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Inflation Reduction Act includes conservation and biofuel funding

A bill introduced in the U.S. Senate would provide nearly $20 billion in conservation program funding.

The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 includes more than $8 billion for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, $6.75 billion for the Regional Conservation Partnership Program, $3.25 billion for the Conservation Stewardship Program, and $1.4 billion for the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program.

National Association of Conservation Districts president Michael Crowder applauded the proposed investments, saying USDA conservation programs are oversubscribed and this funding would go a long way in helping more producers implement conservation practices.

National Council of Farmer Cooperatives CEO Chuck Conner says the bill also helps provide the resources needed to ensure a strong conservation title in the 2023 Farm Bill.

Congresswoman Cindy Axne, a Democrat from Iowa, tells Brownfield the Inflation Reduction Act also includes $500 million for ethanol infrastructure buildout.

“Which is my bill that I originally tried to get in last year, which we’ve still been working on. And then we’ve got right now a two-year biofuels tax credit extension.”

The proposal would also invest billions of dollars to support healthy forest management practices, public lands maintenance, and wildfire mitigation and resilience.