
904,396
941,124
1,022,566

Watershed
Operations
100,000
75,000
175,000

4 “Explanatory Statement Submitted by Mr. Leahy, Chair of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Regarding H.R.
2617, Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023,” Congressional Record, vol. 168, no. 197 (December 19, 2022), pp.
S7825-7839.
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FY2022
FY2023
FY2024
Program
P.L. 117-103
P.L. 117-328
Admin.
House
Senate
Enacted
Request
Watershed
Earmarks (see
Table 2)
23,275
20,591
0

Watershed
Rehabilitation
Program
1,000
2,000
10,009

Water Bank
[4,000]
[4,000]
4,000

Mitigation Banking
[5,000]
[5,000]
5,000

Urban Agriculture
and Innovative
Productiona
0
8,500
13,534

Healthy Forest
Reserve Programb
0
7,000
20,011

Total NRCS
Discretionary
1,005,396
1,018,124
1,250,120

Source: Prepared by CRS using appropriations text and report tables and USDA, FY2024 Budget Explanatory
Notes—Natural Resources Conservation Service.
Notes: Amounts are nominal discretionary budget authority in thousands of dol ars unless labeled otherwise.
Italics indicate funding that is shown within other accounts in the table. Bracketed amounts are not included in
totals; they indicate funding appropriated in General Provisions and accounted for separately from the Natural
Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) appropriations. Excludes amounts in supplemental appropriations acts.
a. FY2022 enacted included funding for the Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production program in the CO
account. The FY2023 enacted included funding as a standalone appropriation under NRCS. The FY2024
Administration’s request would continue the funding as a standalone appropriation under NRCS.
b. FY2022 enacted included funding for the Healthy Forest Reserve Program in the CO account. The FY2023
enacted included funding as a standalone appropriation under NRCS. The FY2024 Administration’s request
would continue the funding as a standalone appropriation under NRCS.
Separate from annual appropriations, in FY2023 the IRA (§21002(a)(1)) provided $1.0 billion for
NRCS CTA to remain available through FY2031. This supplemental funding is directly related to
the additional funding provided in the IRA for selected farm bill conservation programs (see
“Funding for Technical Assistance” discussion).
Funding for Technical Assistance
NRCS is the federal provider of technical assistance for agricultural conservation.5 At the
landowner’s request, NRCS provides technical assistance to conserve and improve natural
resources. The assistance includes technical expertise combined with knowledge of local
conditions and is provided through a network of federal staff throughout the United States.
Technical assistance for conservation is funded through both mandatory and discretionary
sources, with CO being the primary account receiving discretionary funding from annual
appropriations. The CTA program within CO funds much of the conservation technical assistance
provided by NRCS. Funds support salaries and expenses for NRCS staff, technology

5 The statutory authority to provide conservation technical assistance is derived from the Soil Conservation and
Domestic Allotment Act of 1935 (P.L. 74-46, 16 U.S.C. §590 et seq.).
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development, conservation system design, compliance reviews, grants to partners for additional
technical assistance capacity, and resource assessment reports. Total funding for CO has
fluctuated in recent years. In some cases, fluctuations in funding were in response to an
Administration’s request. In other cases, funding changes reflected national budget dynamics that
were not unique to CO (e.g., reductions caused by fiscal pressures and sequestration in FY2013
and funding increases through budget agreements in FY2014-FY2021). In inflation-adjusted
dollars, CO has declined over the past 20 years (see Figure 2).
Figure 2. Conservation Operations (CO) Appropriated Funding
FY1999-FY2024

