Farm Bill Advocacy Toolkit
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About This Toolkit
The Farm Bill Toolkit is your one-stop shop for Alliance resources and tools to advocate for sound Farm Bill policies that help you support farmers, ranchers and other working landowners in conserving the farmlands, ranchlands, forestlands and wetlands that are critical to providing a healthy future for all people.
The toolkit includes information on Farm Bill programs, our Farm Bill recommendations, congressional contact information, plus resources and sample materials to help you take action today. You’ll also find information on our Farm Bill Working Group, comprised of land trust staff and leaders who provide on-the-ground insights on program implementation and support the Alliance in developing strong Farm Bill policy recommendations.
© 2023–2025 Land Trust Alliance, Inc. All rights reserved.
Current Priority: Farm Bill Reauthorization
The Alliance is leading the charge to ensure land trust community needs are top of mind for policymakers as the next Farm Bill is developed. With input from members like you — practitioners who utilize these vital programs to help landowners — in addition to coalition partners and other key stakeholders, we have developed policy recommendations that call for strengthening Farm Bill programs to meet the unprecedented conservation goals of today.
The Land Trust Alliance Government Relations team and land trust representative from across the country prepare for Advocacy Days and to lobby for Farm Bill reauthorization.
Photo by DJ Glisson II / Firefly Imageworks
Explore the Land
Farm Bill Conservation Programs
The Farm Bill authorizes several conservation programs that, taken in total, are the largest single federal source of funding for voluntary private land conservation in the United States. Farm Bill programs create significant opportunities for land trusts to help families protect high-priority farmlands, ranchlands, grasslands, wetlands and forests. The programs provide matching funds to conservation partners, so federal investments go further and are a vital resource for conserving America's farmland and ranchland.
Agricultural Conservation Easement Program
Conservation Reserve Program
Conservation Stewardship Program
Environmental Quality Incentives Program
Regional Conservation Partnership Program
Farm Bill conservation program toolkits

Regional Conservation Partnership Program Toolkit
Is your organization looking to utilize the Regional Conservation Partnership Program for easement acquisition? This toolkit includes an introduction to RCPP, step-by-step guidance on how to apply and information about receiving an award and how to navigate the agreement and acquisition process.
Every day, land trusts are helping farmers, ranchers and other working landowners protect and conserve their land. Telling your land trust stories is a powerful way to help elected officials and key stakeholders understand the importance of Farm Bill programs and how they support our work.
Have questions or additional key messages? Email policy@lta.org.
We are losing our working lands at an alarming rate.
Farm Bill conservation programs are a critical source of federal funding for voluntary private land conservation.
To meet high demand, funding for Farm Bill conservation programs must be increased.
Through stakeholder meetings with our land trust members, who work hand in hand with landowners to conserve and restore working lands, the Land Trust Alliance has developed the following targeted recommendations to ensure critical conservation dollars fund good projects. Click each recommendation below to learn more.
Robust funding for the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program.
Clarify the certified entity application and enrollment process and ensure exceptional land trusts have a streamlined path to becoming certified.
Provide additional cost-share options for easements.
Reduce barriers faced by historically underserved landowners.
Replace the Healthy Forest Reserve Program by establishing a Forest Conservation Easement Program.
Exempt the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program from the Adjusted Gross Income limitation.
Provide flexibility for minor modifications of easements.
Ensure the Regional Conservation Partnership Program works for easements.
Make Buy-Protect-Sell work as intended.
Maintain improvements to the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program made in the 2018 Farm Bill.
The United States Congress is responsible for the development of laws that guide policy on many topics including the Farm Bill. Congress develops updated Farm Bill legislation approximately every five years. Below you will find information on the respective House of Representatives and Senate committees, including key leaders, plus links to the hearing schedules and advocacy tactics.
United States Senate Committee and Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry
United States House Committee on Agriculture
Ways you can advocate
Contact your congressional delegation
To support land trusts and the farmers, ranchers and landowners you serve, please contact your members of Congress and urge them to support the Farm Bill, and in particular, the Land Trust Alliance's current Farm Bill recommendations. Your voice is critical to the process, and your phone calls and emails are an easy and effective way to influence elected officials.
Find contact information for your members of CongressWrite a letter to the editor or op-ed
With the one-year extension of the 2018 Farm Bill set to expire in September and reauthorization discussions underway, the Alliance is leading the charge to ensure land trust community needs are top of mind for policymakers. You can help advance the new Farm Bill in Congress while you build — or strengthen — your land trust’s relationship with local media by writing a letter to (or op-ed for) your local newspaper. This document offers guidance to assist you in crafting such a piece.
Learn more here about how to write an effective letter to the editor or op-edInviting members of Congress to visit your land
When members of Congress return to their home states and districts, as they do during the annual August recess, they have the opportunity to meet with constituents and discuss their policy priorities. You can show your members of Congress firsthand why land conservation is good for their state and district by inviting them to visit conserved land trust properties, including those that have benefitted from Farm Bill conservation programs. These visits provide an excellent opportunity to highlight what’s at risk and to explain in person why Farm Bill reauthorization and our Farm Bill recommendations are so important.
Additional advocacy resources
Connect with your land conservation peers and experts to discuss Farm Bill programs.