On Monday, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack outlined USDA’s $156 billion share of the $4 trillion Obama budget proposal, which is three percent more than last year but includes a $1.6 billion cut in the crop insurance program and some cuts to the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP).

While the CSP cut would reduce enrollment by three million acres to 7 million, Vilsack says the proposed budget puts more emphasis on conservation measures that get funding from sources outside the government that will result in an overall increase. “This budget will finance and fund an additional 20 million acres which will be added to the already record number of acres enrolled in conservation,” he said.

The budget also proposes investing $10 million over two years to “determine the effects incentive payments and outreach efforts have on farmer’s willingness to adopt conservation practices and improve the efficiency of private lands conservation programs.”

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