Source: Figure created by CRS using historical appropriations; USDA, FY2024 Budget Explanatory Notes—Natural
Resources Conservation Service; and Office of Management and Budget, Table 10.1—Gross Domestic Product and
Deflators Used in the Historical Tables: 1940–2028, March 2023, at https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/
uploads/2023/03/hist10z1_fy2024.xlsx.
Notes: The blue line is funding in nominal dol ars, whereas the inflation-adjusted red line is calculated using the
gross domestic product price deflator in FY2023 dol ars. Admin = FY2024 President’s budget requested level.
In addition to technical assistance, the other type of agricultural conservation assistance is
financial assistance. Financial assistance provides direct payments to landowners to implement
certain conservation practices or to conserve and protect natural resources on private land. Most
programs providing financial assistance are authorized through omnibus farm bills and receive
funding from mandatory sources—thus, they do not require an annual appropriation.
In addition to technical assistance provided through CTA and CO, technical assistance is part of
farm bill conservation programs, which are funded through a program’s mandatory authorization.
Most technical assistance activities within mandatory programs support the delivery of some level
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of financial assistance as part of a contract or agreement (Figure 3). These activities could
include providing designs, standards, and specifications needed to install approved conservation
practices and activities.
Generally, technical assistance prior to a producer entering into a contract for financial assistance
is considered part of CTA. After a producer signs a contract for financial assistance, technical
assistance is funded from the individual mandatory program rather than CTA. Once the financial
assistance contract is complete, most mandatory program funds are no longer available to support
ongoing assistance in maintaining the conservation plans, practices, and activities implemented
under the financial assistance program.
Figure 3. FY2023 Total Estimate NRCS Technical Assistance, by Program
budget authority in millions of dollars

Source: Figure created by CRS using USDA, FY2024 Budget Explanatory Notes—Natural Resources Conservation
Service, p. 29-31.
Notes: Numbers may not add due to rounding. FY2023 estimates are the latest available. NRCS = Natural
Resources Conservation Service; ACEP = Agricultural Conservation Easement Program; CSP = Conservation
Stewardship Program; CRP = Conservation Reserve Program; EQIP = Environmental Quality Incentives
Program; GHG = Greenhouse Gas; IRA = Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (P.L. 117-169); PMC = Plant Material
Centers; and RCPP = Regional Conservation Partnership Program. The Agricultural Act of 2014 (P.L. 113-79)
repealed and consolidated several farm bil conservation programs. The repealed and consolidated programs are
no longer authorized but have valid contracts that continue to require technical assistance. These programs are
referred to as Expired Farm Bil Programs and include the Agricultural Water Enhancement Program,
Chesapeake Bay Watershed Program, Farm and Ranchland Protection Program, Grassland Reserve Program,
Wetlands Reserve Program, and Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program. Other farm bill programs include the
NRCS portion of Agricultural Management Assistance, Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program,
Feral Swine Eradication and Control Pilot, and Healthy Forest Reserve Program.
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As Figure 3 shows, mandatory programs fund nearly half of NRCS technical assistance in
FY2023. The IRA provided nearly $17 billion in additional funding for selected mandatory farm
bill conservation programs.6 Because the additional financial assistance for the farm bill
conservation programs requires a corresponding increase in the amount of technical assistance
needed for implementation, the IRA also provided additional funding for CTA.7 Without this
increase in discretionary spending accounts, implementation of additional financial assistance
could be hindered since technical assistance prior to a financial assistance contract generally is
funded through discretionary spending accounts (i.e., CTA).
NRCS Staffing Levels
The CO account funds close to half of NRCS staff; other, smaller discretionary programs and
mandatory conservation programs account for the remainder. The total number of permanent
positions at NRCS funded by CO declined from FY2014 through FY2019 (see Figure 4). The
Administration’s FY2024 request includes an increase in proposed staff compared with FY2023,
primarily reflecting the additional funding provided in the IRA. According to the request, this
increase in funding would be used primarily “to expand staffing capacity to keep pace with
increased mandatory financial assistance authorities that exceed $3.5 billion in 2024.”8 If FY2023
estimated hiring occurs, then NRCS staffing levels would exceed levels that prevailed before
FY2016. If FY2024 staffing estimates are filled, then total permanent NRCS staffing positions
would be the highest in more than two decades (see Figure 4).

