Farm Bill Advocacy Toolkit

Posted May 12, 2023 Updated January 24

Source

Land Trust Alliance

About This Toolkit

With the Farm Bill reauthorization on the horizon, the Alliance is leading the charge to ensure land trust community needs are top of mind for policymakers. With input from members like you — practitioners who utilize these programs to help landowners — and coalition partners, we developed policy recommendations that call for strengthening Farm Bill programs to meet the unprecedented conservation goals of today.

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 landowners in conserving the farmland, ranchland, forestland and wetlands that are critical to providing a healthy future for all people.

The toolkit includes information on Farm Bill programs, Senate and House committees, our Farm Bill factsheet, plus recommendations 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.

With the Farm Bill reauthorization on the horizon, the Alliance is leading the charge to ensure land trust community needs are top of mind for policymakers. With input from members like you — practitioners who utilize these programs to help landowners — and coalition partners, we have developed policy recommendations that call for strengthening Farm Bill programs to meet the unprecedented conservation goals of today.

Explore the Land

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 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

Utilize the following key messages when discussing the importance of Farm Bill reauthorization and our recommendations with elected officials, landowners and more.

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.
The 2018 Farm Bill expires in September and 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 streamline program administration and implementation, ensuring critical conservation dollars fund good projects. Click each recommendation below to learn more.

Robust funding for the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP).
Maintain improvements to the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program made in the 2018 Farm Bill.
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.
Cover project costs incurred by landowners.
Reduce barriers faced by historically underserved landowners.
Enhance the Healthy Forest Reserve Program (HFRP) to establish a Forest Conservation Easement Program (FCEP).
Exempt the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program from the Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) limitation.
Provide flexibility for minor modifications of easements.
Ensure the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) works for easements.
Make Buy-Protect-Sell (BPS) work as intended.

Download a copy of the Land Trust Alliance's current Farm Bill recommendations.

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

If you have not already done so, please contact your members of Congress and urge them to support the Farm Bill and in particular, the Land Trust Alliance's 2023 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 your Senator's contact information Find your Representative's contact information

With the 2018 Farm Bill set to expire in September and with the 2023 Farm Bill reauthorization negotiations under way, the Alliance is leading the charge to ensure land trust community needs are top of mind for policymakers. You can help advance the 2023 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-ed

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 2023 Farm Bill recommendations are so important.

Connect with your land conservation peers and experts to discuss Farm Bill programs.

The Farm Bill Programs Connection Hub is an Alliance member discussion forum where you can connect with peers and experts on all things Farm Bill. We invite Alliance members to join the discussion, start your own thread and check back for updates as the Alliance works with you, our members, in coalition and on Capitol Hill to define and advocate for policies that help you support landowners in conserving the farmland, ranchland, forestland and wetlands that are critical to providing a healthy future for all people.

View Event

Join us for Land Trust Alliance Advocacy Days! We invite the staff, board members and volunteers of Alliance member land trusts to participate in our annual advocacy event to make a significant difference in land conservation.

View Document

Land trusts need to be good at educating elected officials about themselves and the tools they use to complete important conservation work. Here’s a factsheet and talking points that you can use when meeting with elected officials to discuss your work.

View Toolkit

Is your organization looking to utilize the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program-Agricultural Land Easements Program? This toolkit includes land trust success stories using the ACEP-ALE program, step-by-step guidance for your application and an acronym guide and glossary.

View Toolkit

Attacks on voluntary private land conservation are putting critical conservation tools at risk. Join us in setting the record straight on the importance of voluntary private land conservation.

View Webinar

This webinar recording will equip you with the tools and knowledge needed to support the Gaining Ground campaign, which will grow awareness and support for land conservation broadly and your land trust specifically by empowering individuals to step outside, volunteer, vote and donate.

View Document

Advocating is one our community’s most important jobs. So, land trusts need to be just as good at building relationships with our elected officials as we are at building relationships with major donors and landowners. Here’s some simple rules to keep in mind.

View Toolkit

The Land Trust Alliance has put together this simple toolkit to assist you in successfully advocating for passage of the Charitable Conservation Easement Program Integrity Act. With your help we can end the abuse once and for all. Let's get this done!