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Senate Approach Would Speed Payments to New Jersey Farmers for Farmland Conservation
Fate of Funding Hangs on Key Farm Bill Negotiations
New Jersey’s considerable – and growing – farmland conservation needs on private lands have gone chronically underfunded for years. That could all change as a handful of Senators and Representatives decide whether or not to adopt the Senate’s $4.3 billion annual investment in farmland conservation programs during final farm bill negotiations this month.
Currently, there is over $18 million in unfunded applications from New Jersey farmers who want to implement conservation practices on their land that would protect farmland and enhance drinking water sources and wildlife habitat.
These programs, which pay farmers to take steps to boost conservation, provide a range of benefits to rural communities while boosting family farm incomes – particularly among smaller struggling family farm operations.
New analysis by EWG shows that the Senate’s approach to boosting funding for farmland conservation programs would immediately get much needed assistance to more farmers in the state than the House bill. In comparison, by waiting until 2007 to ramp up farmland conservation programs, the House bill would fail to meet the growing demand for farmers who want to reduce their farm’s impact on local rivers and streams, enhance wildlife habitat and prevent sprawl from consuming more farmland. And, the longer farmers and communities have to wait to enroll in conservation programs, the more expensive it will be for taxpayers to address conservation problems.
In short, adopting the Senate’s conservation strategy will help more farmers, provide benefits to society and save taxpayers money.
Meeting Environmental Challenges with Agriculture Conservation Programs in New Jersey
Cleaner Rivers and Lakes: In New Jersey, 64.6 percent of surveyed rivers and streams and 100 percent of surveyed lakes have been classified as impaired. Agriculture is one of the leading causes of nonpoint source pollution in the state, creating excess phosphorus and nutrient loading into the states lakes and streams.
Efforts to increase funding for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) in the next farm bill would help more New Jersey farmers adopt practices to reduce the level of sedimentation, nitrogen and phosphorus runoff into New Jersey waters. The current backlog of EQIP funding in New Jersey is $12 million. Increased funding for the Conservation Reserve Program, especially for grass and tree buffers near to water bodies, in the next farm bill would also help reduce agricultural pollutants in many New Jersey watersheds. Although soil loss is declining, New Jersey still loses approximately 2.6 million tons of soil per year from cropland. Through the CRP, farmers can retire highly erodible land without incurring economic costs.
Safer Drinking Water: Pesticide use in New Jersey is 2.3 million pounds per year and nitrate use is 31,000 tons per year. Through USDA technical assistance and EQIP, New Jersey farmers could implement practices to reduce the use of these chemicals and prevent them from contaminating New Jersey's water bodies and source drinking water areas.
Protected Open Space and Working Landscapes: Every year, New Jersey loses an average of 5,700 acres of prime farmland per year to development and suburban sprawl (USDA/NRI). Converting prime farmland to housing developments and parking lots means that it is lost for meeting future food needs as well as for open space. The Garden State will fall far short of its heralded goal to preserve a half million acres of farmland within the next decade on its present course, according to the following analysis of the state's farmland preservation efforts released May 23, 2001 by New Jersey Future.
Only about 245,000 additional acres of farmland are likely to be added by 2010 to the 69,500 acres already preserved. By increasing funding for the federal Farmland Protection Program, NJ could double every dollar it puts on the table to protect farmland for future generations. Unfortunately, only 1 out of 10 farmers who want to enroll in the federal program are accepted nationally, leading to a backlog of farmers wanting to enroll 6,973 acres into the Farmland Protection Program in New Jersey.
Enhanced Wildlife Habitat: New Jersey farmland is home to many species of game and non-game wildlife, including turkey, deer, bear, pheasant, fox and squirrels. Although New Jersey farmers have enrolled over 2,425 acres in the Conservation Reserve and Wetlands Reserve Programs, lack of funding has created a backlog of farmers who want to enroll additional land in the programs. Many farmers are also volunteering for the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program to enhance wildlife habitat on their working farmland. Currently, 26 applications from farmers and ranchers totaling $79,000 are unfunded in New Jersey. Proposals to increase funding for these programs in the next farm bill would ensure that all farmers and ranchers who want to retire highly sensitive land for wildlife habitat or adopt new practices to create habitat can do so.
Healthier Food Supply: Many New Jersey producers are moving towards organic production, with 1,218 acres of farmland are now growing organically. Since organic food is one of the fastest growing segments in the U.S. food industry, New Jersey could create a healthier food supply and farm economy by increasing organic production. Proposals to include organic transition payments in the next Farm Bill would help those New Jersey farmers who want to switch to organic farming.
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