6 For additional information on the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA), see CRS Insight IN11978, Inflation
Reduction Act: Agricultural Conservation and Credit, Renewable Energy, and Forestry.
7 The IRA §21002(a)(1) provided $1 billion for Conservation Technical Assistance (CTA) to remain available through
FY2031.
8 USDA, FY2024 Budget Explanatory Notes—Natural Resources Conservation Service, p. 29-24.
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Figure 4. Total Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Staffing
FY1999-FY2024 Request

Source: Figure created by CRS using annual USDA Budget Explanatory Notes.
Notes: A staff year is equivalent to one ful -time person working for one year. CO = Conservation Operations;
EOY = end of year; and Req. = President’s request.
Watershed Programs
The FY2023 appropriation contained funding for watershed activities, including Watershed and
Flood Prevention Operations (WFPO)—a program that assists state and local organizations with
planning and installing measures to prevent erosion, sedimentation, and flood damage.9 The
FY2023 appropriation reduced WFPO funding to $75.0 million, $25.0 million less than the
FY2022 level of $100.0 million. The Administration’s FY2024 budget requests $175.0 million
for WFPO, $100.0 million more than enacted for FY2023.
WFPO consists of projects built under two authorities—the Watershed Protection and Flood
Prevention Act of 1954 (P.L. 83-566) and the Flood Control Act of 1944 (P.L. 78-534). The vast
majority of the projects have been built pursuant to the authority of P.L. 83-566 (referred to as
P.L. 566 projects), which authorizes the chief of NRCS to approve construction of smaller
watershed projects.10 Larger P.L. 566 projects face a requirement for congressional approval. The

9 For additional information, see CRS Report R46471, Federally Supported Projects and Programs for Wastewater,
Drinking Water, and Water Supply Infrastructure.
10 In general, no P.L. 566 project may exceed 250,000 acres, and no structure may exceed 12,500 acre-feet of
floodwater detention capacity or 25,000 acre-feet of total capacity.
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Flood Control Act of 1944 authorized 11 specific projects, referred to as P.L. 534 projects, which
are larger and more expensive than P.L. 566 projects.
The FY2023 enacted appropriation directed WFPO funding to specific activities (Table 3),
including directing $10.0 million of available WFPO funding to projects that could commence
promptly, address regional priorities, or are authorized under the Flood Control Act of 1944 (P.L.
534 projects). An additional $10.0 million was directed to projects that provide water to rural
communities and $20.6 million for WFPO earmarks. The FY2024 Administration’s request would
increase the amount of WFPO funding directed to projects that could commence promptly,
address regional priorities, or are P.L. 534 projects from $10.0 million to $65.0 million, and it
would add language directing funds to projects that would address multiple resource concerns and
provide ecosystem benefits. The FY2024 request would remove language for rural water projects
and earmarks.
The FY2023 appropriation included $10.0 million for the Watershed Rehabilitation Program––
$8.0 million more than enacted in FY2022. The Watershed Rehabilitation Program repairs aging
dams built by USDA under WFPO.11
The 2018 farm bill provides $50.0 million annually in permanent mandatory funding for WFPO
and Watershed Rehabilitation activities. The mandatory funding is in addition to discretionary
funding provided through annual appropriations.12
Congressionally Directed Spending (Earmarks)
For FY2023, the House and Senate allowed earmarks in appropriations.13 Earmarks generally are
defined as congressionally directed spending that noncompetitively benefits a specific entity or
locality. The House refers to these as Community Project Funding (CPF) requests, and the Senate
refers to these as Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) items. Both chambers’ rules require
that appropriations reports disclose earmarks.14
The FY2023 enacted appropriation contained 35 earmarks totaling $43.6 million in two
accounts—CO and WFPO (Table 2). The enacted appropriation included $23.0 million of
earmarks in CO (2.4% of the total FY2023 appropriation of $941.1 million) and $20.6 million of
earmarks in WFPO (27.5% of the total FY2023 appropriation of $75.0 million).
Table 2. FY2023 Earmark Totals, by State and Conservation Program
dollars in thousands
Conservation
Watershed and Flood
State
Operation
Prevention Operations
Total
California
1,325
0
1,325
Florida
175
0
175
Hawaii
1,000
0
1,000
Idaho
4,000
0
4,000

