Gao 06 312 Conservation Security Program

GAO-06-312 Conservation Security Program: Despite Cost Controls, Improved USDA Management Is Needed to Ensure Proper Payments and Reduce Duplication with Other Programs

The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) administers conservation programs, such as the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP, formerly the Conservation Security Program) and the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), to help farmers reduce soil erosion, enhance water supply and quality, and increase wildlife habitat, among other things. This testimony is based on reports on CSP and EQIP, each issued in 2006, and a 2008 report on farm program payments. It discusses: (1) the potential for duplicate payments between CSP and other conservation programs; (2) USDA's process for allocating EQIP funds to the states to optimize environmental benefits; and (3) USDA's management controls over farm program payments.

Between Soil and Society traces the history and development of conservation policy, especially as it compares to, and interacts with, the development of farm policy and such factors as climate change.