Heinrich, Ernst Introduce Legislation to Improve Agricultural Conservation Practices

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich, a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, and the Food and Drug Administration, and U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, intorduced the bipartisan Streamlining Conservation Practice Standards Act, legislation to streamline the Natural Resource Conservation Service’s (NRCS) process for updating and adopting conservation practice standards that help farmers and ranchers improve soil health, build resilience to climate impacts, and achieve their conservation goals. The legislation will close the gap between evidence-based NRCS best practices and emerging research and innovation, enabling producers to more quickly and effectively harness voluntary NRCS conservation programs on their land. The effort will provide more transparency for stakeholders and set a clear, standardized process for producers and the public to participate in improving conservation practices.

“By leveraging innovations in regenerative agriculture and soil health practices, we can help farmers and producers make their working lands more resilient,” said Heinrich. “Our bipartisan legislation accomplishes this by updating and streamlining the process for developing new conservation practice standards at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resource Conservation Service. This will allow producers to build more resilience into their operations.” 

“Traveling across Iowa, I regularly hear from farmers who are eager to implement conservation practices that improve soil health, water quality, and long-term productivity — but they face real barriers when rigid USDA standards slow things down,” said Ernst. “I’m leading the Streamlining Conservation Practice Standards Act to modernize how USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service updates its technical standards. Ultimately, the goal is simple: let’s cut the red tape, let’s keep standards science-based and flexible, and help farmers get conservation tools in use faster.”

Specifically, the Streamlining Conservation Practice Standards Act will update the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) process to:

• Require a regular review of existing conservation practice standards,
• Create a public process for submitting and adopting new practices, and
• Prioritize the integration of innovative tools like nutrient efficiency technologies — biological fertilizer being one example that’s proven to improve plant growth.

The full text of the bill is here.

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