11 For additional information, see CRS Report R47383, Federal Assistance for Nonfederal Dam Safety.
12 For additional discussion of changes made in the 2018 farm bill, see CRS Report R45698, Agricultural Conservation
in the 2018 Farm Bill.
13 CRS Report R46722, Community Project Funding: House Rules and Committee Protocols.
14 CRS Report RS22866, Earmark Disclosure Rules in the House: Member and Committee Requirements; and CRS
Report RS22867, Earmark Disclosure Rules in the Senate: Member and Committee Requirements.
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Conservation
Watershed and Flood
State
Operation
Prevention Operations
Total
Il inois
975
0
975
Kansas
0
2,100
2,100
Michigan
750
110
860
Mississippi
1,200
5,330
6,530
New Jersey
1,950
165
2,115
New York
4,950
55
5,005
Oregon
0
5,048
5,048
Rhode Island
0
5,000
5,000
Texas
3,500
0
3,500
Washington
3,147
2,728
5,876
West Virginia
0
55
55
Total Earmarks
22,973
20,591
43,564
Source: Prepared by CRS using Community Project Funding/Congressionally Directed Spending (earmark)
tables in “Explanatory Statement Submitted by Mr. Leahy, Chair of the Senate Committee on Appropriations,
Regarding H.R. 2617, Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023,” Congressional Record, vol. 168, no. 197 (December
19, 2022), pp. S7834-7864.
In FY2024, the House Agriculture appropriations subcommittee includes CO as an eligible
account for CPF requests, and the Senate Agriculture appropriations subcommittee includes
WFPO as an eligible account for CDS items.15
Mandatory Conservation Program
Mandatory conservation programs generally are authorized in omnibus farm bills and receive
funding from the CCC—thus, they do not require an annual appropriation. The 2018 farm bill
reauthorized mandatory funding through FY2023 for many of the agricultural conservation
programs. The IRA further extended authorization and provided additional funding for several
farm bill conservation programs through FY2031 (Figure 5).16
Mandatory conservation program funding—with the exception of the Conservation Reserve
Program (CRP)—is classified as mandatory, nonexempt spending and is therefore reduced
annually by about 6% by budget sequestration.17

15 For additional information, see House Appropriations Committee, “Fiscal Year 2024 Member Request Guidance,” at
https://appropriations.house.gov/fiscal-year-2024-member-request-guidance; and Senate Appropriations Committee,
“FY 2024 Appropriations Requests and Congressionally Directed Spending,” at https://www.appropriations.senate.gov/
fy-2024-appropriations-requests-and-congressionally-directed-spending.
16 The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (P.L. 117-169) extended authority for the Agricultural Conservation Easement
Program (ACEP), Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), and
Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). For additional information about farm bill conservation program
authority, see CRS Report R47478, Agricultural Conservation and the Next Farm Bill.
17 For additional discussion on sequestration, see Appendix C in CRS Report R46951, Agriculture and Related
Agencies: FY2022 Appropriations.
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Figure 5. Mandatory Conservation Program Funding, FY2023
budget authority in millions of dollars

Source: Figure created by CRS using Congressional Budget Office (CBO), “CBO’s February 2023 Baseline for
Farm Programs,” February 2023, at https://www.cbo.gov/system/files?file=2023-02/51317-2023-02-usda.pdf; and
appropriations for Changes in Mandatory Program Spending (CHIMPS).
Notes: Seq. & CHIMPS = Announced sequestration and changes in mandatory program spending (i.e., transfers
to the Farm Production and Conservation Business Center); Other = budget authority for the Emergency
Forestry Conservation Reserve Program, Grassroots Source Water Protection, Feral Swine Eradication,
Agricultural Management Assistance program, Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive, Watershed and
Flood Prevention Operations, Watershed Rehabilitation Program, Conservation User Fees, and programs
repealed by the 2014 farm bil ; RCPP = Regional Conservation Partnership Program; ACEP = Agricultural
Conservation Easement Program; CSP = Conservation Stewardship Program; EQIP = Environmental Quality
Incentives Program; CRP = Conservation Reserve Program; Farm Bil = total mandatory funding authorized
under the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 farm bil ; P.L. 115-334), as amended; and IRA = Inflation
Reduction Act of 2022 (P.L. 117-169). CSP amounts are categorized by contracts authorized under the
Agricultural Act of 2014 (P.L. 113-79) and the 2018 farm bil . Total funding levels shown include funding
authorized under the 2018 farm bil , as amended, and additional spending for existing conservation programs
authorized in the IRA. Sequestration on IRA funds is estimated at the announced levels for FY2023.
Congress used annual Agriculture appropriations acts to reduce funding to mandatory
conservation programs through Changes in Mandatory Program Spending (CHIMPS) every year
from FY2003 to FY2017.18 The FY2018 Consolidated Appropriations Act (P.L. 115-141) was the

