Defenders Supports New Bill Expanding Investments in Soil Health and Wildlife Habitat on Private Land

Defenders of Wildlife today announced its support for H.R. 8754 introduced by Rep. Julia Brownley (D-CA). If passed, the Saving Our Interconnected Lives (SOIL) Act will amend the Farm Bill to encourage agricultural producers to voluntarily conserve soil and wildlife habitat on their land by prioritizing applications for projects that would address both concerns under the Department of Agriculture’s Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). It would also increase financial incentives to farmers for implementing practices that conserve both soil and habitat.

“Farmers, ranchers, and private foresters are on the front lines of the climate crisis and are actively working to build climate resilient lands that support their agricultural operations as they contribute to the world’s food and fiber production. However, at the current federal reimbursement rate, many landowners cannot afford to cover the upfront cost of implementing conservation practices,” said Congresswoman Julia Brownley (D-CA). “The federal government needs to better support conservation practices that can benefit both soil and wildlife habitats to help producers fight climate change.

“Not only is climate change a key driver of biodiversity loss and can have significant impacts on wildlife and habitat on private land, but healthy habitats with rich biodiversity are more resistant to climate-related disasters, such as flooding, fire, drought, and sea level rise,” continued Brownley. “Research from leading scientists demonstrates that the biodiversity and climate crises are interconnected, so addressing climate mitigation through reducing emissions and sequestering carbon isn’t enough on its own to build climate resilient private lands. That is why the SOIL Act prioritizes those conservation practices that can benefit both climate and habitat.”

“We applaud Representative Brownley’s foresight and commitment to combatting the biodiversity crisis from the ground up,” said Robert Dewey, vice president of government relations for Defenders of Wildlife. “Our nation’s farmers are some of the best stewards of our landscapes and deserve broad support for their conservation efforts. We encourage bipartisan support for the SOIL Act and hope for its swift passage.”

 EQIP has proven remarkably successful at supporting voluntary, incentive-based wildlife conservation on private land, including for imperiled species such as bog turtle, eastern hellbender, northern bobwhite, golden-winged warbler, gopher tortoise and southwestern willow flycatcher.

CSP provides federal financial incentives to farmers to voluntarily maintain and expand their existing conservation efforts on their working lands, such as conserving habitat for the monarch butterfly and other pollinator species.