Even with a substantial increase in much-needed and overdue funding, popular conservation programs at the United States Department of Agriculture that help farmers protect their yields and support the local environment on their terms continue to be oversubscribed and under-resourced. Now is not the time for Congress to divert that funding to other uses never envisioned by lawmakers on Capitol Hill. 

At risk is roughly $20 billion in new funding for broadly supported USDA programs, including the Conservation Stewardship Program and Environmental Quality Incentives Program. Historically, these programs have never been able to keep up with the demand from America’s farmers, and USDA reports that exceptionally high demand continues to outpace available funding.