18 Changes in Mandatory Program Spending (CHIMPS) are adjustments via an appropriations act that can change
available funding for mandatory programs. CHIMPS usually change spending for one year and may score as an
increase or decrease to outlays. They do not change the underlying authority of the program in law. For additional
background on CHIMPS, see CRS In Focus IF10041, Reductions to Mandatory Agricultural Conservation Programs in
Appropriations Law.
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first appropriation since FY2002 that did not include CHIMPS to conservation programs, thus
allowing all mandatory conservation programs to use their fully authorized level of funding,
minus sequestration.
In FY2019, USDA reorganized several agencies, including NRCS, and created the Farm
Production and Conservation (FPAC) mission area. As part of the reorganization, Congress began
transferring funds to the FPAC Business Center from other accounts, including from mandatory
conservation programs.19 This transfer creates CHIMPS in three conservation programs—
Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP), Conservation Stewardship Program
(CSP), and Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP).20 The FY2023 appropriation
includes the Administration’s request for transferring $60.2 million in conservation program
CHIMPS to the FPAC Business Center. The same CHIMPS amount ($60.2 million) for the same
conservation programs was included in each annual appropriation from FY2019 through FY2023,
and is requested for FY2024.
Supplemental Funding
Separate from annual appropriations, in FY2023 the IRA (§21002(a)(1)) provided $1.0 billion for
NRCS CTA to remain available through FY2031. This supplemental funding is directly related to
the additional $17 billion provided in the IRA for selected mandatory farm bill conservation
programs—EQIP, CSP, ACEP, and the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). The
IRA also provided $300.0 million to remain available through FY2031 for NRCS to carry out a
program to quantify greenhouse gas emissions reductions from IRA activities for use in the
USDA Greenhouse Gas Inventory Assessment program.
Separate from funds provided as annual appropriations, the FY2023 appropriation (P.L. 117-328,
Division N) provides $925.0 million for the Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) program.21
The funding is classified as emergency spending and is available until expended.
Policy-Related Provisions
In addition to setting budgetary amounts, the Agriculture appropriations bill also may include
policy-related provisions that direct how the executive branch is to carry out an appropriation.
These provisions may have the force of law if they are included in the text of an appropriations
act, but their effect is generally limited to the current fiscal year (see Table 3). Policy-related
provisions in appropriations acts generally do not amend the U.S. Code or have a multiyear effect.
For example, the WFPO program historically has been called the “small watershed program”
because no project may exceed 250,000 acres, and no structure may exceed 12,500 acre-feet of
floodwater detention capacity or 25,000 acre-feet of total capacity. The FY2023 enacted
appropriation included a policy provision that waives the 250,000-acre project limit when the

