Neither the Senate nor the House has passed a fiscal year 2015 Agriculture appropriations bill yet, but a large coalition of conservation groups is already weighing in on an item they hope will be settled in conference.

In a June 11 letter, the coalition, which includes the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, the American Farmland Trust and the National Association of Conservation Districts, wrote House and Senate appropriations leaders that they are disturbed by cuts to mandatory conservation programs in the House and Senate bills.

The House Appropriations Committee-passed draft of the House bill cuts mandatory funding for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) by $209 million, Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) by $60 million, and Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) by $109 million, which would remove more than 1 million acres from the program, the groups noted.

The Senate Agriculture Appropriations bill reduces funding for EQIP to $1.35 billion, which is $250 million less than the funding level provided by the 2014 farm bill. The groups are urging Congress to restore the cuts as the bill is completed.

▪ Letter to Senate and House Appropriation leaders