19 For additional background on the Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) Business Center and conservation
programs, see CRS Report R46728, FY2021 Appropriations for Agricultural Conservation.
20 The Administration’s FY2024 request to transfer $60.2 million to the FPAC Business Center from mandatory
conservation programs would be divided as follows: $8.3 million from ACEP, $21.2 million from CSP, and $30.7
million from EQIP. None of the funds is proposed to come from the Conservation Reserve Program.
21 For additional information on the Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) program, see CRS Report R42854,
Emergency Assistance for Agricultural Land Rehabilitation.
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project’s primary purpose is something other than flood prevention.22 This provision does not
amend the WFPO authorization and is effective only for the funds provided during the current
appropriation year.23
Many of these provisions have been included in past years’ appropriations acts. Some provisions
in report language and bill text may address conservation programs that are not authorized or
funded within the annual appropriations (i.e., mandatory spending for farm bill-authorized
programs).
Table 3 compares some of the conservation-related policy provisions in the Farm Production and
Conservation Programs (Title II) and General Provisions (Title VII) titles of the enacted FY2022
and FY2023 Agriculture appropriation bills. The table is divided by agency and account
according to their location within the bills.
Table 3. Selected Conservation Policy Provisions in the FY2022 and FY2023
Appropriations Acts
FY2022
FY2023
Enacted, P.L. 117-103
Enacted, P.L. 117-328
Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) Business Center
FPAC Business Center. Transfer of $60.2 mil ion
Same as FY2022 (Title II).
from mandatory conservation program accounts to the
Business Center account (Title II).
Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)
Conservation Operations (CO). Allocates $19.6
Similar language allocates $23.0 mil ion of CO for 16
mil ion of CO for 17 “Congressionally Directed
“Community Project Funding/Congressionally Directed
Spending” projects (Title II).
Spending” projects (Title II).
Allocates $8.5 mil ion of CO for the Urban Agriculture
Funded as a separate appropriation (Title II).
and Innovative Production Program (Title II).
Allocates $7.0 mil ion of CO for the Healthy Forests
Funded as a separate appropriation (Title II).
Reserve Program (Title II).
Watershed Operations. Limits the application of the Same as FY2022 (Title II).
250,000-acre limitation in Watershed and Flood
Prevention Operations (WFPO) to activities for which
the primary purpose is flood prevention (Title II).
Allocates $23.3 mil ion of WFPO for seven
Similar language allocates $20.6 mil ion of WFPO for 19
“Community Project Funding/Congressionally Directed
“Community Project Funding/Congressionally Directed
Spending” projects (Title II).
Spending” projects (Title II).
Allocates $10.0 mil ion of available funds to be allocated Same as FY2022 (Title II).
to projects that commence promptly, address select
regional priorities, or are authorized under the Flood
Control Act of 1944 (Title II).

22 The appropriation for the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in P.L. 117-328 states, “ ... Provided,
That for funds provided by this Act or any other prior Act, the limitation regarding the size of the watershed or
subwatershed exceeding two hundred and fifty thousand acres in which such activities can be undertaken shall only
apply for activities undertaken for the primary purpose of flood prevention (including structural and land treatment
measures).... ” The underlying limitation referred to is 16 U.S.C. §1002.
23 The provision applies to the $75 million in FY2023 and any funds previously provided. Since Watershed and Flood
Prevention Operations (WFPO) funding is available until expended, it is possible that the waiver could carry forward
into future fiscal years but only for funds made available in or prior to FY2023.
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FY2022
FY2023
Enacted, P.L. 117-103
Enacted, P.L. 117-328
Allocates $10.0 mil ion to projects providing water to
Same as FY2022 (Title II).
rural communities (Title II).
General Provisions
Agricultural Management Assistance (AMA).
Same as FY2022 (§707).
Allows AMA funds to remain available until expended
(§707).
Experienced Services Program. Allows use of
Same as FY2022 (§759).
WFPO, Watershed Rehabilitation, and Emergency
Watershed Protection (EWP) program funds to
provide technical assistance through the Agricultural
Conservation Experienced Services (ACES) program, a
part-time employment program for retirees (§759).
Water Bank. Appropriates $4.0 mil ion for the Water Same as FY2022 (§762).
Bank program (§769).
Wetland Mitigation Banking. Appropriates $5.0
Same as FY2022 (§764).
mil ion for farm bil mitigation banks. Prioritizes areas
with a significant number of individual wetlands and
conservation compliance requests (§771).
No comparable provision.
Soil Testing. Appropriates $5.0 mil ion for testing
soil, water, or agricultural producers for per- and
polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) (§766).
Source: Prepared by CRS from P.L. 117-103 and P.L. 117-328.
Note: These policy changes are relevant only for funds available in the fiscal year cited.
In addition to the text of an appropriations act, the explanatory statement accompanying the final
appropriations—and the House and Senate report language, if applicable, that generally
accompanies the committee-reported bills—may provide policy instructions.24 These documents
do not have the force of law but often explain congressional intent, which Congress expects the
agencies to observe. The committee reports and explanatory statement may need to be read
together to capture all of the congressional intent for a given fiscal year.
Table 4 includes conservation policy provisions in report language that direct specific funding
levels and policies. The table is divided by general programs, accounts, and themes. The majority
of provisions are located under NRCS, but some are located under FSA or CCC within the
reports.
Table 4. Summary of Selected Conservation Policy Provisions in FY2023
Appropriations Explanatory Statements
Provision Location
Programs, Accounts, and Themes

Conservation Operation (CO), Conservation Technical Assistance (CTA),
and Conservation Practices
Explanatory Statement Directs $800.9 mil ion of CO to CTA.
Explanatory Statement Directs $3.0 mil ion of CO for cost-share programs to construct and repair perimeter
fencing damaged by feral hogs.

24 The Senate Appropriations Committee did not take up the FY2023 appropriations bill, S. 4661; therefore, no
explanatory statement was reported.
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Provision Location
Programs, Accounts, and Themes
Explanatory Statement Directs $23.0 mil ion of CO for congressionally directed projects.
Explanatory Statement Directs $14.0 mil ion of CTA for the Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative, of which
$12.0 mil ion is for competitive grants to diverse partnerships, and $2.0 mil ion is for
grazing education through a cooperative agreement with a national grazing lands
coalition.
Explanatory Statement Directs $13.0 mil ion of CTA for additional staff.
Explanatory Statement Directs $1.0 mil ion of CTA for Phragmite control.
Explanatory Statement Directs NRCS to continue to report to Congress total technical assistance funding.
Explanatory Statement Urges the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to reevaluate Technical
Service Providers matching requirements.
House Report
Urges USDA to incentivize the use of alfalfa in NRCS programs.
House Report
Encourages NRCS to promote and fund firebreaks and fuel breaks.
House Report
Encourages NRCS to use conservation practice standards to fund per- and
polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) soil testing.

Soil Surveys Program
Explanatory Statement Directs $86.8 mil ion of CO to the program.

Snow Survey and Water Supply Forecasting Program
Explanatory Statement Directs $16.8 mil ion of CO to the program, of which $6.0 mil ion is to expand the Snow
Telemetry (SNOTEL) Network, and $1.0 mil ion is for a study to potentially expand the
SNOTEL Network to northeastern states

Plant Materials Centers
Explanatory Statement Directs $10.8 mil ion of CO to the centers, including $1.0 mil ion to climate-smart
agriculture.

Watershed and Flood Prevention Operations (WFPO)
Explanatory Statement Directs $20.6 mil ion of WFPO for congressionally directed projects.
Explanatory Statement Requires Congressionally Directed Spending projects to apply for funding and directs
NRCS to review applications in the same manner as previous years.
Explanatory Statement Directs NRCS to col aborate with project sponsors on drought response and wildlife
habitat projects and provide a report to Congress.
House Report
Urges NRCS to balance program needs and reduce project delays.

Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production
House Report
Supports the Community Compost and Food Waste Reduction Project and encourages
USDA to promote composting and reduce food waste.
House Report
Encourages the office to col aborate with other USDA agencies to develop or improve
farmers’ markets.
House Report
Encourages USDA to partner with state extension programs to assist urban agricultural
production and for NRCS to maintain grants for outreach and innovation.
House Report
Encourages the support of vertical farming.

Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)
Explanatory Statement Reminds USDA of an FY2021 directed report analyzing dryland agriculture uses on
Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) acres.
House Report
Encourages USDA to enrol PFAS-contaminated land into CRP.
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Provision Location
Programs, Accounts, and Themes

Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)
Explanatory Statement Encourages USDA to support implementation of energy efficiency projects under EQIP.
Explanatory Statement Urges USDA to develop EQIP guidance with input from selected irrigation and land
management organizations in the southwestern United States.

Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP)
Explanatory Statement Requires a report to Congress on actions to eliminate program duplication.
House Report
Encourages the creation of “climate change mitigation” bundles within CSP.

Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP)
House Report
Supports critical conservation areas under RCPP and directs NRCS to provide additional
CTA funds to RCPP to address planning backlogs.
House Report
Directs NRCS to maintain the Mississippi River Basin as a critical conservation area
under RCPP and affirms the program’s use to achieve the goals of the 2015 Gulf Hypoxia
Action Plan.

Conservation Compliance
Explanatory Statement Encourages USDA to use a one-to-one acre ratio for wetlands mitigation requirements.

Program Administration and Operations
Explanatory Statement Directs NRCS to implement cooperative agreements with organizations that support the
lesser-prairie chicken and carbon sequestration programs.
House Report
Encourages NRCS to review and align conservation program delivery timelines with
legislatively mandated timelines.
House Report
Encourages NRCS to continue working with Resource Conservation and Development
Councils.

Soil Health
House Report
Encourages the continued support of selected practices and soil health demonstration
projects related to regenerative agriculture.

Water Quality and Quantity
Explanatory Statement Directs NRCS to work with eligible entities (e.g., producers, states, and irrigation
districts) in implementing area-wide drought plans.
House Report
Supports and directs funding to reduce nutrient loading that can contribute to Harmful
Algal Blooms (HAB) growth.

Wildlife
House Report
Encourages the development of affordable, regional pol inator seed mixes.
House Report
Supports the Sage Grouse Initiative.

Geographically Specific Provisions
Explanatory Statement Directs NRCS to col ect scientifically credible information on Alaska’s lands, soils,
waters, and related resources.
House Report
Supports the Chesapeake Bay State’s Partnership Initiative and directs USDA to leverage
additional funding and technical assistance to the initiative.
House Report
Encourages renewal of the Driftless Area Landscape Conservation Initiative in
Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Il inois.
House Report
Encourages selected flood mitigation measures in the Great Lakes region.
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House Report
Encourages NRCS to use the Conservation Agricultural Mentoring Program (CAMP) to
enhance outreach in watersheds, such as the Great Lakes Basin, Salton Sea, Lake
Okeechobee, and Chesapeake Bay.
House Report
Encourages NRCS to work with local, state, and federal agencies in the Western Lake
Erie Basin.
Source: Compiled by CRS from “Explanatory Statement Submitted by Mr. Leahy, Chair of the Senate
Committee on Appropriations, Regarding H.R. 2617, Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023,” Congressional
Record, vol. 168, no. 197 (December 19, 2022), pp. S7834-7864; and H.Rept. 117-392.
Notes: Explanatory Statement = the FY2023 Explanatory Statement cited above; and House Report = H.Rept.
117-392. These policy provisions clarify congressional intent for the specific fiscal year cited. The explanatory
statement accompanying the final FY2023 appropriation indicates that unless otherwise noted, the House report
language carries the same weight as language in the explanatory statement. Therefore, the FY2023 House report
and explanatory statement are to be read together to capture all of the congressional intent for the fiscal year.
The Senate Appropriations Committee did not take up the FY2023 appropriations bil , S. 4661; therefore, no
explanatory statement was reported. For additional information on the programs identified in this table, see CRS
Report R40763, Agricultural Conservation: A Guide to Programs.

Author Information

Megan Stubbs

Specialist in Agricultural Conservation and Natural
Resources Policy

Disclaimer
This document was prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). CRS serves as nonpartisan
shared staff to congressional committees and Members of Congress. It operates solely at the behest of and
under the direction of Congress. Information in a CRS Report should not be relied upon for purposes other
than public understanding of information that has been provided by CRS to Members of Congress in
connection with CRS’s institutional role. CRS Reports, as a work of the United States Government, are not
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